ISF Project Manager

  • Full-time

Company Description

Location:    Flexible, ISF team members are based in multiple locations around the globe and work remotely. Offices in New York, Washington DC, and Nairobi

Background

ISF is an advisory firm that transforms rural economies and food systems through the delivery of investment advisory services and business models that promote financial inclusion for farmers and agricultural enterprises. ISF’s primary role is to act as a “design catalyst.” The emphasis is on mobilizing financing for rural enterprises and seeding replication of innovative models. ISF works with public and private investors to develop new financial and partnership structures that can drive capital to rural clients and transform their economies. This typically includes a combination of financial inclusion and investment structuring expertise combined with partnership development and enterprise growth strategy.

ISF’s team brings together management consultants and financial experts from leading strategy, investment banking and impact investing firms. Decades of specialized experience enables ISF to respond to the specific needs of rural enterprises, financial institutions and investors. ISF’s areas of expertise include: i) sector and related market assessment, ii) financial product structuring and service delivery model development, iii) transaction and capital raising advisory, and vi) enterprise growth strategy.

ISF is housed within the Global Development Incubator (GDI) and shares GDI’s commitment to building effective partnerships that make a significant and lasting impact. For more information on ISF and GDI please refer to the respective websites: ISF (https://isfadvisors.org/) and GDI (https://globaldevincubator.org/)

Job Description

  • Lead client projects that involve ISF team members and external partners to design and implement business models that advance ISF’s impact objectives. Specific projects will depend on the ISF pipeline, but sample projects may include:
    • Conduct market landscape analyses, feasibility assessment, and option prioritization for new rural access to finance opportunities with ISF clients
    • Manage the design and development of new projects and business models focused on rural financial inclusion, working with agro-enterprises, investment companies, and/or financial service providers
    • Develop strategies on financial market interventions for donors and foundations in the food and agriculture sector
  • Facilitate multi-stakeholder relationships with financial institutions, agricultural enterprises, philanthropic organizations, and other stakeholders through workshops, working groups, and bi-lateral conversations.
  • Conduct complex economic, market, and stakeholder analyses while problem-solving around specific issues; creatively find and draw upon sources of data from ISF research, clients, and external organizations.
  • Support direct intellectual input and analysis for original ISF research efforts, engage with key stakeholders to further the team’s understanding, and support the production and creation of publishable content, in collaboration with ISF’s communications team.
  • Manage individual and team work plan, including tasks and milestones.
  • Take a leading role with ISF Directors in client management, outreach, network-building, and business development efforts.
  • Travel as needed to support implementation.

Qualifications

  • Masters degree in business, finance, public affairs, or other relevant field, with excellent academic record.
  • At least one year managing teams for strategy or implementation work in a client facing environment (required).
  • At least five years as a top performer at a leading firm in strategy consulting, corporate advisory, or comparable experience working in a client-facing team involving deep analytical approaches.
  • Strong analytical and conceptual skills applied towards understanding and interpreting business operations, management capabilities, and practices.
  • Experience in multi-stakeholder facilitation through workshops, working groups, and relationship management.
  • Exceptional communication skills and ability to present information in an insightful and structured manner, both written and oral.
  • Professionalism and demonstrated experience working with senior officials in the public and/or private sector.
  • Passion for application of innovative financial structures and business models to address food system sustainability.
  • Demonstrated experience getting things done independently under ambiguous circumstances, particularly in developing countries.
  • Experience and/or networks in Sub-Saharan Africa preferred.

Additional Information

If you are interested in this position and meet the qualifications above, please submit a single PDF document containing a one-page cover letter and resume when applying.

ISF provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Individuals from all backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.