Capital, Innovation & Engagement Director 801 views0 applications

About the Position

ReFED’s recently released Roadmap to 2030 and Insights Engine estimate that an annual investment of $14 billion over the next ten years can reduce food waste by 45 million tons each year. That investment would result in $73 billion in annual net financial benefit – a five-to-one return – and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 million metric tons, save 4 trillion gallons of water, and recover the equivalent of 4 billion meals for those in need. Over ten years, it would create 51,000 jobs.

ReFED’s Capital, Innovation & Engagement team plays a critical role within the organization to turn awareness of this opportunity into action. By using the levers of financing, innovation, convening, and connecting, the team aims to catalyze and influence the scaling and adoption of solutions to food waste by key stakeholders including food businesses, funders and investors, solution providers and entrepreneurs, and government agencies, among others.

The Director, working remotely and reporting to ReFED’s Vice President of Capital, Innovation & Engagement, will be joining a team at an exciting new stage of development – helping lead, manage, and grow its bespoke, impactful, innovative program offerings piloted over the last three years (which have included Strategic Advisory, Innovation Challenge Platform, COVID-19 Food Waste Solutions Fund, Nonprofit Food Recovery Accelerator, Best Practices Webinar Series), as well as designing and improving new products, insights, and capabilities within ReFED’s groundbreaking Insights Engine and Roadmap to 2030 tools, especially the Food Waste Investment Tracker, Solution Provider Directory, Solution Fact Sheets, and Investor Database.

This is an ideal opportunity for a strong relationship and partnership builder with experience influencing capital flows and managing staff in day-to-day activities and programs. The Director will have a keen ability to facilitate action-oriented conversations and communicate complex concepts in ways that drive influence and actions by a variety of investment, food business, and innovation professionals.

You are a good fit if you:

1. Are an experienced investment or finance professional who is passionate about the role of capital as a unique lever to drive action on the reduction of food waste

2. Can develop strong relationships with external stakeholders from a variety of sectors including finance, food, and innovation

3. Have experience developing programs and managing multi-stakeholder initiatives

4. Thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth organization

5. Are driven to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing society today and excited to positively impact food security, economic growth, and climate change

You may have a mix of professional experience from roles such as:

1. Investment banking director 

2. Foundation grant officer, fund manager, or venture capitalist

3. Management or strategy consultant

4. Investor relations

5. Portfolio, program, or project manager

Primary Responsibilities

Strategy development and execution

• Lead the design and delivery of innovative programs and products (e.g., creating new investment and fund structures, innovation challenges, network engagements, and advisory services)

• Participate in the fundraising and business model development for new programs and products

Catalyzing investment into and adoption of food waste solutions

• Work with capital providers of all kinds to advise and inspire investment in opportunities that can address food waste

• Work with incubators, accelerators, research institutions, and universities to drive awareness of top innovation needs and inspire new research and companies

• Work with entrepreneurs to provide connections to funders, corporate strategic partners, key customers, and stakeholders 

• Analyze various food waste solutions across the maturity and innovation curve in order to understand how much and what types of capital and innovation are needed

• Lead a team responsible for the development and maintenance of critical Capital, Innovation & Engagement team assets including the Food Waste Investment Tracker, Solution Provider Directory, Solution Fact Sheets, and Investor Database

• Serve as a thought leader for ReFED, speaking publicly and responding to media requests that help to disseminate research, data, insights and guidance on the ROI of the investment into and adoption of solutions to food waste 

Building partnerships with key stakeholders 

• Form and maintain trusted relationships with and influence network managers and wealth holders, including commercial investors, private investors, philanthropic investors and foundations, and government as well as asset classes including venture capital and private equity, among others

Team leadership and organizational support

• Lead, manage, and motivate a team in day-to-day activities, overseeing staff management and performance evaluation to create a high-performing and inclusive work environment

