The Charter School Growth Fund ( http://chartergrowthfund.org/ ) (CSGF) is a leading nonprofit venture philanthropy fund dedicated to identifying the nation’s best public charter schools, funding their expansion, and helping to increase their impact. Our “portfolio” includes 60+ charter school networks that operate 850+ schools and serve more than 370,000 students. We operate with the same strategies, discipline, and focus as a venture capital firm by awarding multi-year grants and loans to talented education entrepreneurs who are building networks of high-quality charter schools that enroll significant numbers of low-income and minority students. Ultimately, we think our portfolio can grow to serve ~1,000,000 students.
OPPORTUNITY
CSGF is seeking an Investment Director to join our team. The Director will collaborate with CSGF’s Partners to develop new investments and manage ongoing relationships with networks of high‐quality charter schools. We are seeking a candidate with a strong results orientation and adept financial and analytical skills. The ideal candidate will demonstrate an ability to manage complex projects, think strategically, and communicate effectively with diverse groups of stakeholders. While prior professional educational experience is not a requirement, we are looking for candidates who are passionate about and committed to K‐12 education reform.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Below is a general outline of responsibilities. CSGF is a fast‐moving organization and roles and responsibilities may change to meet the needs of the organization and the groups we support.
- Conduct intensive due diligence on high‐performing charter school operators, including analysis and evaluation of financial models, academic achievement data, market dynamics, leadership teams, and business plans
- Serve as relationship manager for members of CSGF’s portfolio, working closely with management
teams, attending board meetings, and acting as a strategic thought partner to the CEO
- Provide support to charter school operators that are undergoing a strategic planning process,
including assisting with financial models and business plans
- Prepare investment proposals and recommendations for CSGF’s partners and board of directors
- Lead sourcing efforts in specific geographic regions to identify potential investment candidates
- Work closely with CSGF Partners on various research and analytic projects
- Manage portfolio member data for use in investment decisions and industry benchmarking
- Collaborate with other CSGF teams to continuously improve internal processes and work flow
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Deep commitment to CSGF’s mission
- Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and creative problem solving skills
- Demonstrated expertise in financial modeling, financial statement analysis, and strategic planning
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, particularly the ability to build strong
relationships with diverse groups of stakeholders
- Strong project management experience that drives efficiency and excellence in all aspects of work
- Ability to work seamlessly between high‐level strategy and detail-oriented work
- Willingness to travel extensively
Educational Background and Work Experience
- Bachelor’s degree required. An advanced degree is strongly preferred, specifically an MBA
- Three to five years of work experience, preferably including management consulting, investment
banking, venture capital, corporate strategy, or similar experience
- Experience in education/non‐profit field is a plus
WORKING AT CSGF
We are focused on hiring and developing great people and believe that building diverse perspectives across our team make us more effective in expanding our impact. (This is reflected in Our Commitment to Diversity Statement ( https://chartergrowthfund.org/work-with-us/diversity/#tab-scroll ).) Our core values are:
- Results. We work relentlessly to create efficient, measurable, and sustainable results. We strive for excellence and pursue our mission tenaciously. Ideally, you thrive working in a self-directed manner in a fluid environment where flexibility and tenacity are required.
- Entrepreneurship. We embrace calculated risks and new approaches. We have an entrepreneurial spirit that welcomes innovation, diversity of ideas, and risk. We rely on you to question conventional wisdom and think independently.
- Integrity. We are truthful, fair, and trustworthy in all aspects of our work. We hold ourselves and our partners to the highest ethical standards. We trust you will too.
- Respect. We appreciate the challenges faced by education entrepreneurs and recognize the limits of our own knowledge. We understand that our ultimate success depends on that of our partners. Your humility will be key to building trusted and authentic relationships.
- Teamwork. We value each of our team members as individuals but believe that we achieve the greatest results by working together. We willingly sacrifice individual interests and recognition for greater collective impact. We hope having fun at work is important to you and that you are a team player.
If interested, please apply here.
