Investments manager

Investments Manager Job Description

About Chicago Beyond

Chicago Beyond is a national philanthropic organization that addresses systemic inequity by backing solutions led by those closest to the issues. Since our inception in 2016, Chicago Beyond has invested more than $65 million in catalytic funding in over 250 individuals and community organizations while leading national systems change initiatives. Because there is no single barrier to equity, Chicago Beyond engages in opportunities across philanthropy, justice, health, and beyond.

We address systemic inequity in three ways:

• Investments: We make catalytic investments to increase the impact of solutions led by those closest to the issues.
• National Initiatives: We lead national initiatives in partnership with change makers to challenge and reshape the status quo.
• Insights: We provide insights to disrupt and reimagine “systems as usual” and share learnings on equitable funding, practices, and policies.

About Chicago Beyond’s Partners

Through flexible funding, strategic support, and an equitable approach, Chicago Beyond’s partners are strongly positioned to provide high-quality services to their communities and reshape systemic structures to improve lives.

Our investment partnerships include:

• Multiyear Investment Partners: Through multimillion-dollar, flexible grants and partnership support, we work to increase the impact of solutions led by those closest to the issues.
• Rapid Response Fund: This fund quickly delivers unrestricted grants to organizations and individuals with solutions for their own communities across the country. Our investments strengthen partners’ wide-ranging work.
• Leader in Residence: The Leader in Residence program offers funding and support to selected leaders, empowering them to develop innovative, transformative ideas that create meaningful impacts in targeted communities.

Chicago Beyond was founded by Liz Dozier, a nationally renowned former educator and high school principal. Chicago Beyond’s innovative and impactful work has been featured on both the local and national level from the Chicago Tribune to the Clinton Global Initiative to Aspen Ideas Festival and Stanford Social Innovation Review. For more information on Chicago Beyond, please visit chicagobeyond.org.

Position Details

As an Investments Manager focused on multiyear investments and responsive funding at Chicago Beyond, you will support the organization’s investment strategy by crafting compelling proposals and reports. Unlike traditional grants, Chicago Beyond prepares investment proposals on behalf of and in collaboration with potential investment partners, which enables Chicago Beyond to deploy funds to reach leaders and organizations that do not already have development staff. This role goes beyond investment proposal writing: you will analyze complex issue areas, identify levers for systems change in partnership with proximate leaders, and craft structured investment theses that inform Chicago Beyond’s investment strategy.

Reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer, this role will collaborate closely with proximate leaders, potential community partners, and internal teams to ensure the successful execution of funding. This role requires strong writing skills, strategic analysis, attention to detail, and the ability to distill and communicate complex concepts effectively to diverse audiences. In addition to what is outlined below, you will be responsible for other duties as assigned to support the goals and objectives of the organization.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Due Diligence & Evaluation: Conduct due diligence on potential investments, including strategy and operational assessment, financial analysis, risk identification and mitigation planning, and evaluation of impact and growth opportunity.
• Proposal Development: Shape, write, and edit investment outlines, proposals, memos, and related materials in collaboration with the investments team. Translate complex partner work and systemic issues into cohesive, structured, and evidence-based narratives. Support decision-making for multi-year and responsive funding opportunities, while staying informed of sector trends and best practices in impact investing and philanthropy.
• Thesis Development: Collaborate with the Investments team to formulate investment theses that articulate the problem, systemic levers for change, and the potential models that can drive change. Identify trends, gaps, and opportunities across issue areas to inform investment strategy.
• Investment Research: Conduct research and analysis to identify and assess potential investments opportunities. Collaborate with team members to gather and synthesize diverse forms of data - including quantitative metrics, qualitative field insights, unconventional sources, and relevant national and local context – to balance data-driven analysis with narrative-driven insights. Strengthen the strategic rationale for investment proposals, reports, and other materials by integrating evidence with compelling storytelling.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivate and maintain relationships with subject matter and community stakeholders as needed to strengthen proposal narratives and investment rationale. While not responsible for managing external partnerships, support the investment process through insight gathering and partner engagement. Maintain and improve internal tracking, documentation, and knowledge systems to ensure data and deliverables are organized, accessible, updated, and in line with internal processes.
• Impact Measurement & Partner Learning: Support the Senior Manager of Investments in capturing learnings during the investment process and ongoing partnerships. Collaborate with the Investments teams to share insights gained during proposal development, including partner needs, barriers, opportunities to refine investment practices, and cross-cutting patterns to inform Chicago Beyond’s voice in the field.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., English, Communications, Nonprofit Management, Public Policy, or related).
• 5+ years of experience in one or more of: philanthropy, impact investing, grant writing, fundraising, consulting, or policy.
• Excellent writing and communication skills; skilled at structuring and presenting complex information into clear, concise, and compelling narratives.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience evaluating and synthesizing insights from qualitative, contextual, and quantitative data; proficiency in Excel required.
• Demonstrated ability to generate innovative ideas, think creatively about complex challenges, and build buy-in for new approaches that advance strategic goals.
• Highly organized, with strong project & time management skills. Able to balance competing demands while ensuring deadlines are met. Familiarity with project management tools a plus (e.g., Asana, Monday.com).
• Embodies a learning orientation, with track record of capturing insights, adapting based on feedback, and refining processes over time.
• Collaborates effectively with cross-functional teams and external stakeholders to gather information and insights.
• Self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment and takes initiative to move work forward.
• Familiarity with philanthropic funding processes and best practices (nice to have).

Working at Chicago Beyond

We are an agile, ambitious team with diverse experience across various sectors. We thrive on challenging each other and continuously learning, united by our passion for equity and lasting impact. If you are an entrepreneurial individual looking to join a dynamic community with significant opportunities to grow and shape what you do, then this will be a perfect role for you. Please note that this role currently requires 2 days in our Chicago office.

Our values guide our work.

• Always Equitable – People in our communities face unimaginable obstacles to achieving their fullest human potential. So, we must fight for equity, not equality.
• Incessantly Urgent – The simple fact is that lives are literally at stake right now. The unacceptability of the situation requires our relentless bias to action in order to accelerate our impact.
• Endlessly Creative – To dramatically impact the lives of our youth and communities, we must employ imagination to augment or replace the usual, typical, and predictable.
• Stubbornly Audacious – Entrenched challenges require disruptive ideas boldly applied. We must be unafraid to embrace risks.
• Uncompromising Integrity – How we achieve our mission is equally as important as our mission. We must do right by our youth, our communities, our partners, our teammates and ourselves.

Benefits

The salary range for this role is $65,000 - $90,000. Chicago Beyond provides a comprehensive benefits package, including competitive medical, dental, and vision plans, a matching 401(k) program, and generous paid time off.

To Apply

Please note there is no standard candidate profile. Research shows that underrepresented applicants tend to downplay their qualifications. What is more important to us than numbers and titles are the experiences that you have had and the expertise you have developed. If you think you would be a good fit, please apply.

To apply, please submit the following to [email protected]:

• Brief answer to the question: Why are you interested in this role, at Chicago Beyond, at this time?
• A copy of your resume

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Chicago Beyond at [email protected]

Chicago Beyond is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented applicants.

Job Type: Full-time

Projected Total Compensation: $65,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chicago, IL 60607