Vice President of Business Initiatives

About The Organization ReFED is a U.S.-based nonprofit that partners with food businesses, funders, solution providers, policymakers, and more to solve food waste. We serve as the definitive source for data and insights on food waste, providing the most comprehensive analysis of the problem, the solutions to address it, and the resources required to make it happen. From the 2016 Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste, to the 2021 launch of the ReFED Insights Engine, our online data center, to this year’s release of the AI-powered Insights Explorer, we have produced first-of-their-kind tools and services tailored to help key audiences scale their impact. Reducing food waste will have a significant impact on the economy, climate change and natural resource optimization, and our communities, including the 47 million people in the U.S. 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 . The Vice President, Business Initiatives, serves as ReFED ’s senior leader for business-facing work and a formal member of the Leadership Team. This role is responsible for the strategic direction, performance, and external credibility of ReFED ’s Business Initiatives team, which engages food businesses directly through consulting, advisory services, and multi-stakeholder commitment programs, including the U.S. Food Waste Pact. While ReFED 's work has been primarily U.S.-focused, the organization is beginning to expand its reach globally, with continued growth expected in the years ahead. The VP, Business Initiatives, partners closely with the Executive Director and other programmatic leaders to ensure that ReFED ’s business-facing work is strategically sound, well-resourced, and clearly connected to the organization’s theory of change. This role holds accountability for team performance, funder and business partner relationships, and external representation of ReFED ’s business engagement work. The VP, Business Initiatives, reports directly to the Executive Director and manages two Directors and an Analyst with potential for team growth. As a member of ReFED ’s Leadership Team, the VP, Business Initiatives, advances ReFED ’s mission by mobilizing food businesses, from farm to fork, to take meaningful, measurable action on food waste. Food businesses are among the most critical partners in the fight against food loss and waste, and ReFED ’s programs in consumer-facing businesses have contributed to significant reductions in food waste. Sara Burnett is the hiring manager for this position. Applications must be received by July 28, 2026 , to be fully considered. Business Initiatives Team Overview The VP, Business Initiatives, leads a team of two Directors and an Analyst. Together, this team delivers some of ReFED ’s most important and impactful work: Business Consulting & Advisory: Direct consulting engagements and strategic advisory services that help food businesses assess their food waste footprint, set targets, and implement reduction strategies aligned with ReFED ’s evidence base. Food Waste Pacts: Ongoing stewardship of the U.S. Food Waste Pact, supporting signatory businesses through goal setting, progress tracking and benchmarking, shared research and pilots, along with peer learning. In addition, ReFED contributes to thought leadership and best-practice sharing through the Global Pact, a network of Food Waste Pacts worldwide. Stakeholder Partnerships: Cultivating high-value relationships and collaborations with food businesses, trade associations, and aligned organizations that extend ReFED ’s reach and amplify its impact across the food system. Business Intelligence & Insights: Synthesis of business sector trends, stakeholder dynamics, and program learnings that inform ReFED ’s online tools, technical reports, case studies, and organizational strategy. Key Responsibilities & Duties Leadership Team Participation & Organizational Strategy 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. Business Consulting & Commitment Programs 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. Stakeholder Relationships & Business Development 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. Team Performance & Leadership 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. Board & Fundraising 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. Travel Expectations Approximately once per month; domestic and international travel required as programs expand globally. Qualifications Required 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 ma