Vice President for Finance, Administration, and Impact Investing

Job Title: Vice President for Finance, Administration, and Impact Investing

Salary range: $220,000 - $250,000 based on qualifications and experience

Location: Denver, CO

Work environment: Hybrid (at least two days per week in the office)

Gates Family Foundation (GFF) celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2021. Since its creation, the Foundation has distributed more than $550 million in grants, with another more than $65 million committed to impact investments in recent years. The Foundation endowment of approximately $575 million consists of both main Foundation assets and eight different family funds where family members house their philanthropic assets with the Foundation. Governance of the Foundation is a partnership of family and community representatives. The Foundation maintains a strong commitment to communities across Colorado through its responsive capital grant making as well as its initiated grantmaking in four key areas:

Education: Expanding access to educational opportunities for all children in Colorado. Natural Resources: Supporting land conservation, water resource management, forest and watershed health, and stewardship of the state’s natural inheritance. Community Development: Addressing the root causes of economic inequality and inequitable community development, with particular emphasis on economic mobility and affordable housing. Informed Communities: Ensuring all Coloradans have access to trustworthy, rigorous, fact-based local news and information about important civic issues.

In recent years, the Foundation has sought to increase its impact through more creative approaches to grantmaking, an expanded impact investing program, increases in staffing and expertise, and an increased focus on convening, partnering, and where appropriate, leading in the community. Climate has become a lens through which all Foundation grantmaking, investments, and activity are viewed, and since 2018, the Foundation has made an intentional commitment to advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts internally and through its grantmaking, impact investing, and operations.

To learn more about Gates Family Foundation and its programs, visit our website at www.gatesfamilyfoundation.org.

The Foundation is seeking to hire a Vice President for Finance, Administration, and Impact Investing to oversee the accounting, tax and compliance, information technology (IT), governance, investment management, human resources, and impact investing for the Foundation. The position reports directly to the President, oversees the Controller and a fractional contract accountant, and joins a team of 11 other staff members across programs, strategic communications, learning and evaluation, and grants management. Job responsibilities of this role will include:

Provide strategic direction to continually refine and improve the Foundation’s financial management, operations, IT support services, human resources, and administrative functions Develop and refine the Foundation’s impact investment strategy Support the Foundation’s diversity, equity, and inclusion and climate strategies as they relate to the Foundation’s operations and investments Stay up to date on best practices across finance, administration, and impact investing Serve as a key organizational leader and general strategic thought partner to the President Cultivate and maintain relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders across the finance, administration, and impact investing sectors, including identifying new partner relationships and opportunities for collaboration Represent the Foundation to the public within relevant community forums and networks Provide ongoing strategic thought partnership, connections, and other support to grantees and non-grantee partners Serve as an accessible leader and mentor to staff, including participation in regular team meetings and other opportunities for relationship building, shared learning, and collective decision-making Support the development and presentation of Foundation-wide information to leadership and the Foundation board of trustees As needed, participate in the Foundation’s responsive capital grantmaking program due diligence (staffed by all Foundation staff, regardless of role)

Lead the Foundation’s impact investing strategy Manage and steward the Foundation’s mission-related investment (MRI) and program-related investment (PRI) portfolios, currently comprising 25+ MRIs and 20+ PRIs Source and diligence new investment opportunities in collaboration with the president and  program staff, foundation peers, other impact investors, and the Foundation’s investment advisor and legal counsel Structure impact investment deals Manage impact investment portfolios, including monitoring financial and impact data across all impact investments, ensuring compliance with IRS regulations and GFF policy and guidelines, and serving as a thought partner and advisor to investees Support the larger impact investing sector by sharing, convening, and leading Partner with the Foundation’s financial advisor to ensure timely approval of all capital calls, reconciliation of monthly investment values, completion of all subscription documents, and response to investment queries and reporting requirements Report investment values to the IAC, trustees, and staff Support and staff the Investment Advisory Committee (IAC)

