Director of Global Engagement

This is a remote-first role based anywhere in the United States. 

Join a mission-based team working to build a more sustainable future by eliminating global food waste.

Food waste is one of the biggest global issues of our time. More than a third of the world's food is wasted. And one of our biggest opportunity zones is the foodservice and hospitality industries, where an estimated 28% of global food waste occurs.

Reducing food waste is a financial, sustainability, and moral imperative. At Leanpath, we are a group of diverse and passionate technologists, sustainability experts, culinarians, and analysts who come together to achieve our mission each and every day: to make food waste prevention everyday practice in the world's kitchens.

We are seeking a highly motivated, connected, and passionate Director of Global Engagement & Impact to connect Leanpath to the broader food waste movement by developing the engagement and public affairs strategy for Leanpath; supporting pre-competitive collaborations; sharing Leanpath's perspectives on food waste prevention with NGO, academic and industry groups; managing high-impact partnerships; and ensuring the Leanpath team remains informed and aware of the evolving food waste landscape. 

This role requires a  strategic mastery of sustainability change-making with a specific focus on food waste, a relevant global network, and exceptional communication and storytelling skills. Candidates should also have a proven track record managing successful pre-competitive engagement projects, corporate philanthropy initiatives, and commercial relationships with client partners.

The Director will also be responsible for leading internal efforts to maximize sustainable operations, achieve relevant sustainability certifications and recognition, and drive and report on Leanpath's corporate impact. The Director reports to the Founder and CEO.

Key Responsibilities

Global Engagement, Public Affairs & Strategic Impact

• Global Public Affairs & Thought Leadership: Serve as a high-profile external voice and subject matter expert for Leanpath, driving the organization's engagement and public affairs strategy at global industry events, conferences, and in media.
• High-Impact Partnerships & Collaboration: Cultivate and manage strategic, high-impact partnerships with NGOs, academic institutions, industry groups, and governmental bodies, specifically supporting pre-competitive collaborations to advance the global food waste movement.
• Ecosystem Intelligence: Maintain an "always-on" understanding of the evolving food waste landscape, including policy changes, key stakeholder positions, and emerging trends, to inform executive strategy and internal awareness.
• Commercial Insight Support: Leverage deep industry knowledge and ecosystem intelligence to support commercial teams and client partners with knowledge and insights that strengthen Leanpath's value proposition and commercial relationships.
  

Internal Alignment & Mission Integration

• Sustainable Operations & Internal Engagement: Lead internal efforts to maximize sustainable operations and foster a mission-driven culture by developing programs that ensure employees understand and actively contribute to the company's overall sustainability and impact goals.
• Corporate Philanthropy Management: Strategically own and manage the full lifecycle of the company's corporate philanthropy initiatives, including partnership selection, grant administration, and measuring program impact.
• Ecosystem Activation: Design and lead programs and communications that promote collaboration and shared ownership of food waste outcomes with our clients, suppliers, and community groups.

Corporate Impact, Certification & Reporting

• Sustainability Certification (B Corp): Oversee and drive Leanpath's B Corporation status and other relevant sustainability certifications and recognition, ensuring ongoing compliance, leading re-certification efforts, and identifying opportunities to maximize our social and environmental impact score.
• Impact Reporting: Lead the creation and presentation of the annual Corporate Impact Report, articulating Leanpath's progress toward its mission and driving and reporting on Leanpath's corporate impact.
• Cross-Functional Sustainability Strategy: Collaborate with internal teams (Sales, Marketing, Product, HR) to embed sustainability and impact objectives across the business and leverage public affairs activities to support organizational goals.

Qualifications

Required Experience & Skills

• Deep Industry Expertise: Minimum of 8+ years of experience in the food system, sustainability, food waste, or public affairs sector. The ideal candidate will be completely plugged into the food waste industry and possess a comprehensive network.
• Public Affairs & Communications: Proven track record as a successful public spokesperson, media liaison, and dynamic public speaker.
• Strategic Partnership Development: Demonstrated success in developing, negotiating, and managing complex, high-value strategic partnerships with non-profits, corporations, and/or governmental entities.
• Engagement & Behavior Change: Strong understanding of behavioral change principles and experience in designing and implementing employee, customer, or community engagement programs.
• Leadership: Experience reporting directly to executive leadership (CEO/Founder level) and managing high-stakes initiatives.
• Sustainability & ESG: Strong understanding and experience with sustainability frameworks, including B Corp certification, ESG reporting, and corporate social responsibility programs.
• Education or Equivalent Experience: Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Environmental Science, Public Policy, Communications, Business); Or equivalent experience.
• Travel: Ability to travel frequently (estimated 25-30%) to attend industry events, conferences, and partner meetings globally.

The Ideal Candidate Is:

• Highly Networked: Has deep understanding of the food waste ecosystem and credible relationships across the food waste ecosystem.
• Mission-Driven: Deeply passionate about preventing food waste and achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3.
• Influential Communicator: Possesses the gravitas and communication skills to effectively represent Leanpath's vision to diverse audiences.
• Self-Directed: A proactive leader who can manage a diverse set of responsibilities with a high degree of autonomy.

More about Leanpath & Our Team

Founded in 2004, we created the food waste measurement & technology industry. We've been recognized by our customers and the industry with awards including vendor and support team of the year awards from client partners Google and Sodexo, "Sustainability Initiative of the Year" award from Food Matters Live, and the "Technology for Good" award from the Global Good Awards UK, among others.

Our team is connected through our core values which are woven into our culture: drive and productivity, excellence, fairness, humility, kindness, and teamwork. We believe that diversity of team members and diversity of experiences makes us stronger. We support one another in becoming our best selves, and bringing our whole selves to work. We actively seek out the best talent, regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religious background, gender or gender identity, or sexual orientation. 

We offer our team members a flexible work environment with mostly remote working (some in-person meetings required). We fully pay for the employee's health, vision, and dental insurance (with options to add family at your expense). We believe in health and balance and offer unlimited time off to recharge. Most importantly, we offer the opportunity to contribute to very meaningful work and solutions for our planet surrounded by kind and like-minded people.

Join us and be part of a team that's creating a more sustainable future.