SJF Ventures invests in high-growth companies creating a healthier, smarter and cleaner future. Our mission is to catalyze the development of highly successful businesses driving lasting, positive changes. SJF has invested in more than 80 portfolio companies across multiple sectors that enhance sustainability, opportunity and wellness. The firm closed its fifth fund at $175 million in early 2021 and has $435 million in total assets under management. Founded in 1999 as a mission-oriented venture capital fund, SJF has continuously evolved and explored new initiatives to execute effectively on impact investing, advance best practices for impact acceleration, and help build the broader field of impact – including the co-founding of Impact Capital Managers in 2017. SJF is a team of fourteen, with offices in Durham, New York, and San Francisco. For more information on our organization, please visit www.sjfventures.com.
Director of Impact Position
SJF Ventures is recruiting a director of impact to help accelerate the positive impacts of the funds and our portfolio companies. This individual will report to Dave Kirkpatrick and the SJF board and will work closely with Anna Rumer as well as the full team.
Key responsibilities will include 1) overseeing impact and portfolio acceleration activities, 2) providing thought leadership to SJF’s impact initiatives, and 3) enhancing external communications and leading field-building work.
· Impact and Portfolio Acceleration
o Work alongside the SJF investment team to drive positive climate, environmental and social change at each investment stage, including prospecting, diligence, investment closing, portfolio management, and exits.
o Support SJF’s portfolio-wide impact and portfolio acceleration work, including catalyzing unique benefits for portfolio company employees, communities, and customers.
· Impact Thought Leadership
o Create and manage field-building efforts, furthering SJF’s role as a leading impact investor – spearheading research and strategic initiatives to share with industry peers.
o Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within SJF’s investment pipeline, the SJF team, portfolio companies and the industry.
· External Communications and Networking
o Support and build SJF’s networks to drive value across SJF’s portfolio and other relationships. Networks include limited partners, SF’s expert network, trade associations, other impact funds, advocates, consultants, and contractors.
o Lead marketing outreach for SJF, both at the fund level to build the SJF brand and attract prospect companies and occasionally at the portfolio level to attract customers, talent and follow-on capital.
o Assist in quarterly and annual reporting and events for SJF limited partners as well as ongoing investor relations work and preparatory work for SJF’s sixth fund in the coming years.
o Oversee impact measurement, management and reporting to provide value back to portfolio companies and limited partners; continuously augment SJF’s positive impacts. See https://sjfventures.com/impact/ for recent examples.
o Coordinate policy advocacy for SJF and the portfolio in collaboration with key trade associations such as Impact Capital Managers.
