Capital & Innovation Manager 1024 views2 applications

Job Description

ReFED’s Roadmap identified $18 billion in government, commercial, and philanthropic capital needed to reduce food waste in the United States. The Manager will support investors and innovators to increase capital flows to food waste solutions and play a leading role in building collaborative relationships with a range of stakeholders.

ReFED’s Capital and Innovation Program is a new pillar of activity and will be built out over the next 1-2 years. This is an ideal opportunity for a detail-oriented entrepreneurial leader who is passionate about building strong networks and communities to drive social change. The Manager will report to the Director, Capital and Innovation. 

Responsibilities 

MANAGEMENT OF REFED’S FOOD WASTE FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE

  • Facilitate collaboration among influential philanthropic funders—creating opportunities for them to interact with their peers, compare strategies, generate ideas, and coordinate investments that target the biggest drivers of food waste.
  • Increase membership of Funders Collaborative by cultivating funder relationships and understanding funder priorities.
  • Support Funders Collaborative members by convening working groups on relevant topics, and organizing regular conference calls.
  • Foster an active learning culture. Support active sharing of what is needed:  emerging trends, best practices, challenges. Proactively identify opportunities for learning and problem solving. 
  • Plan and facilitate biannual 1-2 day in-person convenings and quarterly webinars (develop agendas, facilitate calls, and provide notes).
  • Support content-specific calls and working groups based on the emerging needs of the group.
  • Work with PR and marketing consultants as necessary to develop an annual messaging/communications plan and support external knowledge sharing and communications.
  • Serve as an ambassador and spokesperson as necessary, and support funder members in their public speaking engagements about the work of the Funders Collaborative. 
  • Develop and disseminate a monthly newsletter.
  • Track and communicate the outcomes of the Collaborative and its benefits to funders and other stakeholders.

INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

  • Manage ReFED’s Innovator Database – the leading database of nonprofit and for-profit innovators focused on food waste. Activities include: Keep database up-to-date, engage with innovators to understand key needs and challenges, and facilitate an annual survey of innovators.
  • Support the ongoing development of the innovation ecosystem by creating connections between entrepreneurs, investors, strategic partners, and advisors.
  • Review the database regularly to identify trends and insights. Develop a strategy for communicating those insights via ReFED’s newsletter, op-eds, conferences, or webinars.

DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

  • Conduct an annual baseline of food waste funding and communicate results. Identify opportunities to increase effectiveness of baseline tracking.
  • Aggregate, synthesize, and present data on the Innovator Database, Funding Baseline, and Funding Opportunities in a way that offers insights for food waste funders and innovators to help prioritize opportunities.

Skills & Experience

  1. Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree highly preferred.
  2. 2+ years of experience, with demonstrated project and program management (expertise in philanthropy, impact investing, social finance, and entrepreneurship /innovation strongly preferred).
  3. Collective Impact / funder collaboration experience with basic understanding of program evaluation strongly preferred.
  4. Ability to build authentic relationships with diverse stakeholders with proven, strong facilitation skills.
  5. Strong project management skills with the ability to work independently and as self-starter.
  6. Strong capabilities in gathering information, synthesizing, and crafting compelling and relevant recommendations; knowledge of data collection and management.
  7. 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.
  8. Strong working knowledge of food systems and sustainability, with experience working to reduce food waste while addressing the related social, environmental, and economic issues preferred.
  9. Strong understanding of the entrepreneurial landscape of food waste, or alternatively, of one of the following sectors: food and agriculture, energy, waste / resource use.

Application Details

Please e-mail jobs@refed.com with a cover letter and resume, including salary requirements, with the subject titled “Manager, Capital and Innovation”. 

This position is available immediately; ReFED will accept and review new applications until filled.

Compensation

Salary and benefits will be competitive and commensurate with similar positions in the sector.

Why You Should Work With Us

ReFED is the leading organization addressing U.S. food waste. Working at ReFED provides an unmatched opportunity to influence our nation’s leaders in the capital and innovation ecosystems to drive food waste reduction at-scale. 

 NEW VENTURE FUND CAREERS

ReFED is a project of the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. The New Venture Fund is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding, and enables each of us to realize our potential. The New Venture Fund’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

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ReFED is a national nonprofit working to end food loss and waste across the food system by advancing data-driven solutions to the problem. ReFED leverages data and insights to highlight supply chain inefficiencies and economic opportunities; mobilizes and connects supporters to take targeted action; and catalyzes capital to spur innovation and scale high-impact initiatives. Starting with the 2016 Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste, ReFED has developed a trusted history of producing first-of-their-kind tools and resources, providing a full-supply-chain picture of U.S. food waste, cost-effective solutions to reduce it, and methods to track progress. In February 2021, ReFED launched its new Roadmap to 2030 and Insights Engine, an online data center designed to serve as the next generation of data, insights, and guidance on U.S. food waste reduction. Solving this problem will have a significant impact on mitigating climate change, optimizing use of water, land, and other resources, and providing meals for the over 50 million people in the United States who currently face food insecurity. 


ReFED is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply and encourage candidates of diverse gender, race, religion, age, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability status, veteran status, and more to consider joining our team. We believe that everyone has a seat at the table, and that this table always has room for growth. The success of our organization is rooted in the visible and invisible qualities of our people. ReFED’s 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 better food system. Community is more than a word here.


ReFED's vision is a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food system that optimizes environmental resources, minimizes climate impacts, and makes the best use of the food we grow. Learn more at www.refed.org


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