Senior Associate, Investments & Fund Partnerships

ImpactAlpha; United States; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

403(b) retirement match with immediate

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) seeks a Senior Associate in Investments & Fund Partnerships to help climate-tech startups access capital and scale. You’ll work across D3’s portfolio, advising on fundraising strategy and connecting founders with investors and capital providers across equity, debt, and non-dilutive instruments.

You will develop deep knowledge of investor mandates and tailor introductions, while supporting new capital initiatives and portfolio strategy.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of relevant professional experience in venture capital, impact investing, investment banking, private credit, project finance, startup finance, entrepreneurial support, or related field.
• Solid understanding of how early- and growth-stage companies raise and structure capital and how investors evaluate opportunities.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, with comfort interpreting company financials, capitalization structures, investment terms, and financing scenarios.
• Experience working directly with startups, investors, or other capital providers.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex financial concepts for different audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workstreams independently and operate effectively in ambiguous or evolving environments.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively across entrepreneurs, investors, technical experts, and internal teams.
• A systems-oriented mindset with the ability to identify patterns across individual situations and translate them into repeatable tools, processes, or solutions.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with D3 startups to understand their financing needs, readiness, and potential capital pathways.
• Advise founders on fundraising strategy, including the appropriate type and timing of capital, investor targeting, financing trade-offs, and preparation for investor conversations.
• Connect startups with relevant investors and capital providers across venture equity, strategic capital, debt, project finance, non-dilutive and catalytic capital, and other financing pathways.
• Help companies understand investor requirements and what needs to be true to successfully access different forms of capital.
• Track portfolio financing needs and outcomes to identify recurring challenges and opportunities for D3 to provide additional support.
• Develop and deepen relationships with investors and capital providers relevant to D3 startups.
• Build a strong understanding of investor mandates, investment criteria, and emerging areas of interest to enable targeted, high-quality introductions.
• Create opportunities for meaningful engagement between D3 startups and capital partners, including curated introductions, investor sessions, and other targeted programming.
• Use insights from investors and startups to identify gaps between the capital available in the market and the financing needs of climate technology companies.
• Support the deployment and management of D3’s existing investment vehicles and contribute an investor perspective to startup selection and portfolio strategy.
• Research and evaluate potential new capital solutions, partnerships, or investment vehicles that respond to portfolio needs.
• Support the design, fundraising, structuring, and implementation of new capital initiatives as opportunities emerge.
• Turn company- and portfolio-level experience into insights, tools, and recommendations that strengthen D3’s broader approach to supporting startups’ capital needs

Skills

Venture capital

Investment banking

Startup finance

Private credit

Relationship-building

Communication

Job description

About Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is an independent nonprofit organization that was established in 1982 with a mission to transform global energy systems through market-driven solutions. The organization focuses on aligning energy systems with a 1.5°C climate future and securing a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. RMI operates as a research and advisory firm that engages with businesses, policymakers, communities, and non-governmental organizations to identify and scale energy system interventions designed to cut climate pollution by at least 50 percent by 2030. The institute maintains a global presence with offices strategically located in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.; Abuja, Nigeria; and Beijing. This geographic distribution enables RMI to work effectively across the world’s most critical geographies and engage with stakeholders across developed and emerging economies. The organization is structured as a remote-ready company with team members distributed around the globe, reflecting its commitment to flexible work arrangements and inclusive collaboration. Third Derivative (D3), a program of RMI, specifically accelerates climate innovation by bringing together startups, investors, corporations, and technical and market experts to help promising climate technologies reach commercial scale. Through its global accelerator and broader ecosystem, D3 works with hundreds of climate technology companies across major emissions sectors and maintains relationships with a network of leading venture investors, corporations, and other capital providers. The organization recognizes that access to the right type of capital at the right stage is one of the most important challenges facing climate technology companies and is building a comprehensive approach to helping startups navigate this critical challenge.

