Innovation Program Manager - ReFED

We are seeking an Innovation Program Manager  to join our Capital, Innovation, and Global Initiatives team and play a key role in advancing the adoption of solutions to food waste by working especially with, but not limited to, food waste solution providers—organizations that offer products and services aimed at reducing food waste across the food system. This individual will specifically contribute to the development and implementation of assets, programs, and projects that drive ReFED’s work to seed and accelerate food waste solutions.
 

About The Organization

ReFED is a nonprofit catalyzing the food system toward evidence-based action to stop wasting food—for the climate, environment, people, and the economy. To accomplish our mission, we cultivate and convene the food community, deliver actionable evidence and insights, and seed and accelerate solutions and levers. Starting with the 2016 Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste, ReFED has produced 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 2021, ReFED launched the Insights Engine, an online data center serving as the next generation of data, insights, and guidance on U.S. food waste reduction. Reducing food waste will have a significant impact on mitigating climate change, optimizing the use of water, land, and other resources, and providing meals for the over 47 million people in the United States who currently face food insecurity. We are continuing to grow our team to further build our capacity to achieve our vision of a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food system that makes the best use of the food we grow.

We are a team of doers, and we get a lot accomplished. We create outsized impact, and everyone on the team contributes to accomplishing our shared goals. Learning and professional development are heavily embedded in ReFED’s culture. We promote cross-functional work to embrace diverse perspectives, experiences, and skills to ensure we are an inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.   
Learn more at www.refed.org.

About The Work

The Innovation Program Manager, working remotely and reporting to the Senior Manager of Innovation Initiatives, will be responsible for enhancing ReFED's various efforts to assist food waste solution providers, aiming to grow effective solutions and scale their impact. 

• Support the development and implementation of services to support the broad ecosystem of food waste solution providers broadly, including but not limited to programs such as Innovation Challenges, Solution Showcases, and Impact Assessments.
• Work in partnership with the ReFED Data & Insights team to improve data collection methodologies from solution providers and support modeling the impacts of food waste solutions.
• Collaborate with the Capital Initiatives team to ensure funding opportunities are shared with capital providers and provide insights about the food waste solutions landscape.
• Collaborate with the Business Initiatives team to ensure that the needs of businesses and challenges to solution adoption are being captured and shared across the ecosystem; helping to spur the development of more scalable, efficient, and cost-effective solutions.
• Provide Catalytic Grant Fund support, including but not limited to:
  • Portfolio Management
    • Gather progress reports from current grantees of ReFED’s Catalytic Grant Fund as well as ensure data is captured in alignment with ReFED’s standard operating procedures in coordination with the Capital Initiatives team.
    • Schedule and participate in quarterly calls with current grantees.
    • Support with the execution and tracking of ReFED’s non-financial support for grantees and the corresponding impacts, including but not limited to any additional funding received as a result of ReFED’s support.
    • Engage with past grantees and identify opportunities for ReFED to provide additional non-financial support .
    • Gather data on ReFED’s current and past grantees related to the scale of their general impact over time.
    • Coordinate closely with the ReFED Communications team to amplify any grantee success stories.
    • Help coordinate grantee gatherings to foster collaboration and sharing of lessons learned and best practices.
    • Contribute to the tracking and evaluation of programmatic performance.

In this role, you will help address the following:

1. Interfacing with solution providers and sharing any learnings about their work and progress with the broader team in an effort to continuously improve ReFED’s expertise.
2. Driving cross-collaboration to deliver excellent services to the ecosystem of food waste solution providers.
3. Supporting the Catalytic Grant fund, especially with pipeline development and portfolio management.

We think you would thrive in this role and at ReFED if you:

1. Have been a program manager or investment associate.
2. Are passionate about the role of data and technology in addressing social and environmental issues.
3. Are comfortable working and communicating in an entrepreneurial, ambiguous environment.
4. Thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth organization.
5. Have a strong commitment to reducing food waste.

