Acumen‍

We’re investors. A different kind of investor. We invest in people and companies working to solve problems for people living in poverty, investing in essential products and services that bring more opportunities, more choices to millions. To date, Acumen has positively impacted 501 million lives by investing $154M in 167 innovative, early-stage companies in Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the United States. But investing clearly isn’t just about capital. It’s about investing in people. We’ve been investing in people for years. Connecting with over 1,500 emerging leaders in their own countries and engaging them in extended collective dialogue on what constitutes a “good society”, moral inquiry, and skill building.

About Development & Partnerships‍

Acumen partners with leading global institutions - corporations, corporate foundations,  foundations, bilaterals and multilaterals to advance our mission to change the way the world tackles poverty. The Development & Partnerships team leads this effort, working with companies like IKEA Foundation, SAP, Barclays, EY, Target Foundation, Autodesk Foundation, Mitsubishi Corporation, Rockefeller Foundation and others to help support social enterprises and develop more inclusive and sustainable business models. The Development & Partnerships team engages with institutions via co-created, funded programs, research, monitoring and evaluation, convenings, and learning and influence drive meaningful impact in the lives of the poor.

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Responsibilities

The Associate Director for Corporate Partnerships & Engagement will join the Development & Partnerships team, supporting, cultivating and closing their own relationships with corporations, and corporate foundations that are working to drive impact and sustainability through their core business and/or corporate philanthropy. The Associate Director will act as a center of excellence in corporate partnership engagement, sharing best practices and support to other senior Acumen leaders in the cultivation and engagement of corporate partners.  The role will require creativity in seeking out new relationships, skill in developing meaningful partnerships, and a willingness to collaborate across multiple functions and geographies to hit global fundraising targets and position Acumen as a leader in this space.

The Associate Director will support the engagement of Acumen’s current corporate partnerships, create opportunities for learning and thought leadership, and explore ways to bolster proximity and engagement between corporations and social enterprises. Each of our partnerships involve a range of engagement activities that include fundraising, account management, project management, communications, event planning, reporting, and facilitation of relationships with our portfolio companies and other colleagues across Acumen.

Specifically, the Associate Director will be accountable for:

• Leading Acumen’s efforts in our corporate partnerships & engagement strategy, which includes objectives for raising funds, and where relevant influencing business practices through thought leadership and employee engagement.
• Working across the Development & Partnerships team and our team globally in the US, Europe, East and West Africa, Latin America and South Asia to develop a funding pipeline for priority initiatives, attend pitch meetings, lead proposal writing, and support our best practices for developing corporate partnerships.
• Independently identifying and developing new corporate partnerships for Acumen, in collaboration with other functions as needed.
• Helping to manage internal processes related to partner evaluation, internal communication, support for account managers, and tracking metrics around our corporate partnerships.  
• Conducting annual assessment of institutional partnerships; Assessing strengths and areas of opportunity, providing recommendations for engagement with institutional partners, and internal synergies for effective engagement
• Identifying and cultivating opportunities at events, conferences and forums for Acumen to share its work in front of corporate audiences, along with learning and influencing opportunities for our corporate partners.
• Seeking out and joining/contributing to alliances within the social impact sector focused on corporate - social enterprise partnership.
• Developing and updating marketing assets, as needed, to incorporate new messaging for corporate audiences

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Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of work experience in fundraising and/or relationship management
• A strategic view: an ability to grasp the entirety of the Acumen ecosystem – its purpose, its history, the myriad of stakeholders, its emerging direction and the goals that support that direction
• Experience designing strategies to cultivate new prospects are a must; experience with the corporate donor community and or working in developing countries / impact investing are a plus
• A track record of building and maintaining strategic funding relationships with Corporations
• Ability to bridge the gap between the nonprofit and for-profit worlds
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and demonstrated success in building collaborative relationships with both external and internal stakeholders
• Effective storyteller who consistently communicates (verbally and in writing) in a clear and compelling manner
• A willingness to take risks and ability to address complex issues creatively and effectively
• Effectively collaborates with and across teams, seeks, and provides constructive feedback
• Self reflective and aligned with Acumen values
• Permanent authorization to work in the US or UK

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Salary & Benefits

The salary range for this role in NY is $100,00 - $130,000 USD plus a performance-based bonus. This range represents the present low and high end of pay range for this role. Actual compensation will vary based on various factors including but not limited to experience. Acumen has equal pay, so pay is determined through comparison to a cohort of employees in market at the same level of accountability. A full detail of compensation and benefits will be available through the first screening.

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Location

New York, NY (USA)

London, UK

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