Overview:
Acumen has grown from being a pioneer of the impact investing sector to leveraging a more than half billion- dollar platform that is focused entirely on deploying the skillsand tools of capital and moral leadership to solve big problemsof poverty - over time andat scale.
The President of Acumen will play a pivotal role in leading the execution of the organization’s strategy, at a critical inflection point in its history. Reporting directly to the Founder and CEO, Jacqueline Novogratz, the President will be responsible for translating the CEO’s visionary leadership into actionable strategies and operational excellence.
Thisrole requires a dynamic leaderwith a deep understanding of, and commitment to, solving problemsof poverty, using the tools of impact investment and leadership development. The person’s superpower is driving change in a global,decentralized organization throughexceptional operational management, team building and people skills.
The Role:
Strategic Leadership:
- Collaborate with the CEO to establish Acumen’sstrategic priorities in alignment with the organization’s vision and mission.
- Develop and implement the global operational strategy to execute against these strategic priorities.
- Foster a cultureof innovation, creativity, accountability, and collaboration across all levelsof the organization, working with the CEO, the management committee, and our most senior leaders.
Operational Execution:
- Lead, inspire and mentor high-performing teams that can effectively collaborate across geographies, functions
- and programs such that the full potential of the organization’s capacity to achieve its objectives is realized.
- Foster a culture of appropriate risk-taking and experimentation that keeps Acumen at the cutting edge. This will include ensuringthe organization - and the funds we manage - benefit from world-class services,including Legal, Financial, Talent, Communications, Fundraising, and Insights.
Financial Stewardship:
- In collaboration with the CFO, drive financialplanning and management ensuring the financial health and sustainability of the organization.
- Ensure propersystems and processesfor timely financialinformation and reportingto include robust budgeting, forecasting and cash management processesacross all regionsand functions.
Governance:
- Safeguard our values and integrity by supporting compliance and governance, monitoringall material contract negotiations and overseeing risk management processes.
- Support the CEO to ensure effective management, sustainability and effectiveness of Acumen’s board.
Your Team:
You will lead a team of experienced and passionate and values-driven individuals, who are motivated by impact, including:
- Country Leaders responsible for developing and executing strategies that are adapted to the imperatives and constraints of the region but are also aligned to Acumen’s global strategy; ensuring proper staffing, team development and compliance with local regulatory environment as well as Acumen policies; and collaborating across the organization to leverage the expertise and experience that enables the highest level of execution.
- Program leaders, the Chief of Academy and the Chief of Ventures work in collaboration with the CEO and teams in region, to develop the strategies and products for our leadership development and investing programs, respectively, providing support through their teams to enable execution in region. This includes overseeing, with the Chief of Ventures, the management of five sponsored funds.
- Functional leads in finance, legal and talent who provide expertise and deep experience of bringing best practices to the regions, ensuring consistency and compliance across all entities, programs and functional teams.
- Fundraising responsible for developing productsand raising fundingfor all initiatives of the organization, global or regional, backed by philanthropy or returnable capital. This team builds and maintains relationships across the funding landscape including the philanthropic sector, the development institutions, large and small foundations, and corporations.
- Marketing and Communications are the guides and stewards of our brand voice. They drive visibility, memorability and find ways to connect and influence our multiple audiences across channels.
- Insights and Impact teams collaborate with leadership and the regionalteams to measurethe impact of our work, in order to drive actions that amplify our impact and distill insightsthat can be shared with our teams, the sector and beyond,reinforcing Acumen’s positionas a thought leader.
The Leader:
About you:
You are a leader who thrives on enabling others to succeed. You have built, developed and nurtured high performing executive teams. You have a proven ability to address complex issues and develop simple, actionable solutions. You are an empathic listeneryet resolute and tenacious in your determination. You have the patience to work toward long-term goals but approach those goals through the lens of urgency. You understand the intricacies of global marketsand the challenges faced by low-income communities. And you areflexible and adaptableto changing circumstances.
We know that this is a tall order – but we also know that this exceptional leader is out there, ready to grasp this impactful opportunity! We seek a highly skilled professional with seasoned business experience, who has operated in global low-income societiesand understands the opportunities and challenges of balancing social and financial ROI.
Who We're looking for:
- Experience: Proven experience in senior, enterprise-wide leadership roles and a strong track record of operational management, strategic planning, and execution in a growing organization.
- Social Impact:Alignment with Acumen’smission, investment principles and values. A deep desire to understand the challenges, and leverage the opportunities, of poverty alleviation and social impact.
- Communication: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills,with the abilityto engage and inspire diverse stakeholders internally and externally.
- Ethical and Principled Approach: Deeply align with Acumen's values, demonstrating a commitment to ethics and dignityin all aspects of your work, ensuringcompliance with local laws and fostering a culture of respect and fairness acrossa global footprint.
- Collaborative Leadership: Strong capability to operate effectively across various functions and regions, leveraging influence within a multilateral organizational framework. The candidate should exhibit a solutions-oriented approach to addressing poverty through business strategies.
- Interpersonal and Cross-cultural Skills: Substantial cross-cultural experience, ideally gained from living and working in a variety of global environments. Excellent relationship-building competencies.
- Decision-Making: Evidence of the ability to consistently make good decisions through a combination of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment.
- Results-Oriented: Proven track record of exceeding goals and delivering results.
- Technical Skills:Understanding of financeand budgeting, HR, technology systems,strategic development and planning, public relations, and marketing.
Compensation:
- Acumen offerscompetitive compensation, excellentbenefits, and a supportive working environment.
- For this position, the base salary range is $300,000 to $325,000 plus an annual bonus. Internal equity considerations and the average salaryof the peer range will be reviewedbefore making a final offer.
Location, Travel & Eligibility:
- Location: New York City, NY
- Travel: A readinessto travel (approx. 10-20% anticipated), to connect with global teams. Note that there may be additional travel in the first 12 months, in order to familiarize with global teams and activities.
- Eligibility: Legally authorized to work in the US
Join Acumen
- Help build the next chapter of Acumen’s institutional abilities to influencefinancial markets to put humanity and the earth at the center.
- Work with a high functioning team to supportvisionary entrepreneurs, buildingempowered, high- performing teams, and fostering a more inclusive, equitable world.
- Serve as a catalystfor change, co-creating Acumen's future and amplifying our collective impact.
