Investment Associate

ABOUT THE DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION
Founded in 1964 by David and Lucile Packard, the Packard Foundation is a family philanthropy dedicated to supporting leaders and organizations around the world working to invest in children and families, protect and restore the natural world, and create just and inclusive societies.

For more than six decades, the Foundation has advanced scientific innovation, championed reproductive health and rights, conserved and restored our natural world, and invested in the well-being of children and families. To achieve lasting change, we also strive to address root causes of longstanding problems, including building a thriving, resilient U.S. democracy; advancing racial justice in the United States and gender equity globally; and supporting a strong civil society around the globe.

Inclusive collaboration is the heart of our approach. We believe that actively listening to and learning from people with a wide range of views is the best way to create solutions that match the scale and urgency of the challenges we face. We are dedicated to supporting community-based solutions shaped by the knowledge and experience of the people whose lives are most affected and informed by data. We recognize that meaningful solutions require patience, urgency, and supporting the conditions for transformational change. We are committed to addressing complex issues over the long term while making tangible progress today.

OUR VISION: A just and equitable world where both people and nature flourish.  

OUR MISSION: We work with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world. 

OUR VALUES: Equity, Integrity, Belief in Individual Leadership, Thinking Big, Respect, and Effectiveness. 

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
The Investments team is a 15-person team comprised of eleven investment professionals and four operations and administrative professionals. We invest the Foundation’s $8 billion endowment portfolio across asset classes such as public and private equities, venture capital, real estate, hedge funds, and fixed income and across geographies such as the United States, China, India, Latin America, and Europe, creating a stream of payments to the Foundation’s charitable programs. Our goal is to generate excellent risk-adjusted returns that are sufficient to fund the Foundation’s grantmaking activities, while preserving the real value of the portfolio over the long term. We invest by finding the world’s best fund manager talent and building long-term relationships with these funds. We work closely and collaboratively, valuing intellectual curiosity, debate, and teamwork.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Investment Associate role is a mid-level position typically spanning multiple asset classes, working closely with both senior team members and junior analysts on all aspects of the investment process. This role will primarily focus on public market assets classes, including hedge funds (multi-strategy, long-short equity, and event driven) and public equities. You will have the opportunity to interact with some of the most talented fund managers in the world, while supporting the senior team with relevant research into industry and asset-class trends. You will play an active role in the sourcing and diligence process for new managers and in recommending new investments to the Investment Committee.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Search out, meet with, evaluate, and monitor fund managers for the portfolio
Conduct analyses on existing and prospective fund managers to gain insights into historical performance and investment strategy
Build industry relationships with colleagues at peer institutions and fund managers
Prepare materials for discussion with the Investment Committee (e.g., investment memos, strategy roadmaps, asset allocation, etc.)
Present ideas and themes to the Investment Committee
Be in person in our Los Altos, CA headquarters three days per week