About this Role

Third Derivative (D3) is seeking a Senior Associate to help drive efforts in providing capital solutions to climate technology startups. The Senior Associate, Investments & Fund Partnerships will help D3 startups access the capital they need to grow and scale. Working across D3’s portfolio, the Senior Associate will identify companies’ financing needs and help develop and deliver the right solutions. This role sits at the intersection of startup finance, investor engagement, and capital innovation. The position may involve working directly with founders to develop their fundraising strategy and connecting them with relevant investors and capital providers. Alternatively, where existing sources of capital do not adequately meet portfolio needs, the Senior Associate will help D3 design and launch new financing solutions, partnerships, or investment vehicles. The Senior Associate will develop a strong understanding of both startup financing needs and capital-provider mandates and use those insights to connect the two—and to identify where new solutions are needed. The role requires the ability to move fluidly between company-level problem-solving and portfolio-level strategy. Successful candidates will combine analytical rigor with strong judgment and relationship skills, while being motivated by helping promising climate technologies navigate the path from innovation to commercial scale.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with D3 startups to understand their financing needs, readiness, and potential capital pathways
• Advise founders on fundraising strategy, including the appropriate type and timing of capital, investor targeting, financing trade-offs, and preparation for investor conversations
• Connect startups with relevant investors and capital providers across venture equity, strategic capital, debt, project finance, non-dilutive and catalytic capital, and other financing pathways
• Help companies understand investor requirements and what needs to be true to successfully access different forms of capital
• Track portfolio financing needs and outcomes to identify recurring challenges and opportunities for D3 to provide additional support
• Develop and deepen relationships with investors and capital providers relevant to D3 startups
• Build a strong understanding of investor mandates, investment criteria, and emerging areas of interest to enable targeted, high-quality introductions
• Create opportunities for meaningful engagement between D3 startups and capital partners, including curated introductions, investor sessions, and other targeted programming
• Use insights from investors and startups to identify gaps between the capital available in the market and the financing needs of climate technology companies
• Support the deployment and management of D3’s existing investment vehicles and contribute an investor perspective to startup selection and portfolio strategy
• Research and evaluate potential new capital solutions, partnerships, or investment vehicles that respond to portfolio needs
• Support the design, fundraising, structuring, and implementation of new capital initiatives as opportunities emerge
• Turn company- and portfolio-level experience into insights, tools, and recommendations that strengthen D3’s broader approach to supporting startups’ capital needs

Requirements

• 4+ years of relevant professional experience in venture capital, impact investing, investment banking, private credit, project finance, startup finance, entrepreneurial support, or related field
• Solid understanding of how early- and growth-stage companies raise and structure capital and how investors evaluate opportunities
• Strong financial and analytical skills, with comfort interpreting company financials, capitalization structures, investment terms, and financing scenarios
• Experience working directly with startups, investors, or other capital providers
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex financial concepts for different audiences
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workstreams independently and operate effectively in ambiguous or evolving environments
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively across entrepreneurs, investors, technical experts, and internal teams
• A systems-oriented mindset with the ability to identify patterns across individual situations and translate them into repeatable tools, processes, or solutions

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 403(b) retirement match with immediate vesting
• Group life, AD&D, and short- and long-term disability insurance
• Optional voluntary life, AD&D, and accident plans
• Health savings or flexible spending accounts
• Fertility and hormonal health support
• Mental health and wellness support
• Comprehensive leaves of absence, including generous parental leave
• Generous paid time off and sick leave
• Paid sabbatical leave
• Regional holidays with at least one extended break in each geography
• Work from home and home technology allowances
• Learning & development opportunities, including LinkedIn Learning and an annual individual professional development budget
• Annual bonus target of 5%
• Eligibility for merit-based increases tied to individual and organizational performance
• Discount marketplace for gym memberships, pet insurance, and other services
• Hybrid and remote work options
• Team retreats and geographic meetups
• Rewards and recognition programs
• Essential IT equipment provided
• One-time home technology payment
• Monthly work from home or commuter allowance