Project Manager - Strategic Advisory

Company Description

Location: Flexible (US, Europe, or East Africa preferred)

ISF Advisors is the leading strategic and financial advisory group committed to mobilizing capital for a more sustainable, equitable, and productive global food system.

Building on a decade of industry research, the ISF Advisors team combines experience from top-tier strategy, investment banking, and corporate finance firms to help the public and private sector develop more practical, profitable, and sustainable financial solutions. This combination of expertise allows us to analyze problems with a systems lens and structure investment solutions that mobilize different forms of investment and philanthropic capital.

Our sector leading research on agriculture and food systems generates ideas and insights to inform investment strategy for public and private funders. In addition to issues affecting smallholder farmers and rural enterprise, we have deep experience working in adjacent areas including technology, youth, gender, nutrition, climate change, forestry, and land use.

ISF Advisors has become a trusted advisor and partner to leading institutions involved in food systems, including many of the world’s largest investors, donors, companies, NGOs, and foundations. For more information, visit our website: www.isfadvisors.org

Job Description

As ISF deepens its work with organizations across the world that are advancing the inclusiveness, equity and sustainability of smallholder-farmer anchored food systems, there is a strong need for a self-motivated Manager to take a strong lead on core parts of the strategy project portfolio. Projects in the strategy portfolio will range from engagements with multi-million-dollar funds / programs to more discrete advisory engagements for corporates and social enterprises, and will involve a range of support requirements. A new ISF Project Manager will lead projects across this portfolio as well as supporting discrete industry leading research that aims to distill knowledge that can help move the sector forward.

Key responsibilities include:

Strategy, Partnership, and Transaction Support (60% of role)

• Support the development and design of specific financing mechanisms, programs and partnerships in collaboration with other members of the ISF team
• Lead and facilitate complex multi-stakeholder relationships through workshops, working groups, and bi-lateral conversations with clients and partner organizations 
• Problem-solve around strategic issues in the ISF portfolio and provide input to strategy development
• Track risks, issues, stakeholders, and potential funders
• Support outreach, network-building, and business development efforts

Research + Writing (30% of role)

• Conduct complex financial, market, and policy analyses
• Support the development and delivery of structured communications, especially reports and presentations

Administration and team management (10% of role)

• Manage overall workplan, including key tasks and milestones
• Manage Associate and Analyst-level positions, within the context of a given engagement
• Travel as needed to support implementation 
• Prepare budgets for and assist in the preparation of outgoing program and project proposals
• Coordinate support from other teams such as the Communications and Finance/Admin teams

Qualifications

We are looking for candidates with a mix of entrepreneurial, strategic, and operational experience, including professional experience in strategy consulting or an equivalent type of role. Specific qualifications include:

• 5+ years professional experience as a top performer at a leading firm in strategy consulting, corporate advisory, or comparable experience working in a client-facing team involving deep analytical approaches
• Demonstrated career progression and at least 1+ year as an engagement / project manager
• Experience in complex multi-stakeholder facilitation through workshops, working groups, and relationship management
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills applied towards understanding and interpreting business operations, management capabilities, and practices as they relate to market and financial requirements
• Demonstrated experience getting things done independently under ambiguous circumstances, particularly in developing countries
• Exceptional communication skills and ability to present information in an insightful and structured manner, both written and oral
• Professionalism and demonstrated experience working with senior executives and officials in the private and/ or public sector
• Familiarity with innovative finance for development and common development finance tools (e.g., risk guarantees, concessional lending, blended finance, etc.)
• Passion for the application of innovative financial structures and complex partnerships towards inclusive markets for rural households

Additional Information

The ISF-difference

Many of these areas of responsibility are common to Manager positions in advisory-anchored firms. However, at ISF we try to foster talent through some unique attributes, including:

• Breaking out of the standard advisory model to be research led, include longer-term implementation mandates, and fuse financial and strategic advisory capabilities
• Leading with ideas that continue to test the boundaries of what is possible across typical industry divides or client constraints
• Promoting radical autonomy with staff/ourselves with simple success metrics
• Creating space to build what is interesting to you
• Staying organizationally agile and light
• Managing to high but sustainable standards of work

Within these parameters we believe ISF can be a compelling platform for Managers to work in their areas of passion while continuing to develop their skills.

The salary range for this position is $100k to $130k.

If you are interested in this position and meet the qualifications above, please submit a single PDF document containing a one-page cover letter and resume. Please note that the cover letter is considered an important aspect of the application and will be evaluated against the qualifications above. Applications that do not include a cover letter will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

ISF Advisors, LLC is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace.