Senior Associate – Third Derivative

Founded for this purpose, Third Derivative (D3) – a program of RMI – is a global climate technology startup accelerator aimed at accelerating the rate of climate innovation. Our mission is to build an inclusive ecosystem that rapidly finds, funds, and scales climate tech innovation globally.

We’ve built a vertically-integrated model that unites investors, corporates, experts, and startups to work together to increase the success and speed to market for climate innovation.

Since our launch in December 2020, our ecosystem includes $4T market cap of corporate partners, $7B AUM of investor partners (across five continents), and 125 startups reflecting climate innovations solving for all major emissions sectors.

Now, our high-performance team of climate enthusiasts is growing, and we’re seeking a Senior Associate to join us in our mission.

Position Overview

Third Derivative is seeking a Senior Associate with a passion for helping climate startups accelerate their growth and reach scale. This role will leverage your skills as a relationship builder, communicator, strategic thinker, and solution finder to support the D3 startups and team in delivering on our value proposition to the portfolio.

In the day-to-day, this role will serve as the primary point of contact for a portion of the Founders in our portfolio. This includes meeting with our startups regularly to understand key updates and needs, and coordinating with members of the D3 / RMI teams and external stakeholders (partners, mentors, etc.) to address the requests and challenges that our companies face. The Senior Associate will contribute to the development and execution of impactful programming and virtual events, and support network expansion to facilitate an increasing number of valuable connections for the D3 portfolio.

We look for aptitude at solving challenging problems, thinking in numbers, and working in groups. We expect self-motivation, curiosity, creativity, the ability to drive oneself and others toward meaningful results, and a passion for making the world better. RMI Senior Associates are independent contributors and work closely with colleagues on projects under the direction of more senior staff.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact to startups within the Third Derivative portfolio, responsible for relationship management and regular touchbases
• Monitor startup progress and connect startups to the various resources within the D3 ecosystem at their disposal in order to accelerate their success
• Understand startups’ needs for subject matter expertise and connect them to relevant experts in D3’s network to deliver this expertise
• Support the planning and development of virtual programming and events designed to add value to startups in the accelerator program
• Help manage the Third Derivative knowledge network of mentors and other experts providing insights to the portfolio
• Continuously monitor, map, and communicate all ecosystem participants’ needs, desires, pains, and value-drivers to the D3 team
• Develop and document processes to drive programmatic success
• Collaborate with other D3 teams, RMI Programs, D3 Partners, and external stakeholders to coordinate support and resources on behalf of our startups

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in an applicable field
• 3-5 years of professional work experience in a related field such as consulting, venture capital, accelerators/incubators, finance, a start-up, or at a climate-focused organization
• Passionate about helping climate technology startups rapidly commercialize and scale
• Strong business acumen and familiarity with evaluating business models, go to market strategies, and other scaling challenges that startups face
• Strong facilitation and networking skills
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple tasks
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to learn quickly, creatively problem solve, and bring new frameworks for analysis to the D3 ecosystem
• Ability to independently engage with C-Suite and senior management of D3’s startups and external network of investors, corporates, and other stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with or at startups
• Experience interacting with large corporations and investors
• Experience working in and/or with companies based internationally
• Prior experience in consulting, project management, or other related fields  
• Proficiency in productivity tools, and a desire to learn more. We use Slack, Monday.com, Hubspot CRM, and Airtable, and we are always looking to improve and find new tools

Location

This position is open to remote candidates internationally, with some preference for candidates based in Africa or Western Europe. 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.

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). Some roles may require more travel, which will be discussed during the hiring process.

Important Note

Compensation

RMI compensates based on the level and requirements of the role. Salary within our ranges may also be determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as required by the role, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. The salary range for this position is $84,170 to $103,740. You would also have an additional 5% bonus target!

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package adjusted to regional norms, including (for U.S. employment):

• Medical, dental, vision insurance   
• 403b retirement options (up to 5% match immediately)   
• Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability   
• Professional and personal development (including LinkedIn Learning access)   
• Generous paid time off  
• Parental leave   
• Work from home and commuter allowance

Diversity

Individuals of underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply!

Increasing the diversity of thought, perspectives, ideas and opinions within RMI is a critical change element supporting our long-term sustainability and mission to build a clean, prosperous, and secure energy future.

Education

We strive for a level of diversity that reflects the communities we serve. Achieving this—regardless of ability, race, ethnicity, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, veteran status, socioeconomic class, educational attainment or other social identities—is critical to the success of each RMIer and collectively as an organization. This ensures that we:

Have the different array of thinking that comes from diverse backgrounds and cultures, enabling us to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.

Strive for a culture of inclusion and belonging by treating others with dignity, respect and appreciation enabling them to feel welcomed, supported and valued.

Effectively connect, communicate and build long-lasting relationships with decision makers, stakeholders and constituents within diverse communities.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

About RMI 

RMI is an independent nonprofit founded in 1982 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 greenhouse gas emissions at least 50 percent by 2030. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing.

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.