Responsibilities
- Evaluate existing thesis-driven philanthropic funds and initiatives, culminating in a clearly argued, written fund/don't-fund recommendation for the philanthropists we work with
- Source existing funds and initiatives for us to evaluate in key areas, building and managing philanthropic dealflow
- Conduct shallow reviews to identify the "cruxes" — the critical open questions most likely to shift our recommendation
- Over the course of the year, it is likely you will do 25-30 shallow evaluations, with <half proceeding to a full, in-depth evaluation
- Interview fund leaders and outside experts to understand a project’s theory of change, approach, and the team's suitability to drive the effort
- Build independent cost-effectiveness analyses, benchmarking opportunities against target metrics like disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of doubled consumption, and tons of CO2e averted
- Conduct research to identify high-impact opportunities that could be addressed through new thesis-driven philanthropic funds
- Develop and execute systematic processes for identifying and originating new potential funds, including identifying and vetting the talent to lead them
- Support and incubate early-stage projects and fund directors to take a promising thesis and either disprove it or turn it into a project that’s ready to fund and scale
- Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders across topic-area ecosystems, including policymakers, scientists, and technical experts in low- and middle-income countries
- Across both parts of the role, you will directly support RenPhil’s existing donors, potential new donors, and partner organizations by preparing research, analysis, briefing materials, and compelling investment cases
Requirements
- 10–25 years of experience in nonprofit or for-profit entrepreneurship, science or social science research, investing, philanthropic grantmaking, project design and incubation, policy entrepreneurship, or topic-relevant program leadership within government
- Evidence of both depth (i.e., you have gone very deep in at least one area — led an organization, built a portfolio, executed at scale) and breadth (i.e., you have worked effectively across multiple topics, or disparate approaches across government, business, and/or non-profits to address one topic)
- Substantive experience working with researchers, practitioners, and/or policymakers in low and middle income countries — including on the ground, not just from a distance — and evidenced passion for global health and development
- Exceptional research and analytical skills, including the ability to do high-quality quantitative analysis (e.g. cost-effectiveness modeling), identify and understand the research frontier of a scientific question, and uncover high-impact opportunities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with ability to translate complex concepts for diverse audiences
- The instincts of an entrepreneur and the discipline of an investor: you can generate ideas and kill them when the evidence demands it
- Demonstrated ability to self-direct: you've owned consequential decisions end-to-end, without a manager in the room, and you're accountable for outcomes not just outputs
Additional Information
- There is a preference for location in D.C. or New York to enable in-person work
- This is a remote role that is open to candidates anywhere, including in Africa and Asia
- Comprehensive and generous benefits package and 401K contribution
