Director of Impact Capital Programs

We are seeking a Director, Impact Capital Programs to join our Capital and Innovation team, playing a key role in helping to lead and expand our Capital Programs targeted at influencing and mobilizing much-needed capital into and sparking innovation in the food waste sector. 

The Director, Impact Capital Programs will manage a talented team and serve as a key advisor and relationship builder for capital providers, particularly those in U.S. philanthropy and impact investing. The Director will oversee key initiatives such as our funder coalition, advisory services, and trend reports, as well as essential tools like the Capital Tracker and Solution Provider Database, part of the ReFED Insights Engine. They will also help shape strategies and fundraising for programs like our Catalytic Grant Fund and paid advisory work, including innovation challenges. By fostering partnerships with funders, entrepreneurs, and innovators, the Director will play a central role in driving more investment to tackle food loss and waste.

The Director, working remotely and reporting to ReFED’s Vice President of Capital, Innovation & Global Initiatives, will be joining the team at an exciting moment of opportunity.

About The Organization

ReFED is a U.S.-based nonprofit working to catalyze the food system to take evidence-based action to stop wasting food. We do this by cultivating and convening the food community, delivering actionable evidence and insights, and seeding and accelerating food waste solutions. 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.   

Applications must be received by January 5, 2025, to be fully considered.

• Form and maintain trusted relationships with influential network managers and wealth holders, especially philanthropic, angel, and impact investors, as well as commercial investors, venture capital, private equity, and government agencies via in-person and virtual events, meetings, webinars, and conferences. 
• Lead business development for and execution of custom Strategic Advisory Services projects for individual capital providers who might need support developing their investment theses and allocating their capital at the intersection of climate, nutrition, hunger, economic development, environmental and social justice, and food waste.
• Lead the growth of ReFED’s Food Waste Funder Circle by developing effective programming that educates capital providers on the investment opportunity that exists within the food waste sector, curating custom funding opportunities, and facilitating collaboration and shared diligence among members that ultimately results in driving measurable capital flows to viable solutions.
• Oversee content development for ReFED’s Capital & Innovation Market Updates and investment trend reports that keep the ecosystem educated, as well as provide oversight and thought partnership in the maintenance and improvement of ReFED’s Food Waste Capital Tracker, Solution Provider Database, and Federal Grants Database.
• Lead the exploration and execution of new programs, products, and services for capital providers that lead to the ultimate outcome of accelerating food waste solution adoption (e.g., partnering on the development of innovative investment and funding vehicles such as DAF advisory work, network engagements such as SAFSF, GIIN, and Confluence Philanthropy, and paid advisory projects for asset owners and managers).
• Work with the Director, Innovation Initiatives to continue strategic development of the Catalytic Grant Fund, ReFED's unique re-granting fund bringing resources to food loss and waste solution providers. This entails open call topic curation, robust process planning for diligence and grantee selection, and supporting the work of fundraising for the Fund by collaborating effectively with ReFED's organizational fundraising leadership.
• Leverage ReFED’s data and insights in order to mobilize the deployment of capital, while helping to improve our knowledge base over time. This may include activities such as, but not limited to, analyzing various food waste solutions across the maturity and innovation curve in order to make evidence-based conclusions as to how much and what types of capital and innovation are needed.
• Serve as a thought leader for ReFED, speaking publicly and collaborating with the Communications team to respond 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. 
• Lead, manage, and motivate a team in day-to-day activities, overseeing staff and performance evaluation to create a high-performing and inclusive work environment.
• Develop and manage annual and multi-year programmatic budgets for the Capital team.
• Build and oversee effective systems for tracking capital and innovation-related data and evaluating impact and performance.

• Designing and executing an engaging and effective set of programmatic offerings for the members of ReFED’s Food Waste Funder Circle, an investor network that aims to educate, connect, and drive investment into fundable initiatives that reduce food waste.
• Developing a comprehensive capital provider advisory strategy (especially for HNWIs, family offices, and foundations) aimed at mobilizing more of the philanthropic and impact investment dollars needed by food waste solution providers, including supporting ReFED’s participation in external funder member networks.
• Working with entrepreneurs, innovators, and technologists to facilitate impactful connections to action-oriented funders, corporate strategic partners, key customers, and other valuable stakeholders. 

•  10-15 years of experience, including at least 7 years of finance and/or capital advisory experience with a particular expertise in philanthropy (ie: HNWIs, family offices, and foundations) and impact investing required. 
• Preference for existing network connections and knowledge of various sustainable finance mechanisms and how they can be adopted and developed to unlock capital flows into food waste solution adoption.
• Working knowledge of food systems, climate technology, food technology, waste technology, agricultural technology, waste management, sustainability, and/or broader environmental, social, governance (ESG) initiatives required.
• Experience initiating and developing authentic and effective relationships and partnerships with diverse groups of stakeholders, especially capital providers including HNWIs, philanthropists, family offices, foundations, and impact investors, as well as solution providers required. 
• Demonstrated success leading, mentoring, and managing high-performing teams, as well as working to promote diversity, equity and inclusion and working with remote teams required.
• Entrepreneurial spirit, with demonstrated success scaling programs and initiatives, driving significant impact in a dynamic, high-growth environment.
• Strong strategic and critical problem-solving skills including an 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 with strong project management skills and 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 and Airtable) with a willingness and ability to learn new systems and tools.
• Knowledge of the food waste investment and innovation landscape is a plus.

• Have experience as a foundation program officer, asset management/investment advisor to HNWIs and/or family offices, or investor network program leader.
• Are motivated by and passionate about the important role capital plays, especially philanthropy and impact investments, in unlocking innovation and driving the adoption of climate solutions across the food system.
• Are comfortable working and communicating in an entrepreneurial, ambiguous environment.
• Thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth organization

• Specific degrees or certifications.
• Experience working in the nonprofit 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. 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.

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 identity, sex, 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.

Alexandria Coari, Vice President of Capital, Innovation & Global Initiatives, is the hiring manager for this position. All correspondence should be addressed to Alexandria. Applications must be received by January 5, 2025, to be fully considered.