Senior Associate, Investments & Fund Partnerships - Third Derivative

Rocky Mountain Institute in; Denver (CO); Remote; USD 84,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

Third Derivative, a program of RMI, seeks a Senior Associate, Investments & Fund Partnerships to help startups access capital and scale. You will work across D3's portfolio to identify financing needs, develop fundraising strategies, and connect founders with investors and new capital solutions.

Based in a remote-ready role, you will collaborate with teams supporting climate technology companies, evaluate investment pathways, and design partnerships to bridge capital gaps. Travel may be required.

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.
• 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 across entrepreneurs, investors, technical experts, and internal teams.

Responsibilities

• Deliver capital solutions to D3 startups.
• Advise founders on fundraising strategy and investor targeting, including capital type and timing.
• Connect startups with relevant investors and capital providers across venture equity, strategic capital, debt, project finance, and non-dilutive capital.
• Track portfolio financing needs and outcomes to identify recurring challenges and opportunities for D3 to provide additional support.
• Build and activate relationships with investors and capital providers relevant to D3 startups.

Skills

Venture capital

Impact investing

Investment banking

Project finance

Startup finance

Job description

Third Derivative Overview Third Derivative (D3), a program of RMI, accelerates climate innovation by bringing together startups, investors, corporations, and technical and market experts to help promising climate technologies reach commercial scale. Through our global accelerator and broader ecosystem, D3 works with hundreds of climate technology companies across major emissions sectors and a network of leading venture investors, corporations, and other capital providers. Access to the right type of capital at the right stage is one of the most important challenges facing climate technology companies. D3 is building a comprehensive approach to helping startups navigate that challenge—supporting companies in developing effective capital strategies, connecting them with relevant investors and funding partners, and developing new capital solutions where gaps exist.

We are seeking a Senior Associate to help drive this work.

Position Overview

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 may mean working directly with founders to develop their fundraising strategy and connecting them with relevant investors and capital providers; or, where existing sources of capital do not adequately meet portfolio needs, helping D3 design and launch new financing solutions, partnerships, or investment vehicles. The role sits at the intersection of startup finance, investor engagement, and capital innovation. 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.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver capital solutions to D3 startups
• 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.
• Build and activate the capital ecosystem
• 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 D3’s investment and capital solutions strategy
• Support the deployment and management of D3’s existing investment vehicles and contribute an investor perspective to startup selection and portfolio strategy.
• Track portfolio financing needs and outcomes to identify recurring capital gaps and opportunities for D3 to provide additional support.
• Where relevant, 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.

Minimum 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: ability to identify patterns across individual situations and translate them into repeatable tools, processes, or solutions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience investing in or supporting climate technology companies.
• Experience across multiple forms of capital beyond traditional venture equity, such as venture debt, project finance, asset-backed finance, non-dilutive capital, or blended/catalytic finance.
• Experience designing or launching investment vehicles, financing products, or capital programs.
• Experience working with technically complex or capital-intensive companies.
• Familiarity with climate technology markets and the financing challenges associated with scaling new technologies.
• Existing relationships across the climate investment and financing ecosystem.

Who Will Thrive in This Role

You may be a particularly strong fit if you: Enjoy moving between company-level problem solving and portfolio-level strategy. Can sit with a founder and work through a financing challenge, then step back and ask what that challenge tells us about a broader market or capital gap. Understand investor incentives and can translate them clearly and constructively for entrepreneurs. Are comfortable working across different forms of capital rather than assuming venture equity is always the answer. Like building things—new tools, processes, partnerships, and potentially investment products—rather than simply operating established programs. Combine analytical rigor with strong judgment and relationship skills. Are motivated by helping promising climate technologies navigate the path from innovation to commercial scale.

Location

We are a remote-ready company with team members around the globe. Our beautiful and welcoming offices are available for meetings or focused work, whether you are traveling through or living nearby. Our U.S. offices are in New York City; Washington DC; Oakland, California; Boulder, Colorado, and Basalt, Colorado. This role can be located from anywhere in the continental United States and will require travel, at least once a month. We provide you with the essential IT equipment plus a one-time home technology payment and a monthly work from home/commuter allowance to ensure you have a comfortable home office set up and necessary supplies. We love seeing each other in person! We occasionally gather for shared time together like retreats and learning experiences. Be ready to travel for occasional in-person meetings (and of course, we cover travel costs).

Compensation

At RMI, we prioritize fairness in our pay practices. Salaries are determined based on a mix of experience, market benchmarks, and internal equity across similar roles. The salary range of this position is $84,170-$103,739. New hires typically start toward the lower end of the range, depending on experience and alignment with the role’s scope. In addition to base salary, this position includes an annual bonus target of 5% and eligibility for merit-based increases, which are tied to both individual and organizational performance.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision insurance
• 403b retirement match with immediate vesting
• Group life, AD&D, and short- and long-term disability
• 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 (LinkedIn Learning and an annual individual professional development budget)
• Potential for bonuses and merit increases
• Discount marketplace (gym memberships, pet insurance, etc.)
• Hybrid / remote work options
• Team retreats and geographic meetups
• Rewards and recognition programs

Diversity

We know that the diversity of our teams makes us stronger as an organization, and RMI is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity as outlined in U.S. federal law. We prohibit discrimination against applicants, interns, and employees on the basis of any legally recognized basis, including but not limited to: age (40 and over), race, color, sex, pregnancy (including lactation, childbirth, or related medical conditions), religion, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender expression/identity, uniformed service member status, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other applicable status protected by applicable law. RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

If you have any questions or issues with your application submission, please submit a ticket: Support Form

RMI is an independent nonprofit, founded in 1982 as Rocky Mountain Institute, that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5°C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. We work in the world’s most critical geographies and engage businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale energy system interventions that will cut climate pollution at least 50 percent by 2030. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.; Abuja, Nigeria; and Beijing.