Executive Director, Commonfund Institute

Commonfund; Norwalk (CT); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Commonfund Institute, based in New York City or Norwalk, CT, seeks an Executive Director to lead research, governance, and education initiatives for nonprofit clients.

You will set strategic direction, drive business development with internal partners, and publish influential studies, podcasts and articles. Travel about 25% will be required, and you will mentor a talented team to advance Commonfund’s mission in endowment management and governance.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10–15 years of experience in nonprofit management, governance/public policy or similar fields.
• Four-year degree required; advanced degrees and certifications a plus (e.g., PhD, Ed.D, MBA, CFA)
• Strong research background with ability to synthesize and analyze large data sets
• Excellent analytical and communication skills for presenting complex data to diverse audiences
• Superior writing and publication skills; experience editing publications
• Travel 25%+ of working days

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary external representative and thought leader, cultivating relationships and elevating visibility through events and media opportunities.
• Provide strategic direction to the Institute team and lead across the firm to advance the mission.
• Advance the firm's business development by partnering with sales and relationship teams to share governance insights and research results.
• Publish topical podcasts, white papers, articles and insights for a broad audience of clients and prospects.
• Oversee benchmark studies (NCSE, CSIS, CCSF, HEPI) and translate results into actionable insights.
• Conduct in-depth data analysis and report findings to inform clients and prospect markets.
• Provide strategic oversight of the Investment Stewardship Academy and nonprofit sector education initiatives.
• Lead the development of continuing education programs for nonprofits.

Skills

Public speaking

Analytical skills

Research

Data synthesis

MS Word

MS Excel

MS PowerPoint

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA

CFA

PhD

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Commonfund Institute houses the education and research activities of Commonfund and provides the entire community of long-term investors with research, investment governance information and professional development programs. Commonfund Institute is dedicated to the advancement of investment knowledge and the promotion of best practices in financial management. It provides a wide variety of resources, including conferences, seminars and roundtables on topics such as endowments and governance; proprietary and third-party research such as the Commonfund Benchmark Studies®; publications including the Commonfund Higher Education Price Index® (HEPI); and events such as the annual Commonfund Forum and Investment Stewardship Academy.

This role can be based in either our New York City or Norwalk, CT office.

Background

The role of Commonfund Institute is to contribute measurably to Commonfund’s two-part mission to enhance the financial resources of our clients and to help them improve their investment management practices. The Institute is specifically responsible for: (1) conducting proprietary market research within the nonprofit sector; and (2) for communicating strategic insights on matters of governance and investment policy to trustees and investment staff of educational institutions, private foundations, nonprofit healthcare organization and other institutional investors. Commonfund Institute publishes the leading studies of the investment practices of higher education endowments, independent schools and private and community foundations. Additionally, it produces podcasts, white papers and web-based articles, and its Executive Director is a frequent spokesperson for the nonprofit sector. In addition, Commonfund Institute promotes best practices in investment policy design and execution through industry conference attendance and sponsorships as well as Commonfund-sponsored events.

Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of the Executive Director of Commonfund Institute include:

• Serving as a primary external representative and recognized industry thought leader, cultivating relationships and elevating the firm’s visibility and reputation through active participation in industry events, media opportunities and other external forums, showcasing the firm’s expertise and market leadership.
• Provide strategic direction to the Institute team and be a leader throughout the firm, engaging in internal partnership opportunities to advance the mission of the organization.
• Advancing the firm’s business development strategy by partnering with Commonfund sales and relationship management teams to provide expert perspectives, research-driven insights, governance advisory and thought leadership that deepen client engagement and drive organizational growth.
• Publishing frequent topical podcasts, white papers, web blog posts, articles and insights that aid Commonfund clients and prospects along a broad spectrum of strategic governance, policy and investment issues.
• Providing strategic oversight and subject matter expertise for the firm’s various benchmark studies, including, the NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE); the Commonfund Benchmarks Study of Independent Schools (CSIS), produced in partnership with NBOA; the Commonfund-Council on Foundations Study of Foundations (CCSF); the annual Higher Education Price Index (HEPI), helping shape the external narrative and translate results into compelling insights for the industry; and other studies.
• Conducting in-depth data analysis and reporting the findings from the above studies with an emphasis on uncovering proprietary insights and learning for Commonfund’s client and prospect markets.
• Providing strategic oversight of the program direction, priorities and thematic focus for the Investment Stewardship Academy, an annual 3-day nonprofit institute for 40-50 attendees focused on advanced principles of long-term asset management and governance best practices.
• Leading the strategic direction for the development of continuing education programming opportunities and learning frameworks for the nonprofit sector.

The Executive Director will also conduct additional original research on various topics identified throughout Commonfund on issues ranging from investment policies, practices and strategies to issues related to nonprofits and the public sector. The individual in this position will be responsible for collaborating with both Commonfund staff and outside experts with the goal of writing articles and preparing presentations for his/herself and on behalf of senior staff based on such research.

Requirements

• Minimum 10-15 years’ experience in nonprofit management, governance/public policy or similar fields; familiarity with endowment investing principles; specific experience with and knowledge of nonprofit organizations (including personal experience as a trustee on nonprofit board(s))
• Four-year degree required; advanced degrees and certifications a plus (e.g., PhD, Ed.D, MBA, CFA)
• Strong research background to include demonstrated ability to synthesize and analyze large amounts of data and to draw effective and insightful conclusions
• Excellent analytical skills to include the ability to present complex data in such a way that it can be broadly understood by educated laymen as well as investment practitioners
• Superior writing skills to include demonstrated expertise in the publication of research-based articles (must be able to provide examples of published works)
• Experience in editing publications
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills
• Ability to travel 25%+ of working days
• Computer proficiency (Microsoft products including Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
• Must have excellent people and organizational skills