Investor Engagement Manager

Role Overview

• Engagement with investors, corporate venture arms, and financial institutions:
• Building and managing relationships with investors, corporate venture arms, and financial institutions, and growing GFI’s network of investor contacts.
• Crafting and executing an annual strategy to position alternative protein solutions for capital mobilization to achieve scale-up, by informing stakeholders about financial and economic factors relevant to industry growth and opportunities.
• Developing pathways for derisking investment in alternative proteins, including securing partnerships to explore novel capital solutions to support scale-up and commercialization and convening capital providers around specific bottlenecks.
• Regularly securing and giving presentations to educate audiences on investment trends and capital mobilization challenges and opportunities in the alternative protein industry.
• Collaborating across GFI and with external partners to analyze and expand the public investment landscape for alternative proteins.
• Analysis & resource development:
• Developing, disseminating, and presenting educational materials on R&D, commercialization, and infrastructure funding needs and opportunities for alternative proteins.
• Shaping the narrative around investment trends in APs through analyzing and sharing market and investment data.
• Making the case for alternative protein inclusion in thematic investment strategies, including AI themes, ESG strategies and sustainability goals, and other timely or long-term topics.
• Contributing to sharing information and building open-access resources regarding public investment opportunities in alternative proteins, production capacity, infrastructure opportunities and challenges, and alternative protein scale-up needs (e.g., techno-economic assessments, risk and opportunity assessments, and infrastructure analyses).
• Expanding and maintaining GFI’s publicly available library of investment-related educational resources and databases.
• Representing GFI at industry events and in the media to educate potential investors and the public about alternative proteins and the investment landscape in the sector.
• Supervision & leadership:
• Supervising the Startup Innovation Lead, providing strategic direction, performance management, and professional development support, and overseeing GFI’s initiatives for engaging with startups, including developing a strategy for engaging with distressed companies.
• Identifying opportunities and barriers to alternative protein investment that could be addressed through education and advocacy efforts, and developing and executing on related initiatives.
• Securing an understanding of innovation ecosystem health, trends, and needs around financing APs, and sharing insights to and from startups and investors on the AP financing landscape.
• Providing strategic insights to internal teams to inform corporate engagement, policy, and communications priorities related to investor engagement and capital mobilization.
• Coordinating with affiliates to identify global financing opportunities and challenges and lead or support cross-regional initiatives.
• Partnering with other NGOs or stakeholders to collaborate on joint initiatives on AP financing, investment, and capital mobilization.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience in investment, finance, or investor engagement, including experience in nonprofit, public interest, or mission-driven contexts.
• A bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, business administration, or accounting from an accredited college or university is preferred (MBA or equivalent experience is a plus). Degrees in related fields with significant coursework in economics, finance, quantitative analysis, or business strategy will also be considered.
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing employees or project teams.
• A demonstrated strong work ethic, a high degree of self-motivation, and intellectual curiosity.
• Strong analytical, writing, and presentation skills.
• Persuasive and engaging interpersonal skills; the ability to build effective working relationships with senior executives and investors.
• A thorough understanding of the investment industry, including venture capital, capital formation, and fundraising dynamics for startups.
• Ability to work independently and use sound judgment in decision-making, including setting and managing priorities and meeting competing deadlines.
• The strongest candidates for this position would also have experience in the following areas:
• Experience working as an investment analyst, investment associate, venture associate, or similar position within the broader investment industry.
• Familiarity with the alternative protein industry (plant-based meat, eggs, and dairy; cultivated meat; and fermentation).
• Experience successfully managing large cross-functional projects.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels like they belong.
• Comfort working remotely and in a rapidly growing and evolving organization.
• Strong support for GFI’s philosophy and mission; demonstrated interest in plant-based & other alt proteins, public health, environmentalism, climate change, animal protection, or hunger relief.

Benefits

• Working from home
• Paid employee base medical coverage
• Dental, vision, and other medical insurance options
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• 14 paid holidays
• Personal, sick, and vacation time
• Paid family/parental and medical leave
• Lifestyle spending account
• Opportunity for advancement
• Respectful and collaborative culture