Executive Director, Growth & Innovation Fund

Morgan Stanley Growth & Innovation (MSGI) is an MSIM strategy targeting late stage, growth equity investments in scaled, private, high-growth companies in fast-growing technology sectors. The strategy targets category-defining companies operating in large addressable markets with significant long-term compounding potential. The MSGI strategy is under the broader Private Credit & Equity (PC&E) platform with over 300 professionals globally managing approximately $62Bn of client capital across direct private equity and private-credit strategies.

The Executive Director will be responsible for leading all business development efforts, as well as participating in investment decisions alongside the leadership team. This individual is foundational to the strategy’s success, as it ensures a steady pipeline of high-potential companies that align with the strategy’s investment thesis, with full ownership over all origination-related activities, sourcing and initiating new investment opportunities. This role brings high exposure to company owners, founders, investment bankers, and investors globally.

Recent investments out of the MSGI strategy have included a leading unified data and AI analytics platform, and a frontier AI research and foundational model company. This is a unique opportunity to join and help lead the development of the MSGI strategy.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with senior investors to define and oversee the strategy’s overall investment sourcing strategy to optimize volume and quality of deal flow.
• Build and leverage professional networks (executives, intermediaries, management teams, brokers, other investors and lenders) and convert relationships into actionable deal flow.
• Strong commercial instincts in early conversations; quickly separate “interesting” from“ investable,” and build credibility with management teams.
• Develop, implement and manage regular marketing activities (e.g. email campaigns) to intermediaries and targeted companies.
• Leverage technology and data (e.g. Salesforce, Pitchbook, 3rd party systems, etc.);institute best practices across team for contacts and tracking deal flow.
• Cultivate and coordinate new and existing investment themes.
• Attend conferences and other industry events to foster relationships.
• Plan and track event attendance to ensure total coverage and regular touchpoints with targeted companies and intermediaries.
• Monitor activities of other active investors; analyze and examine data for gaps, opportunities, and insights.

Requirements

• Minimum of 12-15 years of relevant industry experience, which should include time spent in business development in a private equity, growth equity or venture capital platform.
• Experience in technology / software preferred, but not required.
• Aptitude and experience in networking within the growth equity, venture capital, and investment banking landscape.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity, creating process where needed, and raising the bar without adding friction.
• Resourceful, highly organized, process-oriented, data-driven and tech savvy.
• Self-motivated, with a high degree of initiative and a passion for building relationships with intermediaries and industry contacts.
• Possesses an in-depth understanding of private markets.
• Established relationships with leading firms, intermediaries, consultants, and other influencers.
• Strong analytical and financial skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from top college or university
• Must be willing to travel extensively

Who you are

• Operates with a strong sense of ethics and integrity in your interactions with others and decision making.
• Takes accountability and ownership in your work with a focus on long-term value creation.
• Track record of fostering a culture of honesty, transparency and accountability within teams.
• Proven ability to collaborate across teams to deliver optimal solutions for clients.
• A passion for innovation, with a continuous improvement mindset to drive excellence.
• Respect for individual differences, with an openness to diverse perspectives.
• Engagement in community service, volunteering or corporate citizenship initiatives.
• Commitment to mentoring and supporting professional growth of others.
• Passion for building and leading diverse, inclusive teams, where all individuals feel valued, respected and empowered.
• Ability to define and communicate a clear vision, align teams with organizational goals and drive long-term results.
• Navigates change with confidence, maintains composure under pressure, and leads through uncertainty.
• Sets ambitious goals, holds teams accountable and consistently delivers measurable results.

Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) is one of the largest global asset management organizations of any full-service securities firm, with more than 40 years of history, a presence in 24 countries, and a total of $1.9 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. MSIM strives to provide outstanding long-term investment performance, service, and a comprehensive suite of investment management solutions to a diverse client base, which includes governments, institutions, corporations, and individuals worldwide. For further information about Morgan Stanley Investment Management, please visit www.morganstanley.com/im.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years.  Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

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Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $200,000 and $300,000 per year at the commencement of employment. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.

Morgan Stanley's goal is to build and maintain a workforce that is diverse in experience and background but uniform in reflecting our standards of integrity and excellence. Consequently, our recruiting efforts reflect our desire to attract and retain the best and brightest from all talent pools. We want to be the first choice for prospective employees.

It is the policy of the Firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sex stereotype, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy, veteran or military service status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce (M/F/Disability/Vet).