Senior Associate, MI Finance
About The Position
The Senior Associate supports the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE), the Milken Institute’s national effort to expand access to capital for small business owners through a network of national small business service providers. Reporting to the IIE Director, this role leads jurisdictional engagement activities, coordinates communities of practice, and supports applied research, stakeholder engagement, and national program execution across priority markets. The Senior Associate role is designed as a key professional development position within Milken Institute Finance, providing a clear pathway to expanded leadership, subject-matter expertise, and increased responsibility across the Pathways to Capital portfolio and the Milken Institute Finance pillar. The Senior Associate will demonstrate: Deepen subject-matter expertise in inclusive finance, State Small Business Credit Initiative implementation, other Federal, state, and local small business financing programs, and jurisdiction-level capital deployment. Expanded leadership in managing multi-jurisdiction initiatives and national communities of practice. Greater responsibility for partner management, funder-facing deliverables, and cross-program coordination. Contribution to strategic planning, program design, and performance measurement across MI Finance initiatives. Progress toward promotional opportunities such as Director or Associate Director roles based on performance, funding, and organizational needs. Senior Associates who demonstrate strong analytical rigor, stakeholder leadership, and program execution capabilities are well-positioned for advancement within MI Finance and across the Milken Institute’s broader policy and capital markets platforms.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required; preferred fields include finance, economics, business, law, communications, or public policy.
- Minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience.
- Strong knowledge of financial markets, institutions, and regulatory policy.
- Demonstrated knowledge of small business capital access challenges, opportunities, solutions, and ecosystem contributors.
- Strong knowledge and skills in project management.
- Experience in stakeholder relations, external affairs, and partnership building.
- Demonstrated analytical, research, and writing skills.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Notion, project management resources, and AI tools.
Responsibilities
- Leads the coordination of IIE jurisdictional engagement efforts with state, local, territorial, and Tribal stakeholders.
- Collaborates with and supports other Pathways to Capital programs, including Milken Institute’s work related to community infrastructure finance, HBCUs, and inclusive capitalism.
- Facilitates communities of practice for state and local program administrators, community development financial institutions, community-based organizations, ecosystem intermediaries, and IIE implementation partners.
- Produces policy, market, and programmatic research related to inclusive small business finance, including reports, white papers, articles, presentations, and other thought leadership materials.
- Prepares briefings, memos, and marketing materials for internal and external stakeholders.
- Orchestrates and participates in convenings, conferences, webinars, panels, and learning sessions.
- Plans and executes projects, including developing scopes of work, estimates, schedules, communication plans, and other project management tools.
- Tracks jurisdictional engagement milestones, deliverables, and emerging policy trends.
- Coordinates internally with marketing, communications, operations, business development, legal, and other cross-functional teams.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Benefits
- Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Retirement Plan - 403b (5% match)
- Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
- Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
- Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
- Fertility Support
- Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
- Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
- Pet Insurance Discount
- Training & Development: LinkedIn Learning – over 15,000 self-guided classes offered
- Annual Mentor Program
- Wellness Resources: Employee Assistance Program
- CALM app membership
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
