Manager, Investments

RIIF is the lending and investment platform responsible for managing REDF’s family of debt and private impact investment funds . These funds—including the Appalachian Growth Fund (AGF) and future vehicles in development—provide flexible capital that supports the growth, sustainability, and impact of small and medium-sized businesses aligned with RIIF’s mission. The Role RIIF is seeking a Manager, Investments to help expand due diligence capacity, strengthen the quality of investment decisions, and support fund growth across multiple private investment strategies. While the role will support all funds, the initial emphasis will be on the Appalachian Growth Fund, where continued ecosystem development has generated a growing pipeline of prospective investments across debt, equity, and hybrid structures. This individual will co-manage and evaluate deal flow alongside RIIF’s Appalachia Ecosystem Lead and will serve as a dedicated underwriter for transactions in Appalachia across multiple product types. The role requires sophisticated financial and strategic judgment, the ability to lead complex cross-team workstreams with limited direction, and a comfort with ambiguity inherent to early-stage fund building. The ideal candidate brings strong private equity or growth-stage investment experience, an ability to adapt RIIF’s investment toolkit across products and contexts, and a natural inclination to leverage modern tools—including AI—to enhance analytical rigor and efficiency. This individual will report to RIIF's CFO. The Responsibilities Co‑develop and manage a high‑quality investment pipeline in partnership with the Ecosystem Lead, translating ecosystem insights into actionable opportunities for RIIF Capital funds. Conduct market analysis, leadership assessment, financial diagnostics, and strategic fit across RIIF’s portfolio. Maintain organized, accurate pipeline and CRM systems that support visibility, prioritization, and disciplined decision‑making across teams. Lead end‑to‑end underwriting for investments across debt, equity, convertible debt, and other flexible structures used by RIIF Capital funds. Build and refine financial models, stress tests, and scenario analyses that illuminate borrower capacity, business performance, and fund‑level return implications. Produce clear, compelling investment memoranda for internal decision‑making and Investment Committee review. Structure deals using a combination of financial, legal, and impact considerations; recommend covenants, securities, terms, and mitigants tailored to each fund’s needs. Cross‑Team Coordination & Execution Coordinate underwriting activities with RIIF’s Principal, Originations Senior Director of Lending, portfolio management team, legal counsel, fund administration partners, and REDF’s data and impact teams. Lead workstreams that improve efficiency, alignment, and quality of investment processes across entities. Ensure that investment evaluations and decisions integrate relevant insights from ecosystem partners, borrower engagements, and cross‑functional perspectives. Strategic Contribution to Fund Development Contribute to RIIF’s investment strategy and new fund design, reflecting lessons learned from AGF and other funds. Identify opportunities to enhance fund operations, underwriting processes, risk assessment approaches, and the integration of impact considerations. Offer insights on trends in the regional economy, industry dynamics, and borrower behavior that inform future fund design and regional strategies. Technology, Data, and AI Enablement Champion the adoption of modern tools—AI, automation, data analytics—to accelerate underwriting, improve accuracy, and expand analytical depth. Continuously refine investment templates, checklists, and workflows to reduce friction and improve consistency across RIIF Capital’s funds. Stakeholder Communication Communicate complex findings clearly and persuasively to internal leaders, Investment Committee members, borrowers, ecosystem partners, and external collaborators. Represent RIIF Capital professionally in meetings, diligence sessions, ecosystem convenings, and funder discussions as needed. Produce materials that translate technical underwriting analysis into accessible insights for different audiences. Model excellence in collaboration across RIIF Capital, RIIF’s lending and portfolio management teams, REDF, and external partners. Provide coaching and support to teammates, helping strengthen analytical rigor, processes, and decision‑making norms across the investment function. Proactively identify opportunities for improvement and lead implementation of enhancements that support cross‑team success and fund sustainability. The Qualifications Required 5 years of relevant investment experience (private equity, growth equity, venture capital, investment banking, or CDFI/impact investing). Demonstrated ability to lead underwriting and execute transactions across multiple product types (debt, equity, convertible debt, hybrid structures). Strong financial modeling skills and the ability to assess unit economics, profitability drivers, leverage, capital efficiency, and fund‑level implications. Experience working with senior stakeholders, presenting recommendations, and managing complex decision processes. Ability to work independently and lead cross‑functional workstreams with limited direction. Comfort using or adopting AI‑enabled tools, analytics platforms, and technology‑enhanced workflows. Master’s degree in finance, business, or equivalent experience. Preferred Experience investing in or working with small and medium‑sized businesses in rural or underserved markets, particularly Appalachia. Experience in fund operations, portfolio monitoring, and/or investment committee engagement. Familiarity with impact measurement, CDFI lending environments, or mission‑driven capital strategies. Join Us Please submit your resume and cover letter via REDF’s applicant portal. A personalized cover letter is required; applications without one will not be considered. The Culture Every team member at REDF has an impact, with the ability to influence and iterate on our strategy. We balance autonomy with collaboration, leading with learning, and innovation with expertise. We listen, ask questions, and challenge the status quo and each other to uncover solutions that move us all to a better tomorrow. REDF is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our different experiences, backgrounds, and stories are our strength. We know that an equitable, inclusive, and diverse workplace makes us more effective, innovative and agile. We welcome and will consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, disability status or arrest and conviction history. EEO is the Law. REDF welcomes all. The Perks 13 paid holidays, Summer Fridays, and ample paid time off 16 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth parents and 8 weeks for non‑birth parents A generous dollar‑for‑dollar retirement plan match up to 4% of your base compensation Opportunities to learn continuously by building your skills and broadening your perspectives at conferences, workshops, and more Flexible working schedules, support for big life events, and home office equipment for an ergonomic working space Position Location and Pay Range This position is based in Central Appalachia (Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio). The salary range for this position is $95,584 – $119,480. The range will be adjusted according to candidate’s location. Medical insurance, Vision insurance, Dental insurance, 401(k), Paid maternity leave, Paid paternity leave, Commuter benefits, Disability insurance #J-18808-Ljbffr SupportFinity™