Head of Investor Relations & Capital Formation

ILLUMEN CAPITAL

Head of Investor Relations & Capital Formation

Firm Overview

Illumen Capital is a multi-strategy investment firm engaged in direct investments, fund-of-funds investments, and public equities. Through these strategies, we strive to address bias in investing. We invest in high-performing venture, growth and private equity funds, and work with those managers and founders to implement research-informed strategies and tools designed to address bias. This work helps fund managers, in particular, to better identify, evaluate, and invest in overlooked and underestimated entrepreneurs, with the aim to drive outperformance and unlock returns. We believe an optimal asset management industry will be a cornerstone of an equal and equitable future.

Illumen Capital invests in leading impact funds across venture capital, growth equity, and private equity, with a focus on health and wellness, education, climate and sustainability, and technologies that advance financial and social inclusion. In 2019, we published peer-reviewed research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences validating our thesis that race influences professional investors' decision-making. We partner with Stanford SPARQ, a behavioral science "do tank" at Stanford University, to design and apply research-informed tools that address bias, as well as with Impact Experience to deliver experiential learning opportunities for founders, fund managers, and investors. More recently, Illumen launched a new U.S. public equities impact strategy in collaboration with T. Rowe Price.

Position Summary

As Illumen Capital scales toward a $1 billion investment platform, we are hiring a Head of Investor Relations & Capital Formation to lead the firm's fundraising strategy, deepen relationships with existing limited partners, and specifically expand Illumen's institutional investor base. Reporting to the Managing Director and working closely with the investment team and firm leadership, this executive will be charged with hands‑on execution: originating and closing commitments, translating Illumen's research-backed approach into an even more compelling investor narrative, and working with the Illumen team to enhance systems and improve the operating cadence required for sustained growth. This is a full‑time role that will require meaningful travel to meet with investors and attend conferences, firm events and industry gatherings.

Location: Hybrid out of Illumen's Oakland, California office

Travel Requirement: ~50%

Essential Functions

• Develop and execute a comprehensive capital formation strategy across Illumen's investment offerings for progress toward $1 billion in assets under management (AUM).
• Originate, qualify, cultivate, and close capital commitments from institutional investors, consultants and OCIOs, family offices, foundations, endowments, pension plans, wealth platforms, and high-net-worth individuals.
• Lead prospective investors through the full fundraising journey – from first meetings and qualification through diligence, negotiation, Investment-Committee approval, and signed subscriptions.
• Serve as a trusted senior relationship manager for current LPs; strengthen re-ups, referrals, co-investment relationships, and cross-strategy engagement across Illumen's private-market and public-equities offerings.
• Develop fundraising goals, probability-weighted forecasts, conversion metrics, and a disciplined operating system with clear ownership and accountability.
• Effectively communicate Illumen's investment performance, its research addressing bias, and its impact thesis for sophisticated investors across private and public markets.
• Position Illumen effectively across impact-investing, emerging-manager, consultant, institutional, and private-wealth channels; monitor allocation trends, investor sentiment, and competitive fundraising dynamics.
• Provide actionable market intelligence to firm leadership, including insights that inform fundraising priorities, product development, investor segmentation, and potential new structures or strategies consistent with Illumen's mission.
• Lead high-quality investor communications and experiences, including LP meetings, quarterly and annual reporting, impact communications, advisory engagement, conferences, regional campaigns, and relationship-building events.
• Oversee pitch books, fact sheets, due-diligence questionnaires, data-room content, customized investor requests, website and newsletter content, and other external materials, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
• Partner effectively with Illumen investment, finance, operations, legal, compliance, and impact colleagues, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and team-first culture.

In summary: Build and lead a high-performing investor relations and capital formation operation, including the systems, processes, institutional knowledge, and capabilities required to scale.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• A demonstrated passion for building a more equitable world, grounded in the belief that addressing bias in investment decision-making can unlock stronger performance and deeper impact.
• Significant experience in institutional fundraising, investor relations and capital formation with a record of personally originating relationships and closing meaningful commitments.
• Active relationships across relevant investor channels – particularly consultants and OCIOs, foundations, endowments, pensions, family offices, wealth platforms, and mission-aligned investors – that can be successfully activated.
• Experience in multi-asset class strategies is preferred.
• Strong investment fluency and the ability to communicate, with high conviction, portfolio strategy, performance, attribution, risk, impact, and Illumen's differentiated approach to addressing bias to sophisticated investment committees.
• The judgment and presence to represent Illumen as a trusted senior external face, with excellent writing, speaking, facilitation, and relationship-management skills.
• A highly organized, data-driven approach to pipeline management, forecasting, meeting preparation, follow-up, diligence, and reporting; fluency with Affinity, PitchBook, or comparable systems.
• A builder's orientation and the ability to operate both strategically and hands‑on as a senior executive at an entrepreneurial, growing investment firm.
• A proven team player who collaborates across functions, shares information and credit, supports collective decisions, and contributes to shared outcomes.
• High integrity, discretion, resilience, curiosity, self-awareness, and a commitment to continuous learning and self-improvement.

Leadership Attributes

• Builder: Creates the strategy, systems, materials, and market presence required for Illumen's next stage.
• Closer: Asks for commitments, responds to questions, and sustains momentum through complex institutional processes.
• Storyteller: Makes Illumen's performance, research, mission, and differentiated investment strategy clear, vivid and memorable.
• Trusted Partner: Builds credibility with sophisticated investors and collaborates happily with colleagues.
• Disciplined Operator: Focuses on pipeline quality, conversion, forecasting, and results.
• Team‑first Leader: Understands shared accountability and helps raise the performance of the entire organization.
• High Emotional IQ: Listens actively, adapts communication, navigates difficult conversations, and responds constructively to feedback.

Measures of Success

• A measurable capital formation plan aligned with Illumen's investment offerings and path toward $1 billion in AUM.
• A diversified, actionable pipeline with high-quality opportunities across institutional, consultant, family office, foundation, endowment, pension, and private-wealth channels.
• New commitments from qualified prospects, alongside stronger re-ups, referrals, and cross-strategy relationships.
• Disciplined forecasting, timely follow-up, compelling materials, reliable reporting, and clear accountability.

Compensation

• The base annual salary range for this San Francisco Bay Area-based position will be $225,000 to $250,000. Actual salary offered will be based on the candidate's skill, experience, and qualification for the role. Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus, based on factors such as individual and team performance.
• Employer covered health insurance plans.
• 401(k).
• Financial support for professional development opportunities.
• The opportunity to work in a mission-driven environment with access to a distinguished network of investors, fund managers, researchers, leaders, and mentors.

We are an equal opportunity employer.

Illumen Capital is committed to equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Illumen Capital are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and/or related medical conditions), marital status, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information / predisposition or carrier status, veteran status, citizenship, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. Illumen Capital does not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

We look forward to reviewing your application!