Strategic Partnerships & Capital Mobilization Lead
500 Startups
Sales & Business Development
United Arab Emirates
Posted on Jul 3, 2025
Our Mission
We uplift people and economies around the world through entrepreneurship.
Who We Are
500 Global is a venture capital firm with $2.2B in assets under management that invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies. We focus on markets where technology, innovation, and capital can unlock long-term value and drive economic growth. We work closely with key stakeholders and advise governments and corporations on how best to support entrepreneurial ecosystems so startups can thrive. 500 Global has backed over 5,000 founders representing more than 3,000+ companies operating in 80+ countries. We have invested in 35+ companies valued at over $1 billion and 160+ companies valued at over $100 million (including private, public, and exited companies). Our 180+ team members are located in 27 countries and bring experience as entrepreneurs, investors, and operators from some of the world’s leading technology companies.
About the Role
At 500 Global, we know the world’s biggest challenges, from poverty and climate change to gender equity to health, demand capital that’s strategic, trusted, and aligned with long-term systems transformation. Our Sustainable Growth team exists to accelerate economic resilience by mobilizing capital and capabilities across climate, health, and human development. We’re building funds, educational programs, advisory platforms, and catalytic initiatives that bring together public, private, and philanthropic capital to deliver results.
Now, we’re hiring a Strategic Partnerships & Capital Mobilization Lead to join our team. You’ll lead the stewardship of global capital relationships for our Sustainable Growth platform, working with DFIs, philanthropic institutions, family offices, corporates, and institutional LPs. You’ll shape and manage the financial partnerships that power our work across inclusive growth, blended finance, and systems-level development.
You don’t need to be a fund manager, but you do need to be fluent in capital: how it’s structured, who holds it, and what moves it. You will directly influence how we design solutions to support economic growth and opportunity outcomes at scale. We’re especially interested in candidates who bring a systems lens; who understand how capital intersects with climate, health, gender, and economic equity, and who have experience building coalitions across public, private, and philanthropic sectors. We are committed to unlocking capital not just for growth, but for justice, resilience, and generational opportunity.
This is a high-trust, fast-paced externally-engaging role on a lean senior team. We move quickly, work globally, and expect initiative, integrity, and creative problem-solving. Travel (~25-50%) is expected for partner meetings, global convenings, and strategic engagements.
What You'll Do
- Lead and execute capital engagement strategies across the Sustainable Growth division, including long-term partnerships with DFIs, multilaterals, foundations, corporates, and institutional LPs
- Act as the lead relationship manager for existing and prospective capital partners across our climate, health, gender equity, and economic opportunity workstreams
- Contribute to shaping the overall strategy and translating high-level vision into actionable plans, timelines, and deliverables, while identifying strategic opportunities and ensuring cross-functional coordination, alignment, and accountability.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the Managing Partner and COO, providing strategic advisory, analysis, and informed recommendations to support high-level decision-making.
- Develop compelling, high-trust materials for partners, ranging from proposals and updates to joint strategy memos and thought leadership
- Represent 500 Global at high-level convenings, investor forums, capital roundtables, and diplomatic platforms
- Track trends in global development finance, blended capital, and public-private instruments to continuously inform our approach
- Work cross-functionally to ensure that partnership learnings are integrated into platform-wide advisory, investment, and policy work
- Management experience; provide leadership, guidance, and management to cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and high performance.
What We're Looking For
- 7+ years of experience in capital mobilization, partnerships, or strategic development; ideally within climate, health, catalytic philanthropy, or mission-aligned finance
- Proven experience working with DFIs, philanthropic institutions, corporate partners, or institutional LPs, with a track record of building and managing complex, high-trust partnerships
- Strong private sector fluency: able to bridge philanthropic, public, and commercial perspectives
- An understanding and practical experience with innovative development finance models (blended capital, co-financing, guarantee structures, public-private vehicles)
- Excellent communicator with strong writing and storytelling skills
- Global mindset and grounded leadership; able to work with nuance, urgency, and values across diverse contexts
- Deep commitment to sustainability and ethical investment practices, fully aligned with 500 Global’s mission and values.
- Experience working across emerging or frontier markets
- Location is flexible; we are open to the right candidate based anywhere globally. Travel will be a key component of this role.
- Familiarity with cross-border capital models, blended finance, or catalytic investment vehicles
- Experience launching new platforms, partnerships, or capital initiatives
- We value lived experience, global perspectives, and candidates from historically underrepresented regions and communities; candidates who have led equity-driven or power-shifting capital strategies are especially encouraged to apply.
Bonus If You Have
500 Global does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.
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