Vice President, Data & Insight Products

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'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.com. 

About The Position

The VP will be at the heart of the organization leading our core program on Data & Insights. ReFED’s Data and Insights team plays a critical role within the organization to develop and deliver information and accompanying technical products that will lead the industry to act on food waste reduction. Because data on food waste is not readily available, this team is tasked with exploring what data is available, developing novel methodologies for estimating food waste, the effectiveness of solutions, and the capital needed to scale. This team also partners with researchers, businesses, and other data partners to improve the data. In addition, this team leads design and development of online tools to present the data and make it actionable, as well as any integrations with other systems.  

ReFED’s recently released Insights Engine is a generational leap forward from ReFED’s original paper-based 2016 Roadmap report. It tracks a new level of detailed data on the amounts and causes of food waste, analyzes costs and benefits of 40+ solutions,  tracks investment and funding into food waste solutions over time, and provides a growing directory of over 700 solution providers. However, it is just a first step in the goal of providing accessible, accurate data and insights for all those working to reduce food loss and waste. With the launch of the Insights Engine, ReFED is at an exciting new stage of growth.

The VP of Data and Insight Products will set and lead the vision for ReFED’s Insight Engine as well as future data products and tools. The VP will lead a small team and manage both the research and product development, including developing and leading related partnerships. 

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who is able to glide easily from big picture strategy to the practical limitations of coding, and can communicate complex concepts in ways that drive influence and actions by a variety of professionals. The VP should be someone who believes in the power of data to illuminate solutions and is passionate about using research, data, and analytics to drive influence, as well as social and environmental impact.

You are a good fit if you:

1. Have experience developing technical products and working creatively with limited data sources
2. Can think big about future systems that look different from today’s
3. Know how to question data, evaluate its quality, and think strategically about how it can drive action 
4. Can develop strong relationships with external stakeholders from a variety of sectors including finance, food, and innovation
5. Thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth organization
6. Are driven to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing society today and positively impact food security, economic growth, and climate change
7. Hate wasting food

You may have a mix of professional experience from roles such as:

1. Product manager
2. Research leader
3. Data engineer
4. Business intelligence
    

Primary Responsibilities
 

Develop innovative data products

• Lead strategy, design, and delivery of ReFED’s data products, including both technical products and written reports. 
• Analyze market and user needs and design new features and tools accordingly
• Manage high-level contractor relationships and negotiations (e.g., identify needs, oversee RFP processes, etc.)

Provide and improve data

• Develop expertise in and “own” ReFED data
• Make critical decisions on methodologies and data use 
• Become an authoritative voice on food waste data
• Represent ReFED’s data in a variety of situations including responding to inquiries, participating in discussions, and providing input into data visualizations.

Lead data partnerships 

• Explore and execute data partnerships with the public and private sector for data collection, data integration, or other purposes. 
• Create and lead partnerships with technology, industry, and NGO partners to improve data generation, sharing, structure, and communication
• Build relationships with food industry professionals and others to collect data and determine associated value propositions.

Be part of senior leadership

• Lead, manage, and motivate a team, overseeing staff management and performance evaluation to create a high-performing and inclusive work environment
• Participate in the fundraising and business model development for new programs and products
• Serve as a thought leader for ReFED, speaking publicly and responding to media requests that help to disseminate research, data, and insights into adoption of solutions to food waste 
• Develop and manage annual and multi-year programmatic budgets
  
   

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience working with product development, data analytics, or other related fields;
• Working knowledge of software development life cycle and ability to discuss technical aspects, make technical decisions, and oversee software contractors; 
• Demonstrated aptitude for analyzing, modeling, interpreting, and synthesizing complex data and information from multiple sources;
• Experience with data visualization and creating powerful and readable views from complex data;
• Strong strategic and critical problem-solving skills; ability to apply a systems approach to complex societal problems;
• Strong management skills for both technical and research staff, and vendors;
• Strong project management  and interpersonal skills;
• Solid professional writing & communications skills; and
• 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.

Strongly Preferred

• Working knowledge of food systems, foodtech, agtech, waste management, sustainability, and/or broader ESG initiatives
• Technical background, with experience in relational database design, knowledge of data security, and intermediate/advanced skills in Excel, SQL, and programming languages (Python, R, Ruby, etc.) 
• Familiarity with one or more common visualization/BI tools (Tableau, Power BI, Looker, Qlik, etc.)
• Entrepreneurial spirit
• Demonstrated success working to promote diversity, equity and inclusion and with remote teams.

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 benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision benefits package for individuals and dependents, participation in employer-sponsored 401(k) plans with generous employer matching, professional development opportunities and option to participate in ReFED’s mentor program, paid holidays, vacation, sick, and family leave, short- and long-term disability coverage, term life insurance, and a flexible work environment. Learn more about our values, team, and commitment to employees at refed.com/careers.

ReFED is a virtual organization with staff located across the U.S. and Canada. This position may work virtually and remotely with the option of working from a dedicated co-working space. During the COVID pandemic, all ReFED employees are working remotely.

All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé submitted in PDF format. Cover letters must be responsive to the vision of ReFED and the needs of this position. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the successful candidate has been selected. This position is open to candidates based and authorized to work in the US or Canada.