Impact Investing Manager

Our brand-new position will play a critical role in this strategic imperative of the foundation, providing leadership to significantly grow the portion of AAACF’s portfolio dedicated to local investments that generate both financial and social returns (“impact investing”). The successful candidate will join the foundation’s community investment team, report to the Vice President of Community Investment and work in an integrated fashion with community investment, finance, and philanthropy staff to achieve organizational goals.  This employee will also work closely with a national impact investing consultant to build the foundation’s internal infrastructure capacity. 

This important role involves: 

• identifying investment opportunities and potential partners 

• working with external partners to leverage investment opportunities 

• securing and promoting investments in the AAACF’s impact investing portfolio   

• sourcing investments that are both financially prudent and socially productive based on extensive locally focused research on Washtenaw County’s small business ecosystem and capital flows 

• assisting in the ongoing learning, evaluation, and asset management of transactions.  

• promoting a collaborative capital investment strategy for Washtenaw County 

• engaging in deal origination 

• overseeing underwriting, risk assessment, deal structuring and closing process  

• assisting other staff with marketing and communications, creation of marketing materials, and articles and presentations on AAACF’s impact investing activities  

• working closely with a national impact investing consultant to build the foundation’s internal infrastructure capacity. 

This position will require work with multiple stakeholders and the right blend of hard (financial, strategic, and analytical) and soft (relational and communication) skills. Thus, an ideal candidate will have a finance or banking background, evidence of deal origination abilities, sustained idea generation, an understanding of the social/impact investing sector, and a passion to use financial capital to make a difference. They will also have a deep understanding of place-based investments with a working knowledge of other place-based social investment strategies. The candidate must have strong written and oral presentation skills and the ability to present to and work with committees, a board, a senior executive team, and other key groups and stakeholders. Externally, this position works with borrowers, investors, consultants, and legal counsel.  

Primary responsibilities: 

1. Lead efforts to communicate and raise awareness of organizational goals regarding impact investing in Washtenaw County  

1. Work with the foundation’s executive team including the VP - Community Investment, CFO, and VP-Philanthropy to develop a pipeline of investment opportunities that present a dual financial and social impact benefit  

1. Participate in assigned program team meetings, working closely with stakeholders, to maintain an understanding of programmatic strategy and communication needs  

1. Provide flexible social investment support across teams, when necessary  

1. Oversee the due diligence or underwriting of transactions for risk and impact, present to the Impact Investment Committee and/or board, lead the closing process, and monitor the portfolio of impact investments 

1. Work with colleagues to ensure all departments remain well-informed and empowered with information regarding AAACF’s current and planned impact investing activities 

1. Identify, establish, and steward relationships with key external partners – including those in the market-rate and social capital investor communities, whether in the private or public sectors– to leverage organizational investments with assets from other aligned investors  

1. Represent organization at external gatherings, on panels and other public engagements