• Develop and manage annual and multi-year programmatic budgets

• Build and oversee effective systems for tracking and evaluating impact and performance

Skills & Experience

ReFED seeks a Capital, Innovation & Engagement Director with:

• 7-15 years of experience, with demonstrated success leading, mentoring, and managing high-performing teams;

• Expertise in one or more of the following: philanthropy, impact investing, venture capital, private equity, social finance, corporate development, corporate venture, strategy consulting, or investment banking;

• Working knowledge of food systems, foodtech, agtech, waste management, sustainability, and/or broader ESG initiatives and financing;

• Entrepreneurial spirit, with demonstrated success scaling programs and initiatives, driving significant impact in a dynamic, high-growth environment;

• Experience initiating and developing authentic and effective relationships and partnerships with diverse groups of stakeholders including capital providers of all types such as high net worth individuals, family foundations, corporate foundations, impact investors, venture capitalists, private equity firms, and institutional investors;

• Strong strategic and critical problem-solving skills; ability to apply a systems approach to complex societal problems;

• Demonstrated aptitude for analyzing, modeling, interpreting, and synthesizing complex data and information from multiple sources;

• Exceptionally detail- and results-oriented with strong organizational skills;

• Self-starter and strong project management skills with the ability to work just as well independently, as with a team;

• Solid professional writing and verbal communications skills;

• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to thrive in a fluid, entrepreneurial environment, and willingness to “roll up the sleeves” and extend beyond formal responsibilities as needed for the work;

• Ability to communicate and align with internal and external stakeholders well in a remote working environment;

• Proficiency with G Suite, MS Office Suite, Slack, and database management (including Salesforce) with a willingness and ability to learn new systems and tools;

• Knowledge of the food waste investment and innovation landscape;

• Food business operations experience; and

• Demonstrated success working to promote diversity, equity and inclusion and working with remote teams.

Application Details

To apply for this position, please complete your application online here. 

All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé submitted in PDF format. Alex Coari, Vice President, Capital, Innovation & Engagement is the Hiring Manager for this position. All correspondence should be addressed to Ms. Coari. Cover letters must be responsive to the vision of ReFED and the needs of this position. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the successful candidate has been selected. 

Working at ReFED

ReFED offers a competitive salary and benefits package, opportunities for professional development, and policies and programs that encourage a healthy work-life balance. ReFED’s benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision coverage for individuals and dependents, participation in employer-sponsored 401(k) plans with generous employer matching, professional development opportunities and option to participate in ReFED’s mentor program, paid holidays, vacation, sick, and family leave, short- and long-term disability coverage, term life insurance, and a flexible work environment. Learn more about our values, team, and commitment to employees at refed.com/careers. 

ReFED is a virtual organization with staff located across the U.S. and Canada. The Capital, Innovation & Engagement Director may work virtually and remotely with the option of working from a dedicated co-working space. During the COVID pandemic, all ReFED employees are working remotely.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

ReFED is an equal opportunity employer. It believes that everyone has a seat at the table, and that this table always has room for growth. The success of the organization is rooted in the visible and invisible qualities of its people. Its people embody a variety of views, perspectives, and backgrounds to push the envelope of what is possible and better meet the needs of the community in the hopes of building a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food system. Community is more than a word here. As stewards of this food system that benefits from the inclusion and enhancement of diverse voices, ReFED recognizes that systemic barriers limit opportunities for certain groups which contributes to ongoing disparities. Furthermore, it accepts that its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) means a commitment to constant learning, listening, and interaction in all aspects of its work. Intrinsically, ReFED is an organization that seeks to attract exceptional and dedicated talent to advance its mission, and it firmly believes that inclusion through recruiting, hiring, developing, training, and promoting employees of all genders, races, religions, ages, national origins, political affiliations, ancestries, sexual orientations, disabilities, and veteran status, creates an atmosphere that enables it to lead with an entrepreneurial spirit and innovate with enterprise.