New York, NY

Senior Associate, Portfolio Strategy & Management, Place Matters, Blue Meridian Partners

The Organization

Background

Blue Meridian Partners is a pioneering philanthropic model for finding and funding scalable solutions to the problems that limit economic mobility and trap America’s young people and families in poverty.

We know solutions exist, but even the most promising strategies cannot reach far enough, fast enough without significant, long-term investment. We bring an innovative, investor mindset backed by a decades-long track record to the pursuit of upward economic mobility for individuals and communities. Core to our mission is addressing systemic inequities and the injustices they create. By pooling resources, our Partners can unlock substantial philanthropic capital and invest effectively and efficiently.

Anchored by our carefully tested, performance-based investing approach, Blue Meridian makes strategic, long-term investments across multiple portfolios aimed at boosting economic mobility from cradle to career. We support both nationwide and place-based strategies in order to amplify impact across the country as well as within specific communities. We identify visionary social sector leaders who address key drivers of poverty – including youth unemployment, unplanned pregnancy, and engagement with the criminal justice system – and invest the flexible, upfront capital they need to dream bigger and exponentially expand their reach, influence, and impact.

We are constantly learning, exploring, and seeking out new collaborations in relentless pursuit of creating lasting impact at scale that can change the life trajectories of millions of young people and families in America. Blue Meridian is staffed by an experienced team of results-focused leaders and we welcome other mission-driven champions to join us.

Position Overview

About Place Matters

The Place Matters Portfolio invests in community-driven place-based partnerships focused on the people, problems, and inequities specific to a place. Our approach pairs local investment with place-relevant, evidence-based national strategies and supports to create a comprehensive continuum of local services – from cradle to career – to drive long-term economic and social mobility outcomes and systemic change. Our partners are community leaders, nonprofit organizations, government leaders, families, and youth who know the needs of their communities best and are working together to identify core issues and local solutions that advance holistic community-wide impact and shift and build power for durable outcomes.

Position Description

Senior Associates support and partner with Managing Directors and Directors to source and manage Blue Meridian’s relationships with select investees, and advance strategic priorities including but not limited to investment recommendations, strategy design and development, and stakeholder engagement. The Senior Associate, Place Matters will work across the Place Matters Portfolio, partnering closely with relevant team members to support place-based investees and ensure coordination and delivery of local and national technical assistance providers.

Position Type

Exempt

Location

New York City Preferred. Hybrid Working Arrangement Allowed.

Primary Responsibilities

The responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to the following:

Support Relationships with Investee Organizations

With senior team members’ guidance and collaboration, a Senior Associate will:

  • Contribute to, and encouraged to lead, activities including research, conducting interviews, and analyzing data to support Blue Meridian’s sourcing and due diligence efforts to explore potential investment opportunities.
  • Contribute toward investee leaders and their teams’ receiving excellent relationship management and support from Blue Meridian.  Earn and maintain the respect of investees and be a trusted point of contact.
  • Support the development and implementation of investee scaling plans and / or investment roadmaps that support the basis of investment recommendations. Support preparation of investment recommendations and help craft performance milestones with investees and chart a roadmap for success.
  • Take ownership of investee performance reports, capturing current performance, risks, and future potential.  Prepare materials and talking points for Partner and other updates.
  • Contribute to the design, participate in, and sometimes facilitate investee meetings, strategy sessions and performance reviews.
  • Recommend and participate in learning and evaluation activities to guide the evolution of programmatic work, including helping to develop convenings to review opportunities, challenges and progress across the fund and its investees.
  • Work collaboratively with other team members to develop and implement program strategies to achieve significant and scalable impact, report regularly on the progress of those strategies, and recommend strategy adjustments to deepen the fund’s impact.

Qualifications

  • Senior Associates must believe in Blue Meridian’s and be driven by personal values that align closely with Blue Meridian’s core values.
  • At least seven years of professional/advanced academic experience in non-profit community-based work, local government, management consulting, philanthropy or a related field in the private or public sector preferred.  A Bachelor’s degree or comparable and demonstrated professional or other experiences preferred.
  • Perspectives from direct experience living or working in communities with significant low income or otherwise disenfranchised peoples preferred.
  • Strong relationship skills, with the ability to represent Blue Meridian externally.
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills with a professional and accessible demeanor, and the ability to work with people with different backgrounds and experiences.
  • Sophisticated and diverse analytical skills and facility in quantitative and qualitative methods are essential.
  • Experience in building and maintaining performance measurement systems/reporting.
  • Strong project management skills, including experience managing complex, multi-year projects.
  • Strong oral and written communications skills are essential, including the ability to present to senior groups and craft well-written prose and PowerPoint materials.
  • Demonstrated strategic and highly rigorous professional approach, balanced by a flexible and empathetic demeanor and responsiveness to the needs of others.
  • Sound judgment and discretion, seeking input and feedback, listening well and sometimes making difficult decisions independently while understanding the need for collaboration and leadership’s endorsement of results.  Open to finding creative, alternative solutions to challenges and disagreements that may arise.
  • Results-oriented, with a track record of executing against agreed goals and deliverables.
  • Strong computer skills with facility using popular document, spreadsheet, presentation, email, filesharing and other communication software.
  • Willing to travel as needed

[1] This position description is a guide to the primary duties and functions of the job, not an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, qualifications, physical demands and work environment conditions. Position descriptions are reviewed and may be revised to meet the changing needs of Blue Meridian Partners at the sole discretion of management.

Blue Meridian Partners is committed to equal employment opportunity, without regard to race, color, gender, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, disability, veteran status, prior record of arrest or conviction, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law. These opportunities include all terms, conditions and privileges of employment, including (but not limited to) recruiting, hiring, job assignment, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, promotion, and termination.

How To Apply

To be considered for this position, please apply via application link: https://boards.greenhouse.io/bluemeridian/jobs/4913298003

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