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Deadline to apply: March 29th 2024

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
The Ford Foundation Fellowship in Impact Investing permits a Fellow to spend a year in residence with the Ford Foundation’s Mission Investments team in New York, working with the team to conduct investment fund manager due diligence; prepare presentations and investment committee materials; draft articles, papers, and reports; evaluate trends in the impact investment landscape; research opportunities in the philanthropic sector to expand the impact investing field; and provide general portfolio and project management support. The Impact Investing Fellow will report directly to an Investment Officer on the Mission Investments team.

Each year, fellowships are awarded to recent college graduates with at least 1 year of experience in investments, banking, management consulting, or investment research, or to a more experienced professional exploring a transition to a career in impact investing. Fellows are selected for their commitment to social justice and impact investing, demonstrated research and analytical skills, proven aptitude for quantitative and qualitative analysis, and strong communication and interpersonal skills.

BACKGROUND

The Ford Foundation’s Mission Investments team was established to invest the foundation’s capital to help solve some of the world’s greatest social problems and manages three pools of capital: a $1 billion mission related investment (MRI) fund from the endowment, the largest commitment of its kind, which seeks to achieve strong impact and financial returns

across five thematic strategies: affordable housing, diverse fund managers, financial inclusion, global health tech and quality jobs; a $350 million program related investment (PRI) fund designed to catalyze investments in markets and opportunities often overlooked by traditional investors; and a grant making initiative designed to build and strengthen the infrastructure of the impact investing market and promote a more inclusive system of capitalism. Underpinning all Mission Investments activity is the fundamental belief that diversity, equity and inclusion are necessary to achieve progress and innovation in business, society, the capital markets and capitalism itself.

Responsibilities, including but not limited to:

• Engage in and support investment due diligence activities, including meeting with fund managers and investors, and recordkeeping
• Produce investment memos on investment funds, including financial and social impact analysis
• Assist in investment portfolio operational matters such as information collection, monitoring of investment performance, and tracking of impact investment opportunities
• Contribute to in-depth assessments of topical impact issue areas to understand the investment landscape
• Research the impact investing landscape in the Ford Foundation’s global footprint: Africa, China, India, Indonesia and other parts of southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East
• Conduct research for, and produce drafts of articles, papers and reports
• Conduct research on industry and sector trends
• Prepare presentations for Trustee meetings, external audiences and on impact investment themes
• Remain abreast of industry trends, regulatory matters, best practices, and market events with respect to operational due diligence
• Support team communications and learning

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience, with a minimum of 1 year of professional experience
• Commitment to social justice and impact investing
• Demonstrated research and analytical skills
• Proven aptitude for quantitative and qualitative analysis
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Exceptional interpersonal skills
• At least one year of experience in banking, investments, management consulting, investment research, or a field that involves significant analytical work or a more experienced professional exploring a transition to a career in impact investing
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office (i.e., Word, PowerPoint and Excel)

Preferred Qualifications

• Two years’ experience
• Basic understanding of impact investing, and or Environmental, Social & Governance framework

SALARY: The Ford Foundation is committed to practicing salary transparency. The minimum salary for this position is $84,000 and the maximum is $97,000.

LOCATION: This position is based in the foundation’s New York office. We operate in a hybrid model and require staff to be in the office three days per week.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND TRAVEL

This position is primarily a sedentary role. However, the person in this position may need to occasionally move about inside the office to liaise with internal staff, access files, office machinery and a copy machine/printer. At the moment, the Foundation requires all staff to be in the office three days a week. Some travel might be required.

The Ford Foundation is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its programs, and operations. As part of this commitment, the Foundation will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact, PeopleandCulture@fordfoundation.org or call (212) 573-4627.

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Alignment to Culture and Values

• Commitment to the Foundation’s mission and core values of equity, openness, collaboration, trust, accountability and urgency
• Personal qualities of humility, capacity for self-reflection, and a sense of humor
• Discretion and ability to handle confidential issues
• Action-orientated and entrepreneurial self-starter who can work well independently and in teams

Benefits

• Hybrid Workplace and Flexible Work Arrangement policies
• Medical and dental benefits for employee and immediate family on first day of work
• Retirement savings account with matching company contributions of up to 13%
• Three weeks’ paid vacation in first year of work; four weeks in subsequent years
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Office closed the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Professional development initiatives for growth
• Generous parental leave (maternal and paternal) during new child’s first year (born into family or adopted)

Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at The Ford Foundation, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law. The Ford Foundation does not discriminate against formerly incarcerated individuals.