Lead Impact Standards Strategist and Developer, and Director, IRIS+/IMM

The Lead Impact Standards Strategist and Developer, and Director, IRIS+/IMM provides strategic leadership, oversight, and planning for a portfolio of activities and relationships aimed at developing and advocating for the acceptance of IRIS+ as a common industry standard in the financial industry. The ultimate aim is to enable more rigorous, comparable, and credible impact management practices among investors so as to maximize the positive social and environmental benefits of impact investments. The position will own the buildout of systems, processes, and governance to secure IRIS+’s position as a standard for impact data in the financial industry and overseeing the team building standards for new thematic areas. The individual is also expected to drive partnerships and engage with industry platforms with the aim of advocating for the positioning, uptake, and interoperability of IRIS+ standards within the context of impact standards for the financial industry, including impact management, emerging regulatory, and emerging accounting standards. The role is also expected to lead and inspire a high-performing staff member.

IRIS+ by the GIIN is the generally accepted system for investors to measure, manage, and optimize their impact performance results. A key component of this system is the IRIS+ standards, metrics aimed at providing investors with the information they need to measure and manage the impact performance results of their investments. The data standards are developed through working groups comprised of technical experts and practitioners and subject to a public comment period. The GIIN now seeks someone to lead the team developing these data standards, and create the governance, processes, and relationships necessary to formalize them as standards for investors’ impact data. The individual must be adept at understanding data standards and structure, highly attuned to the quality and integrity of the governance processes on developing the standards, as well as navigating and thriving in a rapidly evolving landscape of impact management regulation, players, and market trends to position IRIS+ for long-term use and relevance in the financial industry. The individual must be a strategic thinker and able to drive towards strong execution.

Duties and Responsibilities

Data Standards:

• Define and drive an organization-wide strategy designed to ensure the long-term interoperability and adoption of IRIS+ data standards for investors seeking to intentionally create a social or environmental benefit through their investments.
• Oversee the development of new data standards, updates to existing standards, and codification of relationships between standards in line with established processes and protocols.
• Build the governance framework, bodies, and processes necessary to formalize IRIS+ metrics as standards, with emphasis on the rigor and integrity of this governance process. This includes designing and building oversight committees.

Advocacy & Partnerships:

• Develop key relationships necessary to reinforce the uptake, visibility, and viability of IRIS+ data standards among investors and among the landscape of emerging regulatory, accounting, and impact management standards.
• Collaborate with other GIIN initiatives in representing and advocating for impact investing in the sustainability, regulatory, impact measurement, and financial industry communities, working groups, and stakeholder consultations, serving as a key expert on IRIS+
• Collaborate with GIIN teams leveraging IRIS+ data standards for product development, such as licensing packages and analytics.

Management & Leadership:

• Provide input to GIIN’s leadership on strategic direction and other matters of organizational importance.
• Support the GIIN’s fundraising efforts, including providing inputs on proposals and drafting progress reports.
• Collaborate with other GIIN functions to engage stakeholder relationships in a way that creates maximum benefit for the organization as a whole
• Manage the overall program portfolio, personnel and budget allocation, updating frequently to reflect shifting priorities and available resources.
• Directly and indirectly supervise, lead, and inspire a high-performing team.

Location: This position will be based in our New York City office with significant remote work flexibility offered through GIIN’s hybrid in-person/remote work model.

We will consider hiring internationally for exceptionally qualified individuals.

Compensation: The GIIN is committed to pay equity.  The salary range for this role is between $140,000- $160,000, with exact salary depending on experience, with an excellent benefits package.

We aim to offer competitive salaries and benefits and are committed to equity, trust, and transparency in compensation. Basing compensation on someone’s willingness and ability to negotiate or on their prior salary leads to wide inequities and bias in how people are paid, particularly for groups experiencing historical oppression. Therefore, we do not ask for prior pay history from our candidates and our offer-making process is negotiation-free for salaries and benefits.

We determine the best possible salary offer based on relevant experience and to the extent to which candidates demonstrate the competencies for the role during the entire hiring process. The GIIN also uses our annual performance evaluation process at the end of each year to determine raises and promotions.

Ideal candidates will thrive in the face of complexity and be able to make key decisions in the face of ambiguity. The ideal candidate will have strong communication and relationship-building skills as well as an ability to understand and speak about data standards at a technical level.

Candidates will have:

Knowledge of sustainability reporting standards and integration of sustainability/impact information within a portfolio: Demonstrated knowledge of sustainability reporting standards (e.g., the CDSB Framework, GRI, IIRC Framework, SASB Standards, TCFD, etc.), regulatory sustainability standards (e.g.,  the European sustainability reporting standards, UK Sustainability Disclosure Requirements, US SEC climate-related disclosures, etc.) and financial reporting standards (e.g.,  IFRS Accounting Standards and other GAAP) is strongly preferred.

• Senior-level expertise in the technical development of standards, ideally at an international level, is strongly preferred.
• Understanding of capital markets, impact investing, and integration of impact in an investment portfolio strongly preferred.

Internal team management experience: Proven experience managing teams towards success, supporting the professional development of direct reports, and managing resources.

Collaborative, progress-oriented external leadership skills

• Extensive experience managing multi-stakeholder processes.
• Professional, empathetic, and clear communicator with an orientation towards collaboration.
• Commitment to equity and justice. Successful candidates will be aware that race, income, age, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender and gender expression, and other identities can play, and have historically played, a role in equity disparities, including within organizations. Successful candidates will be committed to continuous learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion and how to manifest these principles in the workplace.

Strategy development and execution skills:

• Demonstrated experience in strategy development and translation to project planning and execution, especially in the face of ambiguity and complexity.
• Creative and solutions-oriented problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail and an orientation towards maintaining rigor and integrity in a governance process.
• 15 years’ work experience in a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

This recruitment for this position is being managed by our search partner, Sillman Thomas www.sillmanthomas.com

Please email your interest letter and CV to Sillman Thomas at [email protected]

Note:

Candidates should be aware that all NYC-based staff must provide proof of vaccination against the COVID-19 virus, unless they have been granted a reasonable accommodation for religion or disability. If you are offered employment, this requirement must be met by your date of hire, unless a reasonable accommodation for exemption is received and approved by GIIN Human Resources.