Oversee, support, and partner with the Controller to manage finance and administrative duties, including serving as the backup for the Controller when needed Oversee all core finance functions with leadership from the Foundation Controller and support from a fractional contract accountant, including the development and management of the annual operating budget, the annual audit process, bookkeeping and accounting with the help of a contract accounting firm, payments and reimbursements, financial recordkeeping, and cash flow planning Maintain operating account and custodian bank relationships Staff and support the board Audit Committee Support the oversight of the Hover Building in coordination with the third party property manager Serve as assistant treasurer and ensures that all responsibilities of the treasurer and treasury management needs are fulfilled Manage the Foundation’s IT functions to ensure safety and security of the Foundation’s IT environment with support from an external IT services provider and the Foundation’s office manager Manage HR functions, including payroll and benefits administration, compensation benchmarking, employee manual and policies, and PTO tracking Oversee all risk and compliance needs for the Foundation, including insurance policies, legal counsel, enterprise risk management strategies and controls, and compliance with all private foundation rules and regulations Coordinate annual governance meeting documents and maintain records of election of officers, board committees, board of trustee terms, articles of incorporation, and bylaws; respond to ad hoc governance-related requests as needed

Ideal candidates will bring:

A commitment to the philanthropic mission of the Foundation Senior finance and administrative leadership experience, including experience overseeing finance, HR, operations, administration, and other functions such as legal and IT Senior leadership experience in investment management, including experience evaluating and vetting investment opportunities, structuring investments, developing and managing an investment portfolio, and stewarding investments over time Familiarity with the impact investing landscape and impact investing practices, including both PRI and MRI vehicles Understanding of nonprofits and the social impact sector; familiarity with private foundations preferred A track record of building trusted relationships across many lines of difference (ideological, sector, political, racial, socioeconomic, geographic, etc.) Experience overseeing team members and effectively collaborating with and managing a variety of vendors, advisors, and contract support staff to achieve goals Outstanding business acumen and quantitative analysis skills combined with excellent relational and communication skills Highly organized and able to juggle many competing priorities at once Experience working on a small team with a highly collaborative, “all hands on deck” approach Comfort working in an ambiguous, entrepreneurial context with experience launching innovative efforts

A passionate commitment to best practices in finance, administration, and impact investing with a high degree of integrity and ethics  A working knowledge of the state of Colorado and a never-ending curiosity regarding the challenges and opportunities the state faces An entrepreneurial orientation, with experience and comfort in an environment that requires generating new ideas and approaches, handling shifting priorities, working autonomously, and adapting to rapid change A demonstrated commitment to equity, community-driven change, and disrupting traditional power dynamics An understanding of climate issues and opportunities to advance carbon reduction strategies across operations and investments A bold strategic thinker who achieves impact while maintaining ease, values-alignment, and voice for all stakeholders A servant leader who centers listening, humility, and relationships to achieve goals A collaborative team player who thrives in a culture of learning, feedback, coaching and reciprocal support among the team A leader that brings new and varied perspectives and experiences to the team that are reflective of Colorado’s diverse communities

Currently, staff is expected to be in our downtown Denver office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The balance of the week is flexible and each team and team member is free to decide what approach is optimal. This position is expected to require travel within the state, as well as occasional out-of-state travel.

Gates Family Foundation offers a comprehensive benefits package and paid parental leave. Our work environment is characterized by a culture of collaboration, a commitment to continuous learning, and an inclusive environment that empowers staff to bring their unique perspectives and skills to the work. We place heavy emphasis on the following values:

Respect – We seek out diverse perspectives and listen with humility and a spirit of learning. Creativity – We harness all resources to find new approaches, support experimentation, and drive systemic, lasting solutions. Engagement – We partner, convene, collaborate, and lead to catalyze transformative change. Place – We are deeply rooted in Colorado, with a long-term commitment to its people, communities, and civic capacity. Equity – We prioritize individuals and communities that have been historically marginalized by addressing systemic barriers and creating pathways to opportunity.

To apply, please complete our online application (https://forms.gle/uw1ZcCKSXHhWPHdv6). We will accept applications through February 21st, 2024, and we encourage early submissions. The application asks for a resume and, in place of a cover letter, brief responses to the following questions:

What compels you about the work of Gates Family Foundation, and about the VP of Finance, Administration, and Impact Investing position specifically? What past experiences have best prepared you for this role? What professional values are most important to you? How have those values shaped your behavior and decisions in your career so far?

Gates Family Foundation believes that diverse teams lead to better solutions, creative thinking, and greater depth in experiences and perspectives. We strive in our hiring to ensure that our candidate pool is diverse in terms of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, lived experience, socioeconomic background, physical or mental ability, origin, and religion.

Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals are more likely to self-select out of opportunities if they don’t meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.