Climate Principal / Partner

About the Role

As a Principal or Partner at Equal, you will operate as a senior investor with meaningful autonomy and responsibility. You will work closely with the partnership to shape Equal’s climate and energy strategy while owning end-to-end execution across sourcing, diligence, investment decisions, and portfolio support. You will also spearhead and scale our community experiences across the space, such as our annual Climate Capital Summit.

This role is based in person at our office in New York City. In-person collaboration is an important part of our team culture. Title, compensation, and economics will be commensurate with experience and seniority. All members of our firm receive carry.

Compensation for the role will depend on seniority and experience and includes a base salary in the range of $200k–$300k, guaranteed fund carry, and the opportunity to earn an annual performance bonus.

Core Responsibilities Include

• Owning and evolving Equal’s climate and energy investment theses across key sub-sectors

• Proactively sourcing high-quality early-stage opportunities through founder relationships, ecosystem engagement, and outbound research

• Leading investment diligence, including market analysis, customer and expert calls, and conviction-driven memo writing

• Driving investment decisions and representing Equal on boards or in close advisory relationships with founders

• Supporting portfolio companies on strategy, hiring, go-to-market, fundraising, and partnerships

• Building Equal’s brand and presence within the climate and energy ecosystem through producing content, hosting and attending events, and extending relationships with key points of influence in energy and the broader venture capital ecosystem

• Serving as lead for Equal’s Climate Capital Summit

• Supporting the firm’s overall operations: we’re a small team and everyone works together to own workstreams that help level-up the firm

About You

Experience

• 7+ years of relevant professional experience

• Background in venture capital, growth equity, private equity, or a high-impact operating role at a climate or energy startup

• Strong familiarity with climate or energy markets, technologies, and value chains

• Prior experience leading investments or owning meaningful diligence processes is strongly preferred

Attributes

• Industry expert — A detailed understanding of the energy/climate venture landscape with the ability to predict trends, evaluate emerging companies in the sector and influence key decision makers.

• Hustle — As a small firm, we win through persistence, perseverance and sweat above all else.

• Professional — Takes immense pride in the detail, thoroughness, accuracy, and overall quality of their work.

• Self-directed — Works with team members to complete tasks without someone looking over their shoulder.

• Team Player — We like everyone in our firm to feel like an owner of the firm, which requires all of us to go above and beyond to support each other and the overall interests of the firm.

• Connector — Brings a depth of venture and industry connections to the table and is eager to build more.

• Integrity — Never sacrifice ethics for economics.

Application

If you are interested, please fill out the form here. You will be asked to respond to the following questions:

1. Share more about your experiences across climate and/or energy and what you are looking for out of your next role?

2. What are one or two climate or energy subsectors you are most excited about and why?

3. What is a company that you find particularly interesting that has raised less than $5m? Why do you think it is exciting?

4. In 100 words or less, what is missing from the early-stage climate/energy investing ecosystem? What can/should Equal bring to the ecosystem that has yet to be provided by other investors?

5. In 100 words or less, why you?

We will follow up directly if there is a strong fit.