About The Organization
ReFED is a national nonprofit working to end food loss and waste across the food system by advancing data-driven solutions to the problem. ReFED leverages data and insights to highlight supply chain inefficiencies and economic opportunities; mobilizes and connects supporters to take targeted action; and catalyzes capital to spur innovation and scale high-impact initiatives. Starting with the 2016 Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste, ReFED has developed a trusted history of producing 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 February 2021, ReFED launched its new Roadmap to 2030 and Insights Engine, an online data center designed to serve as the next generation of data, insights, and guidance on U.S. food waste reduction. Solving this problem will have a significant impact on mitigating climate change, optimizing use of water, land, and other resources, and providing meals for the over 50 million people in the United States who currently face food insecurity.
ReFED is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply and encourage candidates of diverse gender, race, religion, age, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability status, veteran status, and more to consider joining our team. We believe that everyone has a seat at the table, and that this table always has room for growth. The success of our organization is rooted in the visible and invisible qualities of our people. ReFED’s people embody a variety of views, perspectives, and backgrounds to push the envelope of what is possible and better meet the needs of the community in the hopes of building a better food system. Community is more than a word here.
ReFED’s vision is a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food system that optimizes environmental resources, minimizes climate impacts, and makes the best use of the food we grow. Learn more at www.refed.org.
About The Position
ReFED plays a critical role across the food system of convening diverse stakeholders and fostering collaboration among system players to advance food waste reduction solutions and accelerate progress toward our collective food waste reduction goals.
ReFED’s Capital, Innovation & Engagement team leads the organization’s stakeholder engagement work through high value networks and partnerships, relationship building and strengthening, and hosting events and programming. By creating the “big tent” of food waste players across the country, the team aims to catalyze and influence the scaling and adoption of solutions to food waste in partnership with key stakeholders including food businesses, funders and investors, solution providers and entrepreneurs, and government agencies, among others.
The Events Manager, working remotely and reporting to one of ReFED’s Capital, Innovation & Engagement Directors, will be responsible for leading budget, strategy, project planning, programming and logistics for ReFED’s virtual and in-person events, including ReFED’s annual Food Waste Solutions Summit, Food Waste Action Network (FWAN) events, webinars, Food Waste Funder Circle events, current and potential funder events, and more – amounting to approximately one large ~500-person event, 3-5 smaller events, and multiple webinars. The Manager will be working closely with ReFED’s programmatic, communications, development, and operations teams, as well as managing external contractors and vendors to coordinate and lead some of these events.
This is an ideal opportunity for a highly organized, detail-oriented, self-motivated, and entrepreneurial individual who is passionate about building relationships and harnessing the power of collaboration and partnership to drive influence, as well as social, economic, and environmental impact. The Manager will have a keen ability to manage complex events and develop those events to advance ReFED’s mission.
You are a good fit if you:
- Have experience managing and executing high-quality and engaging virtual and in-person events across a variety of stakeholders.
- Are passionate about the role of relationship-building, networking, and how events can inspire and accelerate action.
- Are uncharacteristically organized, enjoy logistics, and can manage multiple projects at once.
- Can develop strong relationships with and facilitate connections between external stakeholders from a variety of sectors including food.
- Love creating memorable, creative, unique, and energizing experiences.
- Are driven to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing society today and excited to positively impact food security, economic growth, and climate change.
- Thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth organization.
You may have a mix of professional experience from roles such as:
- Events Manager or Planner
- Project Manager
- Partnerships Manager
- Meeting Coordinator
Primary Responsibilities
The Events Manager position includes the following responsibilities as well as additional duties that may be assigned from time to time.
Developing strategy to guide ReFED events
- Engage with the ReFED team and key stakeholders to determine strategy, principles and goals for ReFED events, as well as relevant opportunities to launch new events.
Lead execution of ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit
- Lead overall event project plan, including budget, logistics, programming, registration, sponsors, speakers, etc.;
- Liaise with internal teams to ensure programs and stakeholders are represented. Coordinate communications and event sponsorship;
- Manage external contractors and vendors to fulfill Summit logistics needs, such as AV, catering, decorations, event planning.
Supporting ReFED teams with programmatic events
- Lead the development and execution of FWAN events, including but not limited to helping with speaker recruitment, speaker prep call facilitation, technology, day of event logistics, etc;
- Support planning and execution of ReFED Board and Staff retreats;
- Support ReFED team and external partners in executing project-specific events, such as partnership convenings, Food Waste Funder Circle events, webinar series, pitch events, etc.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of demonstrated event planning or event management experience;
- Strong capabilities in budget and vendor management;
- Exceptionally detail- and results-oriented with strong organizational skills;
- Strong project management skills with the ability to work independently and as a self-starter;
- Ability to build authentic relationships with diverse stakeholders with proven, strong facilitation skills;
- Strong professional written and verbal communications skills;
- Ability to communicate and align with external stakeholders and across internal teams well in a remote working environment;
- A strong track record as an implementer who thrives on managing a variety of key initiatives concurrently;
- 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;
- Demonstrated ability to absorb, synthesize and act on large amounts of information;
- Proficiency with G Suite, MS Office Suite, Slack, Zoom, and database management (including Salesforce) with a willingness and ability to learn new systems and tools;
- Demonstrated success working to promote diversity, equity and inclusion and working with remote teams;
- Food industry experience, a general understanding of food waste and its connection to climate change, and working knowledge of food systems and sustainability (preferred).
Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion
ReFED is an equal opportunity employer. It believes that everyone has a seat at the table, and that this table always has room for growth. The success of the organization is rooted in the visible and invisible qualities of its people. Its people embody a variety of views, perspectives, and backgrounds to push the envelope of what is possible and better meet the needs of the community in the hopes of building a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food system. Community is more than a word here. As stewards of this food system that benefits from the inclusion and enhancement of diverse voices, ReFED recognizes that systemic barriers limit opportunities for certain groups which contributes to ongoing disparities. Furthermore, it accepts that its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) means a commitment to constant learning, listening, and interaction in all aspects of its work. Intrinsically, ReFED is an organization that seeks to attract exceptional and dedicated talent to advance its mission, and it firmly believes that inclusion through recruiting, hiring, developing, training, and promoting employees of all genders, races, religions, ages, national origins, political affiliations, ancestries, sexual orientations, disabilities, and veteran status, creates an atmosphere that enables it to lead with an entrepreneurial spirit and innovate with enterprise.
Working at ReFED
ReFED offers a competitive salary and benefits package, opportunities for professional development, and policies and programs that encourage a healthy work-life balance. 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 annual budget – and option to participate in ReFED’s mentor program;
- 18 paid vacation days;
- Paid sick and family leave;
- Approximately 12 paid company holidays annually – including closed offices the last week of the year;
- Short- and long-term disability coverage and term life insurance; and
- Flexible work environment with option to work from home or a co-working space.
Learn more about our values, team, and commitment to employees at https://refed.org/careers. Benefits for Canadian employees are available upon request.
All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé submitted in PDF format. Jackie Suggitt, Capital, Innovation & Engagement Director is the Hiring Manager for this position. All correspondence should be addressed to Mrs. Suggitt. Cover letters must be responsive to the vision of ReFED and the needs of this position.
Applications must be received by January 9, 2022 to be considered.
