Managing Director, Places (BMP)

Blue Meridian Partners; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

403b retirement plan

Generous time off

Job summary

Blue Meridian Partners seeks a Managing Director to lead the Places portfolio, shaping regional investment strategy and partnerships. You will work closely with the CIIO and the leadership team, guiding investments, outcomes measurement, and external engagement with funders and public sector partners.

The role demands deep experience in place-based work, cross-sector collaboration, and a demonstrated ability to manage complex partnerships and teams.

Qualifications

• 20+ years of relevant leadership experience in place-based partnerships, community foundations, or municipal government.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced studies or equivalent experience highly valued.
• Strong track record in strategic and operational thinking with results.
• Excellent relationship-building with city leaders, investors and senior executives.

Responsibilities

• Lead Strategy and Investments in regional initiatives and place-based partnerships.
• Co-develop an outcomes framework and manage performance across the portfolio.
• Conduct due diligence and propose compelling investment recommendations.
• Oversee the Places portfolio, ensuring impact and alignment with strategy.
• Represent Blue Meridian with funders, public sector leaders, and partners.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Investments

Partnerships

Stakeholder mgmt

Fundraising

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced studies / equivalent

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Blue Meridian Partners is a pioneering philanthropic model for finding and funding scalable solutions to problems that trap America’s young people and families in poverty and limit economic mobility. We bring philanthropists together to make significant, multi-year investments that make it possible for social sector leaders to take their successful interventions to regional or national scale.

Today, Blue Meridian is evolving and extending its early vision for integrating the work of expanding solutions nationwide with regional and local strategiesto produce the strongest possible outcomes for children and families. We aredeeply awareofa growing body of research that highlights howplace and economic mobility are inextricably linked and pervasive racial gaps in outcomes. We believe more cross-sector solutions are required to realize the potential of compounding benefits of coordinated work in communities.

In response to the needs identified by community leaders and a study of the challenges that seem to have stymied prior efforts, Blue Meridian is assembling a team to unlock significant new private and public resources for practitioners toaccelerate place-based work across the country.

Position Description

Position Profile

Managing Directors provide strategic leadership and help execute and innovate on critical business priorities for Blue Meridian Partners, including sourcing and leading Blue Meridian’s relationships with select investees.

Managing Directors are members of a dynamic leadership team. Operating with great flexibility and freedom while working closely with other Managing Directors, the CEO and Chief Investment and Impact Officer (CIIO), and Blue Meridian’s investment Partners they provide the leadership necessary to advance Blue Meridian’s mission. A Managing Director may have oversight responsibility for Portfolio Strategy and Management operations.

Reporting to the CIIO, the Managing Director of the Places portfolio will refine and launch this new portfolio as a part of the team focused on the next generation of Blue Meridian’s regional investment strategy.

Position Type

Exempt

Location

New York City preferred

Primary Responsibilities

A Managing Director oversees and manages, delegating and working with other team members where appropriate, activities that may include but are not limited to the following:

Lead Strategy and Investments in Regional Initiatives

• Partner with the CIIO to refine and continuously improve the Places elements of Blue Meridian Partners’ regional investment strategy.
• Co-develop an outcomes framework and own and deliver strategic outcomes related to investments in comprehensive place-based partnerships and related elements of the regional investment portfolio.
• Conduct and manage due diligence to explore opportunities and make investment recommendations, developing, with team, compelling and feasible investment recommendations.
• Manage the Places portfolio of investments overseeing and supporting their impact and performance.
• Capture ongoing learning from investments and broader trends to continuously inform and improve Blue Meridian’s and investees’ strategy and operations.
• Serve as an external spokesperson/representative of Blue Meridian and assist as needed with fundraising, BMP Partner engagement, and other activities.
• Develop relationships and partnerships with other relevant investors and aligned organizations to increase information flow and sourcing, leverage additional expertise or resources, and extend the reach and impact of the portfolio and strategy.

Lead Relationships with Investees

• Ensure investee leaders and their teams receive excellent relationship management and support from Blue Meridian.
• Earn and maintain the respect of investees and serve as a trusted partner and advisor to a diverse range of senior leaders in a community. This includes representing Blue Meridian Partners with regional public sector leaders, regional funders, business and community leaders, and advising on strategy and regional investment plans; evaluation and evidence building; fundraising; strategy design; and human capital and communications.
• Craft performance milestones with investees and chart a roadmap to success.
• Design and facilitate investee meetings, strategy sessions and performance reviews.
• Identify advisors, consultants and other resources to ensure robust support for investees.
• Serve as an external spokesperson/representative of Blue Meridian and assist as needed with fundraising, Partner engagement, and other activities.

Manage team and ensure tight alignment across Blue Meridian

• Bring together national and local investments, as appropriate to ensure that our investment portfolio maximizes the potential of evidence-based programs in place.
• Oversee and participate in the recruitment, development and management of top talent to build and sustain a high performing team.
• Partner closely with other Managing Directors to ensure ongoing strategic alignment.
• Oversee aspects of the board book content, contribute to and participate in board, Partner and committee meetings.

Qualifications

• Managing Directors must believe in Blue Meridian’s mission and be driven by personal values that align closely with Blue Meridian’s core values.
• At least 20 years of relevant professional experience, ideally in a position of leadership within a place-based partnership, community foundation, or municipal government, ideally spanning the public and non-profit sector, and across silos that impact economic and social mobility (i.e. education, economic environment, built environment, public sector transformation). A Bachelor’s degree is required, as well as advanced studies and/or demonstrated derivation of overarching lessons and approaches from related experiences.
• Perspective from direct experience living or working in communities with significant low income or otherwise disenfranchised peoples preferred.
• A track record of strong strategic and operational thinking, demonstrating the ability to formulate and execute effective strategies, chart clear courses of action that require complex, multi-disciplinary teamwork, and the measurement of and accountability for results.
• Strong skills in developing and managing external and internal relationships and partnerships, working directly with city leaders, community leaders, senior executives, boards of directors and investors, leading teams, building and stewarding relationships, networks and agreements, and managing complex partnerships.
• A superior ability to analyze, assess and conceptualize the implications of quantitative and qualitative data, sometimes amid disparate and even contradictory information.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, comfortable engaging with and presenting at senior levels
• Highly energetic, self-motivated and entrepreneurial, able to balance a meticulous and highly rigorous professional approach with a flexible and empathetic responsiveness to the needs of others. While skilled at thinking and working independently and advocating own point of view, respects and solicits the contributions of others.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with a professional and genial demeanor, and the ability to work with and lead people with different backgrounds and experiences.
• Strong computer skills with facility using popular document, spreadsheet, presentation, email, filesharing and other communication software.
• Willing to travel frequently.

Salary & Benefits

Total compensation includes an annual base salary, the potential for an annual incentive award based on performance, and an exceptional benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, 403b retirement plan with employer contributions and generous time off. Base salary will be set commensurate with chosen candidate’s knowledge, skill and experience.

Blue Meridian Partners, Inc. is 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, alienage or citizenship status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, disability, age, military or veteran status, familial status, marital status, partnership status, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

[1] This position description is a guide to the primary duties and functions of the job, not an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, qualifications, physical demands and work environment conditions. Position descriptions are reviewed and may be revised to meet the changing needs of Blue Meridian Partners at the sole discretion of management.