You could be a great candidate for this role if you have:

1. 4-7 years of experience in program management and a demonstrated track record of successful project completion with high stakeholder satisfaction
2. Understanding of food waste and its impacts, as well as working knowledge of food systems and sustainability preferred but not required.
3.  A dynamic entrepreneurial mindset, with a proven track record in successfully growing and enhancing strategic programs to generate significant impact within a fast-paced, expanding environment.
4. Experience with startups, venture capital, sustainable finance, or accelerator environments, including innovation challenges, pitch events, and portfolio management.
5. Experience with financing strategies and mechanisms across private, philanthropic, and public sectors.
6. Experience initiating and developing effective relationships and collaborations.
7. Proven ability to collaborate and convey ideas clearly
8. Attention to detail with outstanding organizational skills, follow-through, and documentation.
9. Demonstrated success working to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
10. A self-starter mentality and are comfortable with ambiguity and autonomy in managing multiple projects and concurrent timelines; able to prioritize in a fast-paced environment.
11. Strong judgment and decision-making skills.
12. Proficiency in Slack, Airtable, Salesforce, and Google Suite.

We do not require:

1. Specific degrees or certifications.
2. Experience working in the non-profit sector.

ReFED values a diverse range of skills and experiences and encourages all interested candidates to apply, even if they don't meet all of the criteria listed. The organization recognizes that everyone brings unique perspectives and strengths to the team, and we are committed to considering all applicants fairly and thoroughly. So if you are passionate about the mission and excited about the role, don't hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself!
 

Our Recruitment Process

Our recruitment process includes the following steps:

• Initial screening interview over video call.
• 2-3 interviews over video call with different members of the team.
• Skills assessment over video call which may or may not include an assignment to complete beforehand and present during the skills assessment meeting. All necessary information and guidance will be provided in advance.
• References, usually three, will be requested and reference checks will be conducted.

We strive to maintain clear and frequent communication throughout the recruitment process, however, due to capacity limitations we may not be able to respond to every initial application. Our process always includes input from multiple team members with diverse backgrounds and perspectives from across the organization.
 

Our Operating Environment

ReFED is a distributed organization, with a team of 20+ working remotely from various locations across the United States. We use a range of digital collaboration and connectivity tools to facilitate our work, including Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Airtable, Salesforce, Miro, MS Office, Adobe, and Insperity.

Our remote culture is built through a variety of means, including 2-3 annual in-person gatherings of the entire team. These events include our annual team retreat and the Food Waste Solutions Summit, a national convening of the food waste movement that we host annually. We also foster team connections through informal get-togethers, ask-me-anything sessions with our Board and Advisory Council members, and peer recognition on our shoutouts channel in Slack. We also have a Big Dill spot bonus program and engage in conversation through our watercooler channel in Slack. Our in-person events are essential for team building, learning, and fun.

Learn more about our culturehere. 
 

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commitment

ReFED is committed to creating an inclusive work environment where all individuals have equal opportunities to contribute and grow. We recognize that our success is rooted in the diverse perspectives and backgrounds of our team members, and we strive to foster a culture of belonging where everyone feels valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to recruiting, hiring, developing, training, and promoting individuals regardless of their gender, race, religion, age, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. We acknowledge that systemic barriers limit opportunities for certain groups, and we are dedicated to actively working to remove those barriers and promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) in all aspects of our organization. Our commitment to JEDI is an ongoing journey, and we are committed to continuously learning, listening, and improving our practices to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace for all.
 

Compensation & Benefits

ReFED offers a competitive salary and benefits package, opportunities for professional development, and policies and programs that encourage a healthy work-life balance. The salary range for this position is $80,000 to $90,000 and will be determined based on relevant experience and qualifications. We strive to provide a supportive and inclusive work environment where all team members can thrive and grow professionally, while maintaining their personal priorities and values.

ReFED’s U.S. benefits package includes:

• 100% employee and 50% dependent premium coverage for medical, dental, and vision benefits;
• Participation in employer-sponsored 401(k) plans with up to 4% employer matching;
• Professional development opportunities, including an annual budget and the option to participate in ReFED's mentor program;
• 18 paid vacation days annually;
• 10 paid sick days annually;
• Early closure in July and August for Summer Fridays;
• Paid family leave;
• Approximately 13 paid company holidays annually, including closed offices during the last week of the year;
• Short- and long-term disability coverage and term life insurance;
• A flexible work environment with the option to work from home or a co-working space.

Learn more about our values, team, and commitment to employees at refed.com/careers. 

Angel Veza is the hiring manager for this position. All correspondence should be addressed to Angel. Applications must be received by October 30, 2024, to be fully considered.