About us:

Kiva (kiva.org) is an international nonprofit with a mission to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive. We run a global marketplace platform to crowdfund microloans for financially excluded entrepreneurs, farmers and students around the world. Through Kiva Capital, we serve as a bridge between large scale impact first investors and underserved populations. Our digital identity platform enables borrowers who don’t have a track record with traditional financial institutions to record and verify their financial history and gain access to less costly mainstream financial markets.

Our organization combines the culture and technological passion of an internet start-up with the compassion and empathy of a non-profit to create impact and opportunity at global scale. Since 2005, we have raised more than $1.66 billion in loan capital for 4.1 million borrowers in 77 countries. Our lenders fund over $10 million in loans every month. With offices in San Francisco, Portland, New York, Nairobi, and Bangkok, Kiva’s team includes 100+ employees and 400+ volunteers worldwide. Our team is growing as we pursue exciting new opportunities to create a financially inclusive world.

Role overview:

The Senior Director of Impact at Kiva provides the organization with strategic leadership on impact measurement, learning, strategy, and communications for Kiva’s multiple impact lines and is a core leader of Kiva’s impact investing team.  This role will manage a team of talented impact professionals dedicated to advancing the depth and breadth of Kiva’s understanding of our (and our partners’) impact across all of our products through measuring, learning, enhancing, and communicating our lending and investing programs. Kiva is a signatory of UNPRI and the Operating Principles for Impact Management and upholds the highest industry standards in our impact framework and execution.

You will provide strategy planning, external advocacy, technical advice, managerial leadership, and operational expertise across the organization.  You will accelerate and deepen Kiva’s understanding and impact for our borrowers in both domestic and emerging markets, help ensure our impact lines are designed for scale and agility, and support the creation of an ecosystem with our lending partners and strategic partners (funders and investors) to drive financial inclusion through research, data, communication, and thought leadership.

Reporting to our Chief Investment Officer, the successful candidate will act cross-functionally as a change agent and enthusiastically facilitate the execution and implementation of impact-first strategies.  You will serve as a key external ambassador on impact with our stakeholders, including with investors, lenders, donors, partners, and sector peers.

At this time, we can only consider applicants with authorization to work in the United States on a permanent, full-time basis; unfortunately we cannot provide visa sponsorship.

Key responsibilities include: 

Impact Management, Measurement and Learning

• Partner across the team to set impact priorities for our investments and advance Kiva’s impact management practices at all stages from deal sourcing, due diligence, to ongoing monitoring
• Serve on Kiva’s Investment Committee and mentor team members tasked with making investment decisions determining the breadth and depth of Kiva’s impact
• Lead the team that designs and implements impact measurement and sets research and learning priorities regarding the impact of Kiva’s investment strategies, ensuring efficiency, organization, and clear communication supporting team-wide adoption
• Oversee Kiva’s comprehensive evidence and research base, including establishing and maintaining relationships with research institutions and expert advisors
• Source other key thought partnerships which further Kiva’s impact-first mandate
• Collaborate with the Risk team in assessing the interplay between risk tolerance and impact objectives across our lending and investment products

Impact Strategy and Communications

• Develop clear and consistent communication of Kiva’s impact strategy and results internally and externally in partnership with the executive, marketing and product teams
• Work closely with the teams managing Kiva’s funding partners (Strategic Partnerships and Investor Relations) to pursue or deepen partnerships with key philanthropic actors and impact investors built on our impact thesis and learnings
• Oversee the impact monitoring, analysis, and communications tools (external dashboards, impact rubrics and frameworks) developed by the Impact team
• In collaboration with the Investor Relations team, develop key messaging on impact related to Kiva Capital investment vehicles, for both periodic and ad hoc reporting
• Contribute to external publications, industry events, and public relations efforts that seek to advance Kiva’s reputation and role as a leading impact-first investor

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as a core member of the senior leadership of the Impact Investments team and as a key expert advisor to the CIO and the broader executive team
• Advise on the potential for synergies and conflicts between organizational objectives and the core impact goals and frameworks underlying our mission
• Support the investment team’s stewardship of donor engagements by facilitating cross-organizational collaboration in grant-funded project implementations
• Manage a high performing team to maintain Kiva’s commitment to individual development, team cohesion and diversity, equity and inclusion

Required qualifications:

• 10+ years of increasing responsibility in impact measurement and reporting, strategic planning, and program design and evaluation
• Demonstrated experience in the world of impact investing, social enterprises or other sectors of international development
• Experienced manager and leader with a demonstrated ability to coach and mentor, including with cross-functional teams
• Understanding of research methods, tool design, and human centered design practices
• Knowledge of best practices in data collection, data management, and the communication of complex data to diverse audiences
• Experience establishing and managing external stakeholder relationships
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills

Preferred qualifications:

• Strong track record with inclusive finance products or investments
• Demonstrated experience in public relations and high profile external engagements
• Productive experience interacting with boards and executive leadership
• Familiarity with impact investment measurement frameworks (e.g. IRIS+, IMP, IFC, SDGs)

What we offer:

• An opportunity to improve real lives, solve hard problems, and change the world
• Friendly, supportive, and adventurous environment with a team of engaged colleagues
• A comprehensive, industry-leading benefits package
• Opportunities to connect with and learn from colleagues and partners around the world
• Colorado range: $135K – $165K

A diverse and inclusive workplace where we learn from each other is an integral part of Kiva’s culture. We actively welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives. We are an equal opportunity employer and a great place to work. Join us and help us achieve our mission!

We will only accept applications directly from candidates. Kiva will not be responsible for any recruiting agency fees, absent a formal agreement.

Apply now