Sustainable Food Manager

Position Objective

The post holder will be responsible for developing and executing CIWF US’s Friendly Food Program, as well as contributing to the strategy and activities of related work across the international organization. This role sits within the US Food Business team and will drive engagement with US food companies on investing in plant-forward and plant-based foods, as well as with environmental, agricultural, nutrition, and public health NGOs on key sustainability issues stemming from factory farming.

Working with the US Head of Food Business, you will play a central role in further implementing and developing our business strategy of working with food companies to reduce overall purchasing and production of animal products. This includes overseeing pilots with corporate partners through CIWF’s Friendly Food Alliance program, which measures the impact of different plant-forward and meat-reduction strategies. Key responsibilities include fostering strong relationships with food companies and ensuring that results from the partnerships are defined, measurable, and contributing toward CIWF’s broader organization-wide targets.

Complementary to work with food companies, this role will also develop strong relationships with NGOs focused on issues impacted by factory farming, such as environmental organizations focused on carbon emissions and water pollution, as well as health organizations focused on the overuse of antimicrobials.

To inform engagement with external partners and the growth of the program, the role will lead research to develop and communicate the business and scientific case for sustainable food systems – both independently and in conjunction with partners.

The ideal candidate will be a highly motivated, passionate, and enthusiastic people person, capable of inspiring corporations to set and achieve new goals and convincing NGOs to prioritize strategies to combat unsustainable factory farming systems. The candidate also needs to understand how this role fits into CIWF’s complementary priority of improving food companies’ farmed animal welfare policies.

Primary Responsibilities & Duties

• Manage the functional operation of the Friendly Food Program internally, specifically relating to the business planning and reporting (metrics and goals, impact reporting and board reports) processes
• Manage the pilot phase and evolution of the Friendly Food Alliance program with major US food companies
• Further develop the business strategy targeting major food companies across the retailer, manufacturing and food service sectors
• Liaise and develop strong working relationships with environmental, agriculture, nutrition, and public health NGOs
• Lead internal research on food system sustainability, including environmental and health impacts
• Develop the business and scientific case for sustainable food systems
• Provide creative thinking around resource and ‘toolkit’ development to provide a varied, targeted and professional service to corporate partners
• Represent the Food Business program at high level corporate, industry, and civil society events
• Communicate to a wide variety of stakeholders at meetings, conferences, and media opportunities
• Work closely with the other key members of the US and global teams to ensure effective and successful delivery of the Friendly Food Program as part of the wider organizational objectives

Position Requirements:

• Strong knowledge of negative impacts of factory farming, inclusive of key animal welfare, environment, and health issues
• Strong knowledge of or experience working within the corporate food industry, particularly in areas of sustainability, corporate social responsibility, food science, and/or product development
• Proven track record of account- or relationship-management skills with major corporations and/or NGOs, as well as turning those relationships into new or expanded programs, ideally related to food, environment, nutrition, and/or public health
• Strategic planning and project management experience, preferably within the corporate or non-profit sector, to successfully deliver program aims
• Experience with reporting systems and processes, providing feedback to a range of stakeholders from Senior Management to Board of Trustees to external funding partners
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and a confident ability for compelling oral presentation at meetings and conferences, as well as with the media
• Ability to travel up to 30% of time
• Commitment to acting in accordance with the principles of Compassion in World Farming’s Ethical, Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Policies
• Commitment to CIWF’s philosophy, mission, and objectives of the organization

To apply, please answer the following questions and send along with your resume & cover letter to jobs@ciwf.com

• Why do you want to work at CIWF?
• What relevant experience do you have to succeed in this role?
• What do you attribute to your past successes?
• What are your salary expectations?

Full job posting at: https://www.ciwf.com/take-action/join-our-team/sustainable-food-manager-2019/