Investor Relations Associate
Reporting to the Investor Relations Manager, the Investor Relations Associate is an essential member of Founders First’s newest Investor Relations department which mobilizes the capital markets, across various diverse funding offerings and investor profiles, towards an inclusive economy.
The Investor Relations Associate is responsible for driving and executing FFCP’s internal investor relations functions to provide a seamless investor experience for Founders First’s growing base of equity, credit, and catalytic investors. This role is instrumental in executing investor reporting, operations, financial modeling, and portfolio monitoring workflows, while being a key contributor to process improvements at the department and across the organization.
The hired individual will support the fundraising process from research to pitch to diligence to closing to ongoing engagement, helping Founders First achieve its goal of funding 1,000 companies by 2031 and scaling mission-driven innovative finance for equitable entrepreneurship across the broader industry.
About Us
Founders First Capital Partners, Inc (FFCP) provides growth capital and quality advisory services to diverse founder-led companies. We have been pioneering Revenue-Based Financing as innovative, patient, non-dilutive financing to help diverse-led service-based companies outside of major capital markets grow towards the mid-market. We focus on supporting businesses led by people of color, women, LGBTQ, military veterans, as well as inclusive teams located in low to moderate-income areas, to drive good jobs and wealth creation to advance an inclusive economy.
Founders First’s work is supported by investors including the Rockefeller Foundation, Surdna Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Living Cities, Kauffman Foundation, Schultz Family Foundation, Spring Point Partners, Pivotal Ventures (a Melinda French Gates company), Lindmor Foundation, The Impact Seat, as well as a variety of other leading high net worth individuals and institutional investors committed to racial and social equity alongside financial returns.
Salary: $80,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year based on qualifications for the role
Physical Setting: Onsite at San Diego headquarters, 3-4 days per week
Responsibilities
The Investor Relations Associate is a key member of the Investor Relations team with responsibilities that primarily include but are not limited to:
Investor Reporting and Operations (40%)
● Investor Operations: Lead investor operations and reporting workflows with existing investors
● Investor Reporting: Compile fund performance data, create draft investor reports, and deliver on-time on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, across various different equity, credit, and catalytic investor types
● Investor Payments: Calculate, develop, and deliver distribution statements to existing investors and coordinate with Finance/Accounting team to ensure timely investor payments
● Legal and Governance Documents: Support Associate General Counsel and outside counsel with filling templates and coordinating signing of investor closing and shareholder documents
● New Investor Onboarding: Perform onboarding services to new investors and manage timely completion of closing process
● Database Management: Support updating of investor customer relationship management (CRM) database, as well as secure investor data sharing platform, liaising with Technology team
● Communications: Support development of materials for investor communications and shareholder meetings
Fund Modeling and Due Diligence Support (25%)
● New Investor Diligence: Work closely with Investor Relations Manager and other departments on drafting prospective investor due diligence materials, including compiling data across organization and drafting responses to due diligence questionnaires (DDQ)
● Fund Modeling: Refine and continually update fund-level modeling, as well as support external prospective investors with their modeling of company-wide and fund-level financials
● Data Room Management: Support updating and optimization of standard data room of background and performance documents for new and existing investors
Portfolio Servicing and Risk Monitoring (25%)
● Loan Servicing: Work with C-Suite-level business owners and finance staff members at borrowers to ensure submission of monthly reporting information in a timely and accurate manner
● Financial Reporting: Coordinate with Finance/Accounting team to update FFCP financial statements with loan performance data, and collaborate with FFCP's Credit Officer and impact team to update portfolio reporting/analytics on a monthly basis
● Risk Monitoring: Share any identified potential portfolio company financial distress or repayment challenges to management team
● Financial Benchmarking: Support benchmarking strategy and track performance metrics across peer funds, impact investing industry, and wider financial markets
Support of Investor Outreach, Special Initiatives, Other (10%)
● Outreach Support: Support maintenance and distribution of prospective investor materials, as well as conduct market and investor lead research (with opportunities for future greater external investor engagement based on interest and continued growth in role)
● Strategy Support: Opportunities to support department strategy projects including research/development activities, technology improvements, competitive analysis, recognitions and awards, industry best practice sharing activities, and more
● Team Player: Attend and support occasional San Diego-based company and team-building events as part of role within broader organizational team
Qualifications Needed for Success
● Passion for and interest in growing Founders First’s mission for social and economic equity through inclusive entrepreneurship and innovative finance required
● 2-7 years of experience in finance, investment operations, and/or accounting required; exposure to impact investing, capital markets/investor relations, investment banking, or risk analysis functions welcome but not required
● BA in Finance/Accounting preferred; CFA certification welcome but not required
● Demonstrated experience compiling, analyzing, and visualizing financial data, including forecasting/modeling (with high-level of confidence utilizing Microsoft Excel), required
● Detail-oriented, strong project management orientation, and ability to work independently essential towards operational excellence
● Proactive problem-solving and interest in developing tech-enabled process improvements that can help drive efficiency and effectiveness for Founders First’s newest department
● Commitment to learning and working hard, with a strong team-first attitude, as part of a scaling national mission-driven investing structured finance company with major growth plans
● Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with customer service orientation and persuasive style, to support interaction with base high-profile national and regional investors
● Comfortable engaging virtually with management and investors, who are often remote, as well as in-person colleagues at headquarters, with clear, direct, amiable communication style
● Committed to career and personal growth, combined with humility and reflectiveness, with openness to future opportunities for advancement at Founders First and the impact investing / VC / community development finance / financial services industries
Benefits:
● Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
● Health Savings Account (HSA)
● Paid Time Off
● 401(k) Plan
● Life Insurance
● Employee Assistance Program
COVID Policy: All employees must be vaccinated based on the company’s policy.
Our Commitment to DEI: At Founders First, our mission is to solve racial and social economic equity gaps that prevent businesses led by diverse founders from growing profits, premium wage jobs and wealth creation in their communities. This means we continually celebrate the diverse community and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.