About This Role We believe that all young people deserve to succeed in school and in work, whatever their background. As we enter a challenging time with rising inflation and a likely recession, our work feels more vital than ever before. The role of Investment Director presents an exciting opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the charities portfolio partners we serve, the team itself and the whole of Impetus.
We support a portfolio of 23 high potential charity and non‑profit partners in the youth sector, helping them deliver benchmark‑beating employment and education outcomes for young people, and to grow.
We believe the strength of our approach resides in three things:
Building deep, trust‑based, sustainable relationships with charity leaders by investing time, kindness, integrity and honesty.
Providing our charities multi‑year, unrestricted funding to help them become sector‑leading organisations and scale their impact.
Offering tailored advice to charity leaders’ most pressing and strategic questions, including their mission, programme design, performance management, growth planning and financial resilience.
Key Responsibilities Finding high potential charities and non‑profit partners for our portfolio
Identifying potential charitable organisations for investment.
Leading in‑depth due diligence process within the scope of a grant round, to assess and build partnership foundations with potential partners – covering leadership and governance, and their impact, scale, and partnership potential.
Modelling from first contact of origination, our approach to engaged and trust‑based investment management support.
Developing and presenting high quality investment propositions to our Investment Committee.
Managing partnerships with portfolio partners
Managing relationships with partner Chairs and CEOs.
Agreeing Service Funding Agreements, including appropriate annual investment milestones to allow for a clear assessment of re‑investment potential at end of phase.
Regularly monitoring and assessing partner progress / risks against milestones and making evidence‑based recommendations on progression or exit to Leads, Portfolio Director and the Investment Committee.
Escalating key risks on performance, leadership and safeguarding.
Conducting annual partnership review with Sector Leads and partner CEOs.
Working with Impetus Finance colleagues to ensure timely distribution of grant payments, in line with Service Funding Agreements.
Supporting portfolio partners
Providing direct support to CEOs and senior colleagues on key strategic topics, using a mix of at least monthly one‑to‑one meetings and group facilitation to:
clarify theory of change.
define long term ambition.
develop growth strategy.
achieve a step change in the delivery and performance management of outcomes.
strengthen leadership (individual and collective) and governance capabilities.
develop path to scale.
build financial resilience.
Scoping and project managing pro bono capacity‑building projects (in addition to providing direct management support). Ensure projects are delivered to a high standard and contribute to charity progression.
Identifying engagement opportunities for our donors and supporters with portfolio partners that are aligned with the partner’s activities and do not distract or undermine their core work.
Collaborating with the Impetus Philanthropy team to support the development of additional funding opportunities for portfolio partners, enhancing their ability to deliver impact at scale.
Effectively leveraging the support of investment managers to advance the objectives developed for each portfolio partner that is managed by an Investment Director.
Support to Impetus
Developing expertise about "what works" in the sector through cultivation and use of expert input and engagement as well as investigation into key research and evaluative literature.
Contributing insights and learning from portfolio work to inform Impetus’s strategy, model and delivery.
Contributing to internal priorities and working groups (e.g. team strategy discussions, digital improvement initiatives, or equity, diversity, and inclusion).
Contribute towards Impetus’s public affairs and philanthropy objectives through input into case studies, research and policy campaigns, donor reports and fundraising events.
Sharing the learning from our work across the team, across the organisation and externally working within Impetus strategy and agreed forums.
Engaging in Impetus pro bono, communications, and advocacy events, and engage portfolio partners appropriately in these events.
Where appropriate, line‑managing and supporting Investment Managers on the team to grow and develop, and achieve their project, role and team objectives.
Personal Specification Essential
A commitment to Impetus’s mission.
Senior level responsibility and a strong track record of building trust‑based relationships with senior stakeholders, advising them on key strategic decisions, and challenging them in a respectful and collaborative manner.
A talent for strategic thinking around complex issues.
Strong financial acumen and analytical skills.
Understanding of impact measurement and evaluation fundamentals.
Tenacity and initiative.
Ability to flex personal style to needs of charity and leadership.
Growth mindset to seek out and act on feedback.
Proven ability to work independently, and to exercise good judgment.
Strong planning and time management skills.
Interest in partnering closely with charities that are doing what it takes to get better.
A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Desirable
Experience in the non‑profit (charity or social enterprise) sector, through work, as a pro‑bono volunteer or Trustee capacity.
Experience in consulting, investment management, senior charity management, or other in‑depth grant making and advisory work.
Knowledge and expertise in UK education or youth employability sectors.
Board experience in private, public or third sector.
Understanding of or experience with commissioning impact evaluations.
Impetus is an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.
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