About the Company
New Island Capital Management (New Island) is an impact investment advisor, and its institutional-scale 100% impact-focused portfolio places it among the world’s largest in this category. Based in San Francisco, New Island utilizes a patient, disciplined approach to generate risk-adjusted financial returns across multiple asset classes, while simultaneously delivering positive social and environmental outcomes. New Island seeks direct relationships with entrepreneurs and communities globally to support the natural emergence of a new paradigm in sectors such as health & wellness, sustainable agriculture, environmental protection, renewable energy, and sustainable communities.
Position Overview
About the Opportunity
Serving as New Island’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) is an exciting opportunity for an enterprising mission-driven leader to shape the company for the future by building its capacity and professionalizing its practices. Balancing a strong sense of creativity and entrepreneurialism with discipline and accountability, the COO will shepherd New Island’s efforts to continually evolve as a premier investment firm with a focus on streamlining operations, enhancing its cohesive internal culture and fostering innovation and impact. The COO will work in partnership with a highly sophisticated team across financial, legal, administrative, and office management functions to design systems and implement procedures in support of a growing and wide-ranging portfolio of direct investments. The COO will serve as a member of New Island’s executive team and will report to the CEO.
Core Responsibilities
Organizational Development and Operations
- In partnership with the CEO, develop, document, and execute operational enhancements in service of a growing investment business, in order to realize the vision of New Island as a values-based investor operating at a global scale.
- Champion the development of organizational strategy, formalize strategic planning functions for the New Island investment program, and execute upon operational dimensions of the strategic plan.
- Provide leadership across New Island operations, including financial services and reporting, investment/deal pipeline processes, information management systems, office and administrative support and human resources.
- Manage workflow between investment teams and in-house legal team.
- Manage and streamline work and communication flows across internal functions, with clients, and externally to promote understanding, awareness, and transparency.
- Maintain corporate agreements, record-keeping, insurance coverages and other policies.
Human Resources
- Support and encourage a strong culture of trust, collaboration, and excellence among New Island personnel, via transparent communication and culture-building practices and activities. Proactively foster a workplace that aligns with New Island values, particularly with respect to developing an inclusive team.
- Enhance and lead New Island’s HR function, formalizing recruitment, on-boarding, training, and evaluation activities in service of fostering a high-quality team and work environment.
- Design and implement thoughtful and progressive career development, compensation and retention programs.
- Develop and maintain employee policies, coordinate benefit programs, and ensure compliance with labor laws; maintain accurate personnel files.
- Oversee office management and administrative teams to support management of a productive and professional office environment including all aspects of facilities management.
Financial Services and Reporting
- Develop and manage annual firm-wide operating budgets that advance organizational goals and the investment mandate while maintaining appropriate cost controls.
- Oversee the financial services team to produce timely and user-friendly reporting: portfolio liquidity & cash flow reporting, deal pipeline trackers, investment valuations and financial performance reporting. Implement regular reporting and reporting distribution procedures.
- Oversee development and distribution of certain investment-related memoranda.
- Coordinate biannual portfolio review meetings and other investment monitoring activities.
- Coordinate interface with tax advisor, including quarterly planning calls.
- Oversee preparation of timely and accurate investment performance presentation materials.
Information Technology
- Manage and liaise with IT provider to ensure team access to necessary IT support.
- Lead ongoing implementation of all New Island information management systems.
- Identify and incorporate new IT systems as appropriate.
- Enforce company data security policies through training and best practices.
Qualifications
- Experience managing key operational functions of an investment advisory firm or family office, specifically including experience in organizational development and human resources. Prior experience in a mission-driven private investing and/or family office role is preferred.
- Strong leader and manager, able to delegate to colleagues while maintaining ultimate accountability. Strong interpersonal and oral/written communication skills.
- Experience in HR leadership within a small, agile company setting, including both: 1) a deep understanding of the technical aspects of HR compliance, and 2) experience serving as a ˜culture carrier”, championing the continual enhancement of organizational culture.
- Strategic thinker and problem solver, with the ability to balance between big picture thinking and day-to-day implementation.
- Comfortable working in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment without the analytical support or infrastructure generally available in larger organizations.
- Demonstrated passion for New Island’s mission and core values; enthusiasm for leadership opportunity within a deeply mission-driven organization.
- Highly analytical, action-oriented.
- Outstanding project management skills with strong attention to detail.
- The successful candidate will have the highest standards of personal and professional ethics and integrity, as well as a strong work ethic and team player mentality.
Equal Opportunity Employer
New Island is an Equal Opportunity Employer, with diversity and inclusion as organizational core values. New Island sees immense value in hiring, training and promoting professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds. As such, New Island particularly encourage candidates from under-represented backgrounds to apply.
New Island’s work intends to reach communities across the world; the organization is most effective when its team applies diverse perspectives to their work, seeing the world through the eyes of those they seek to serve.
Compensation
New Island offers a competitive compensation package, including salary, bonus, and other benefits. This is a full-time position. New Island is a family friendly employer, offering paid parental leave, family sick days and a commitment to work-life balance.
How To Apply
Application Instructions
New Island has retained Schaffer&Combs, a certified B Corporation, to support this high-priority search. In order to apply, please submit an updated resume and thoughtful cover letter that outlines how your skills and experiences meet the qualifications of the position, by following this link. Please refrain from contacting New Island directly; all inquiries should be directed to Schaffer&Combs at newislandcapital@schaffercombs.com. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis