Associate

About Us

Social Finance is a national impact finance and advisory nonprofit. We work with the public, private, and social sectors to create partnerships and investments that measurably improve lives. Since our founding in 2011, we have mobilized $350 million in new investments designed to help people and communities realize improved outcomes in education, economic mobility, health, and housing.

We are driven by the belief that social and economic systems should enable all people to thrive, and the conviction that we can create the most meaningful and measurable change in our communities when governments and markets work together. Our organization is built upon five core values: people, performance, integrity, collaboration, and inclusion.

We work across three practice areas: Impact Investing, Impact Advisory, and Field Building. Through our Impact Investing portfolio, we design, launch, and manage impact-first investments and innovative financing solutions that generate positive outcomes for people and communities. In our Impact Advisory practice, we work alongside impact-focused leaders to implement data-driven practices that deliver better outcomes. And in our Field Building work, we share firsthand learnings and best practices to catalyze social impact in the field. We continually challenge ourselves and our partners to use funding and data in innovative ways to create lasting impact.

Role and Responsibilities

Associates are an integral part of the Social Finance team and are staffed to multiple projects that span our various service offerings. Working together with a team, key activities may include:

Impact Advisory and Impact Investing Projects

• Conducting research, analyzing data, and reviewing evidence to support project design decisions, test hypotheses, and drive recommendations
• Creating presentation materials to share analysis, key findings and recommendations for both internal team and external partners
• Conducting economic cost-benefit and financial modeling
• Supporting drafting of contract and governance documents
• Researching potential project partners, analyzing their performance and ability to achieve future outcomes
• Working with current service provider partners to optimize operations and help achieve project outcomes
• Collaborating with evaluation firms, when needed, to identify and measure key performance outcomes
• Supporting capital raise and investor management, as relevant

Field Building

• Writing blog posts and support the creation of white papers and reports that publish key learnings and findings from our work
• Contributing to and support research efforts in social issue areas and interventions

Firm Building

• Supporting analysis and writing for responses to proposal documents (i.e. Requests for Proposals) and concept notes for potential business development opportunities
• Creating communications materials and preparing managers for external calls that could lead to new opportunities
• Contributing to capacity-building initiatives, such as recruiting, professional development, knowledge management, fundraising, or other internal projects
• Providing real-time feedback to team members to support professional growth and contribute to high-quality deliverables
• Supporting senior management, internal functional teams, and Social Finance project teams as needed

Qualifications

We are looking for entrepreneurial candidates with flexibility, aptitude and passion for our mission. Candidate requirements:

• At least two years of full-time professional experience in a role with relevant and transferrable skills, which may include those focused on research, consulting, finance, project management, social impact, or other
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills; basic statistical knowledge is a plus
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to quickly research, synthesize and summarize key takeaways on unfamiliar topics
• Ability to communicate and work closely with many types of partners across multiple sectors; willingness to constructively express your point of view and hear the point of view of others, both internally and externally
• Commitment to high quality work and accuracy, with an ability to manage multiple and competing priorities simultaneously
• Capacity to work independently while contributing to team projects as appropriate
• Demonstrated interest in and knowledge of or willingness to learn about key issues in nonprofit management, social interventions, government services, and/or impact investing
• Ability to adapt and be flexible
• Commitment to enhancing a team culture of inclusion, belonging and equity
• The following are not required, but would be considered as a plus for your candidacy:
• Experience in or with the systems we seek to impact
• Advanced PowerPoint experience
• Advanced experience in Excel and financial modeling (this posting will fill multiple roles and some roles will specifically require financial modeling abilities)

Benefits

At Social Finance, we strive to deliver a benefits program that will enhance our overall value proposition to employees. Our current benefit offerings include:

• Comprehensive health care coverage: medical, dental and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; Employee Healthy Actions programs and more
• Retirement savings plan with employer contribution
• Short-term, long-term and life insurance policies
• Commuter benefits and cell phone reimbursements
• Hybrid work model (in office 2-3 days per week, work from home 2-3 days per week and on an ad-hoc basis as needed)
• Dedicated budgets for team building and employee recognition
• Annual budget for external professional development opportunities
• Mentorship and onboarding programs
• Collaborative and energizing workspaces in downtown Boston, NYC, San Francisco, Austin and Washington, D.C.
• Paid vacation and paid holidays (with 12/24-1/1 off every year)
• Paid parental leave
• A truly stellar team of high performing, values-driven and fun (!) professionals