Director of Impact

About Elemental Excelerator

Elemental is a nonprofit investor in climate technologies with deep community impact. We bring more than a decade of experience across the climate sector, with an active and maturing portfolio of 150+ companies. Elemental fills two gaps fundamental to addressing climate change: funding projects for climate technologies in communities, and embedding equity and access into climate solutions. We invest in transformative technologies to create a system change for a more resilient, equitable future. 

With more than a decade of experience investing across many sectors and stages of climate technology, we have a maturing and active portfolio of 150+ companies, and a robust pipeline of thousands more. We invest deeply in entrepreneurs from traditionally excluded backgrounds and embed equity and access through every aspect of development through implementation. We heavily focus on project deployments that meaningfully bring in community input and deliver community impact. 

We do more than write a check; we find innovative and creative ways to identify and fill financing and support gaps in the market. Our wraparound support includes carbon finance, policy, equity and access coaching, corporate connections, diverse talent acquisition, follow on funding partnerships and beyond. 

About the Role

Elemental seeks a data-savvy, and mission-oriented individual to join the Investment team within the Portfolio team.  The Director of Impact will contribute to modeling and due diligence for potential transactions and be pivotal in formulating and implementing methodologies for measuring and verifying the environmental and social impacts across our climate investment portfolio. The successful candidate will manage comprehensive data analysis, develop reporting frameworks, and deliver strategic insights to enhance the effectiveness of our investments in line with our mission and objectives. We are looking for someone with a strong analytical background who can lead all aspects of our data and impact evaluation processes, encompassing various aspects of climate investment, from venture capital to project finance. 

The Portfolio Team is an integral and dynamic group within our organization, tasked with ensuring that our investments significantly contribute to the climate sector. This role involves fostering more funding, projects, and impactful solutions, and promoting the deployment of technologies in frontline communities. The successful candidate will adopt a growth mindset in assessing and advancing our impact strategies in climate tech startups. This position will report to the Senior Investment Director.

Key Responsibilities Include:                         

• Design and implement GHG and community impact measurement frameworks for potential new and existing climate investments, and establish clear metrics and goals in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Manage and lead in the collection, validation, and analysis of data across our pipeline and portfolio using analytics tools to assess and report on investment impacts.
• Work directly with Elemental portfolio companies to train and support their impact measurement and reporting.
• Lead internal workshops and external engagements to enhance impact measurement practices and build organizational capacity.
• Stay updated with industry trends and continuously refine methodologies to ensure relevance and effectiveness in impact assessment.
• Contribute to transparent and accurate impact reports for a diverse set of partners, and communicate findings effectively.
• Leverage technology and innovative solutions to improve the efficiency and accuracy of data management processes and support strategic decision-making across the organization.

About You

You could be an excellent fit if you thrive on delving deep into the intricacies—impact data analysis, evaluation methodologies, reporting frameworks, and strategic insight development—while also keeping an eye on the broader impact of our climate investment efforts. You are adept at multitasking, forging strong relationships, taking initiative on key projects, and supporting team members. You hold a deep conviction in advancing a just transition to a low-carbon world, and you're committed to ensuring that this transition occurs as swiftly and effectively as possible.

Qualifications (even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications, we still encourage you to apply!)            

Desired skills:                              

• Strong Analytical Skills: Ability to analyze large datasets and extract meaningful insights
• Familiarity with Impact Methodologies: Familiarity with environmental impact methodologies and social and economic impact analyses, crucial for effective evaluation and strategy development
• Effective Communication: Proficient in conveying complex data and impact results in a clear and compelling manner
• Project Management: Experience in managing projects, including planning, execution, and relationship management

Standout skills:                                                                                     

• Advanced Data Science Techniques: Familiarity with machine learning and statistical modeling to enhance data analysis
• Innovative Thinking: Capacity to implement new technologies and methodologies that improve impact measurement and reporting
• Leadership in Relationship Management: Exceptional skills in building relationships and collaborating across diverse groups to foster an understanding and commitment to impact goals

Location

We will consider candidates located anywhere in the US, with a preference for New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, or Hawai’i. Elemental has a hybrid working model and if you are within a reasonable distance to one of our offices in New York, DC, Bay Area, or Honolulu, we are asking employees to come into the office at least one day a week to build community with the team. Currently, most people come in 1-2 times a week, but we encourage those who are interested to come in more often if they’d like. 

Other Details:

We will accept and review applications on a rolling basis. Although all applications will be considered, we may be unable to respond to all inquiries. Please note that we do read cover letters, so we advise spending adequate time on them to share your relevant stories and experiences with us. We also ask that you refrain from using tools like Chat GPT and keep the cover letter to 1-2 pages long.                                                     

Elemental is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and has a strong commitment to diversity. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Candidates from the following groups are especially encouraged to apply: Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities; people who have disabilities; veterans, and people from low-income backgrounds. 

Elemental is also committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs, and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws.