Vice President, Business Initiatives

ReFED

Vice President of Business Initiatives leading strategic direction at ReFED. Overseeing engagement with food businesses to reduce food waste and drive sustainable practices.

Posted 7/7/2026full-timeRemote • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $185,000 - $195,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Serve as a formal member of the ReFED Leadership Team; participate in organizational decision-making alongside the Executive Director and peer VPs, bringing a business-sector perspective to enterprise-wide strategy.
Set and communicate a multi-year strategy for the Business Initiatives team that is aligned with ReFED's organizational goals, mission, and theory of change; ensure the team's work is coherent, sequenced, and field-shaping.
Contribute to annual and interim organizational objective-setting (OKRs); ensure Business Initiatives team goals are aligned with and in service of organization-wide priorities.
Serve as the primary internal connector between Business Services and other teams; collaborate with the other programmatic leaders and VP, Communications, to ensure business engagement work is integrated across ReFED's programmatic and external presence.
Advise the Executive Director on business sector trends, team performance, and strategic opportunities; serve as a thought partner on organizational decisions that touch the food business landscape.
Oversee the strategy and quality of ReFED’s business consulting and advisory services; ensure offerings are differentiated, evidence-based, and responsive to the needs of food businesses at different stages of their food waste reduction journey.
Provide strategic leadership to the ongoing execution of the U.S. Food Waste Pact; set the vision for how these programs evolve and deepen their impact over time. Including oversight and management of the U.S. Food Waste Pact Advisory Council.
Identify and cultivate high-value partnerships with food businesses, trade associations, industry consultants, and mission-aligned organizations; ensure ReFED is positioned as a trusted, go-to partner for business-facing food waste action.
Partner closely with the policy, capital, community engagement, and research teams to incorporate business sector expertise and stakeholder perspectives into ReFED's broader programmatic work, knowledge products, and external events.
Serve as a senior external spokesperson for ReFED in the food business space; represent the organization credibly at industry events, conferences, and with funders and partners.
Cultivate and steward high-value relationships with food businesses, trade associations, and sector allies; build the kind of trust that enables ReFED to be a meaningful partner, not just a vendor.
Bring external intelligence, including food industry trends, stakeholder dynamics, and emerging food waste challenges, into organizational strategy conversations and ReFED's knowledge products.
Contribute to business development and fundraising efforts; manage relationships with programmatic funders and support proposal development and grant reporting for Business Services work.
Lead, develop, and manage the Business Services team; set clear expectations grounded in ReFED's job level competency framework and create the conditions for each team member to operate at or above their level.
Foster a team culture of learning, collaboration, and accountability; actively participate in hiring and model the behaviors and standards expected across the team.
Establish and oversee annual team objectives (OKRs); develop systems for tracking and evaluating Business Services performance and impact across programs and clients.
Contribute to the annual budget development process; hold chief responsibility for managing the Business Services team budget in compliance with organizational financial management policies.
Support Board engagement as appropriate, including contributing to Board presentations and reporting that reflects Business Services strategy and performance.
Identify and pursue funding opportunities aligned with Business Services strategy; contribute to grant proposals and steward funder relationships tied to business engagement work.
Approximately once per month; domestic and international travel required as programs expand globally.

Requirements

What you’ll need

12+ years of relevant experience, including demonstrated success leading a team and managing multiple programs or client relationships simultaneously within the food industry.
Demonstrated success setting and executing a team strategy in a mission-driven, growth-stage organization; ability to translate organizational priorities into clear team goals and individual performance expectations.
Deep knowledge of the food industry and food business landscape, including sustainability, ESG, and supply chain dynamics; familiarity with food waste as a business challenge and opportunity.
Experience initiating and developing high-trust relationships with food businesses, trade associations, and industry partners; ability to engage senior leaders and decision-makers at major food companies with credibility and conviction.
Strong strategic and critical thinking skills; ability to see the whole food system while staying grounded in the practical realities of individual business engagement.
Demonstrated ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment on matters of organizational significance; comfortable navigating ambiguity and making decisions without complete information.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with a strong executive presence; ability to translate ReFED's evidence base into compelling narratives for food business leaders and other external audiences.
Strong commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion as a professional practice; ability to center JEDI principles in team leadership and external engagement.
Mission alignment with ReFED's work to catalyze evidence-based action on food waste across the U.S. food system.
Experience contributing to fundraising and business development, including funder relationship management, proposal development, and grant reporting.
Experience designing and scaling consulting, advisory, or membership programs in a mission-driven context; ability to build service offerings that are both impactful and sustainable.
Entrepreneurial spirit with demonstrated success scaling programs and initiatives in a dynamic, high-growth environment; comfort building structure where it doesn't yet exist.
Established connections and relationships with food businesses and food business influencers.
Proficiency with G Suite, Slack, Salesforce, Airtable, and related tools; willingness and ability to learn new systems as ReFED's operations evolve.

Benefits

Comp & perks

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.

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Hard Skills & Tools

Team Strategy ExecutionConsulting Program DesignGrant ReportingPerformance EvaluationBusiness Engagement

Soft Skills

Critical ThinkingRelationship BuildingDecision-MakingTeam LeadershipCommitment to JEDI Principles