Impact investing has gained increasing momentum in recent years as investors seek to achieve social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. This growing field presents exciting career opportunities across roles and organizations. From large financial institutions to niche impact funds, the impact investing ecosystem offers roles in investment management, research and operations. While domain expertise is valued, core competencies like strategic thinking, financial modeling and stakeholder management are highly sought after. As impact measurement and management become more sophisticated, demand grows for talent in impact assessment and reporting. With estimations that the field could grow to trillions of dollars in assets under management, impact investing promises an expanding landscape of professional opportunities.
Impact funds seek investment professionals with domain expertise and core competencies
Leading impact investors like TPG Rise Fund and Bain Capital Double Impact recruit investment professionals to source, execute and manage impact investments. While domain knowledge in sectors like healthcare, education and clean tech is valued, core investment competencies around financial modeling, valuation, due diligence and portfolio management are still required. According to the Global Impact Investor Network’s talent survey, the most sought after skills include strategic thinking, financial analysis, and stakeholder management. As impact considerations get integrated into investment decisions, conventional funds are also seeking talent literate in impact. Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, is training its employees on impact and recruiting lateral hires into impact-focused roles.
Impact accelerators and capacity builders hire experts in design, strategy and measurement
Several nonprofits act as impact intermediaries by supporting ventures and building ecosystem capacity. For instance, Capria Ventures provides hands-on support and early stage capital to impact funds and companies across emerging markets. Such accelerators seek talent in areas like business model design, investment strategy and impact assessment. The Impact Management Project works to build consensus on measuring and reporting impact through standards and frameworks. It engages researchers, investors and enterprises to advance impact practice. Similar roles exist at field-builders like B Lab, GIIN and ANDE.
Impact-focused organizations offer program and operational roles
Apart from investment functions, many impact institutions operate extensive programming in research, education and field-building. For instance, the MacArthur Foundation deploys over $200 million annually towards supporting impact innovations. It employs program officers to manage grants, oversee impact and cultivate partnerships. Such philanthropic foundations as well as nonprofit intermediaries like LGT Venture Philanthropy offer programmatic roles focused on impact. Impact funds and enterprises also require operational talent in areas like marketing, technology, HR and legal. As the field matures, service providers focused on impact consulting, research and recruitment will likely emerge.
Technology-driven platforms enable new opportunities in impact finance
The growing influence of technology is shaping new opportunities in impact investing. Online investment platforms like Milaap and Impact Guru use technology to channel retail capital to social causes. Fintech startups like CNote digitize community investments into notes traded on blockchain. Big data and artificial intelligence are powering innovative underwriting models to finance the underserved. These technology disruptions demand talent at the intersection of finance and technology to actualize the promise of “impact-tech”.
Impact investing presents a compelling career opportunity for purpose-driven talent to leverage finance for social good. As the industry matures, the career landscape will expand across investment, technology, policy and advocacy verticals.