Principal
San Francisco, CA +1
Senior · Full time
Posted a year ago
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Azolla Management Company seeks a Principal for our early-stage, impact-driven venture
capital fund. Azolla Ventures brings a fundamentally new approach to venture investing,
integrating catalytic capital and full-cycle capital (i.e. conventional venture capital) to embrace high risk and prioritize climate impact. Azolla Ventures was created by Prime Coalition, a
nonprofit organization that partners with philanthropists and other mission-driven investors to
support market-driven innovations designed to catalyze, deepen, or accelerate solutions for
climate change.

Reporting to the General Partners, the Principal will be a crucial member of a team of a fully
capitalized $200MM+ climate tech venture fund. Alongside the broader team, the Principal will
source high-impact investment opportunities, build relationships with start-up founders, fund
breakthrough technology companies, and serve on boards of portfolio companies. This is a
unique opportunity for the right individual to provide vision and stewardship at the cutting
edge of impact investing.

Azolla Management Company is an equal opportunity employer with an intentional focus on
diversity, equity, and inclusion. We have a majority-female leadership team, and especially
encourage applicants from backgrounds which are underrepresented in venture capital to
apply.

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts or San Francisco Bay area.
Compensation: Salary commensurate with the fund’s investment stage and style; competitive incentive compensation partially based on impact metrics.
Work Authorization: Unfortunately, Azolla Ventures is not able to sponsor U.S. work visas now
or in the foreseeable future. All applicants will be required to produce valid U.S work
authorization prior to commencing employment.
Application deadline: Fall 2022. We encourage you to apply early, as
candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Start date: As soon as possible; however, this is a critical hire and recruiting a mission-aligned
candidate is of the utmost importance.

Responsibilities:

  • Work on-the-ground to source, evaluate, structure investments in, and monitor
    transformational start-up companies that could have a big impact on climate change.
    Focus is pre-seed, seed, and Series A stage. Investee companies will have the potential
    to mitigate CO2 emissions at the gigaton level, be attractive to follow-on investors, and
    be a fit for catalytic capital.
  • Source high-quality investment opportunities in sync with the fund’s mandate. Prove
    through your presence in the community, your sharp mind, and your eagerness to
    assist entrepreneurs that you are the first call for breakthrough start-up founders.
  • Develop and maintain a network of trusted relationships among entrepreneurs, co-investors, university faculty and grad students, incubators, and technology hubs.
  • Conduct due diligence on prospective investments including industry research, expertinterviews, competitive analysis, and financial modeling.
  • Support structuring investments, including negotiating terms with start-up CEOs and co-investors to drive investments to close.
  • Advance fund goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through external advocacy internal hiring, and assisting junior team members in building a diverse investment pipeline.
  • Serve on boards of directors as a board observer or board member (commensurate with experience and growth), proving added value to portfolio CEOs at every interaction.
  • Research well-articulated theses about key technology categories. Advocate passionately for these points of view and find breakthrough entrepreneurs who are aligned with them.
  • Work with the fund’s Finance & Operations Manager to support impact and financial reporting to fund investors.
  • Assist in managing relationships with LPs.
  • Contribute to thought leadership efforts through conference presentations, white papers, guest articles, and social media.
  • Be able to rapidly take on new responsibilities in a fast-paced growth environment.
  • Be a zealous advocate for the fund’s mission in all aspects of your professional life.

Requirements:

  • Strong alignment with the fund’s “impact-first” climate mission.
  • Broad and deep understanding of energy and environmental technologies. Areas of
    interest include (but are not limited to): biotech, agriculture, mechanical engineering,
    electrical engineering, and nuclear, among others.
  • Excitement and ability to work in a multicultural team; in addition, excellent
    interpersonal skills that allow you to work with founders, co-investors and partners of
    diverse backgrounds.
  • Five to ten years’ relevant work experience including one to three years in an early-stage venture capital role. Institutional investment experience (i.e., investing other people’s money) is preferred.
  • Self-starting, can-do attitude: You should be a person who says “yes, if,” not “no, because.” Uncharted territory should excite you, not intimidate you.
  • Excellent academic track record. A graduate degree is not required, but graduate study in the sciences or finance is helpful.
  • High degree of organization and attention to detail; ability to juggle multiple tasks.
  • Entrepreneurial, enthusiastic, and collaborative approach to work.
  • Strong communication, listening, and critical thinking skills. Ability to speak articulately and think on your feet. A good sense of humor is a key asset.
  • Strong analytical skills, both qualitative and quantitative.
  • Excellent office software skills.
  • Deep intellectual curiosity coupled with a vision for a better world.

Contact: To be considered, please submit your resume and cover letter here:

https://azollaventures.typeform.com/to/BZFljO71.

We will reach out to you directly if we believe you are a good fit for this role.

 

Azolla Ventures
Azolla Ventures, Created by Prime Coalition
Size:  1-10 employees
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