Salary Wage: $120,000 to $180,000
About The Milken Institute
The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.
About Financial Innovations Labs ®
Innovative Finance is a core component of the Institute’s research. Through our Financial Innovations Lab series, we tackle a specific financing gap or market failure which requires a blending of public and private capital. Each project entails conducting extensive research on the financing gap, barriers to investment, and potential innovative models to address the gap. The Institute engages stakeholders to test the viability of each of the models and convenes a series of roundtables to flesh out design and implementation. Each project culminates with an extensive report that gives a detailed description of the design and implementation of financing models.
In addition to the Labs, the Financial Innovations team is responsible for the work the Institute does on ESG, sustainability and impact investing, largely in terms of identifying and engaging key investors, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists in the space. Through public and private programming at our conferences, the team is able to highlight key issues, new developments, and provide a platform for informing investors about investing in sustainability.
About The Position
We are looking for a director to oversee many of the projects and operations of our Innovative Finance team. The team works on projects that explore financing models to address a variety of social and economic challenges. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in finance and policy, as well as an appetite for working on projects that span sectors and regions. The individual in this role will have strong project management skills, the ability to think outside the box, and enthusiasm for to work in various areas in the environmental and social sectors across the globe and will have a strong background in finance and capital markets.
Responsibilities
- Design a robust pipeline of innovative finance work, from Financial Innovations Labs, to ESG and sustainability programming and additional research work.
- Provide the leadership necessary to direct and manage key activities involving the innovative finance team, including conducting research, preparing written reports and moderating Lab workshop sessions.
- Oversee the project management schedule for Lab projects, helping to determine reasonable priorities, workloads and timelines, in conjunction with the Senior Director
- Work with senior management to develop strong relationships and strategic partnerships with relevant professionals in the public and private sectors for projects and initiatives on innovative finance.
- Serve as the primary contact for sponsor contacts on research projects and initiatives involving innovative finance, in coordination with Center Directors and other senior management.
- Produce compelling speaker and panel ideas on ESG, sustainability, and innovative finance for all Milken Institute events .
- Grow the Institute’s base of potential speakers through personal relationships, conference attendance and other industry-specific follow-up.
Requirements
- A master’s degree in business administration, finance or public administration with 7-10 years of experience in innovative finance.
- Proven ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders from diverse perspectives, countries, and backgrounds.
- Domain expertise in innovative financing, ESG and sustainable finance, including the structuring of new models and platforms that use creative financial engineering to bridge gaps around environmental and social issues.
- Proven track record of thought leadership in the innovative finance space, including the publication of academic and market research.
- Exceptional written, communication, and presentation skills; ability to move seamlessly between boardroom and field.
- Knowledge of research design and implementation, and ability to conduct and analyze rigorous research.
- Outstanding relationship management skills and a proven track record of non-profit business development.
- Proven management skills, demonstrating the ability work with a team to execute projects.
Working Conditions & Travel Requirements
This position will work in a professional office environment This person will also be required to travel occasionally to other offices and/or venues to assist with events as needed, requiring occasional work outside of traditional hours. International along with domestic travel is possible.
Note
A precondition of employment is verification of your COVID-19 vaccination status. We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.
This position will be working a hybrid model, where you will be expected to report to your respective office location 2-3 days a week, this is subject to change.
The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.
Please submit resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. If applying via Indeed, please upload your resume and any supporting documentation as one attachment. Any application that does not include both a resume and cover letter will be rejected.
Our Culture
The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.
Every person at the Milken Institute is treated with respect, supported with resources and training, and exposed to a broad range of experiences. We foster a space for growth with opportunities to share knowledge and passion with both clients and colleagues. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our leadership is actively involved in our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture that creates opportunities for everyone.
Benefits
- Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Retirement Plan – 403b ( 5%)
- Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
- Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
- Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
- Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
- Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
- Training & Development:
- LinkedIn Learning –over 10,000 classes offered, self-guided.
- Mentor Program
- Wellness Resources:
- Employee Assistance Program
- CALM app membership
- YogaWorks (discount)
- Gym (Santa Monica)
Additional Perks
- Coffee Chats with the President – informal opportunity to chat with the President.
- All Staff Meetings – employees from all our US and international locations come together for a 2-day retreat (occurs every 18 months).
- Prime office locations – Santa Monica office is 4-blocks from the Pacific Ocean, Washington, DC office is across the street from the White house, New York office is on Madison Ave near Central Park and Singapore. In addition, satellite locations in Miami, FL, Abu Dhabi and London