We are seeking a Communications Fellow to join ReFED’s Communications team for a one year term. The Communications Fellow works to promote the organization and its programs, as well as food waste as an issue more broadly, to a range of audiences. The Communications Fellow will manage communications projects in support of ReFED’s programmatic objectives, including collateral development, copy editing, slide/deck creation, website updates and analytics, events, and more.

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. We leverage data and insights to highlight supply chain inefficiencies and economic opportunities; mobilize and connect supporters to take targeted action; and catalyze 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 the Roadmap to 2030 and Insights Engine, an online data center serving as the next generation of data, insights, and guidance on U.S. food waste reduction. Reducing food waste will have a significant impact on mitigating climate change, optimizing the 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. We are growing our team to further build our capacity to achieve our vision of a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food system that optimizes environmental resources, minimizes climate impacts, and 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 goals. Learning are professional development are heavily embedded in our culture at ReFED. 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. 

About The Work

In this role, you will help address the following:

1. Project Management

   1. Work with Communications Director and/or Manager to determine project scope; monitor the production process (either internal and/or with external agency partners); evaluate and optimize as appropriate.

   2. Work collaboratively with other team members and agency partners to ensure project delivery.

   3. Serve as communication liaison for the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment, where ReFED serves as a resource partner. 

2. Interactive

   1. Participate in maintaining ReFED’s social platforms (currently Twitter and LinkedIn), including monitoring platform engagement, working with the Communications Director and Manager to produce content, managing the social content calendar, and scheduling content.

   2. Utilize CMS to perform regular updates of website content.

   3. Regularly track and review website traffic and analytics to determine usage patterns and make recommendations for ongoing optimization.

3. Content Development

   1. Proof and edit written content in a range of formats, including website copy, Google Slides decks, blog posts, case studies, social posts, deep-dive reports, sell sheets, webinar scripts, and more.

   2. Support the design and production of a range of collateral materials, including brochures, fact sheets, and reports, including the production of graphics in Canva.

4. Event Assistance

   1. Work across teams as well as with external partners to support logistics in virtual events such as meetings, webinars, conferences, and networking events.

   2. Attend and support the hosting of the annual Food Waste Solutions Summit, including pre-event and on-site activities. 

You could be a great candidate for this role if you have:

1. 2-3  years of experience in communications, marketing, or advertising; agency experience a plus; non-profit experience a plus.

2. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ReFED seeks a versatile writer able to quickly and efficiently synthesize complex information to produce a wide variety of formal and informal content.

3. Experience managing company/organization social media accounts and email campaigns.

4. Experience evaluating website and social media performance. Should be comfortable using Google Analytics.

5. Highly organized, attentive to detail, and capable of simultaneously managing multiple projects in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial nonprofit environment.

6. Experience using G Suite, Zoom, MailChimp, Canva, Loomly, and Slack preferred. Familiarity with content management systems (e.g., CloudCannon) for websites and CRMs (e.g., Salesforce) is also preferred.

7. Willingness to “roll up sleeves” and extend beyond formal responsibilities to ensure ReFED’s success.

8. Working knowledge of food systems and sustainability, with experience in food waste work, is a plus but not required.

We think you would thrive in this role and at ReFED if you:

1. Are passionate about communications and the role it plays in driving action on social and environmental issues.

2. Are looking for a fast-paced position with multiple responsibilities that are foundational to the department.

3. Are comfortable working and communicating in an entrepreneurial, ambiguous environment.

4. Are comfortable wearing many hats and collaborating closely with colleagues in multiple locations across the U.S. and working independently.

5. Hate wasting food.

We don’t require:

1. Specific degrees or certifications 

2. Non-profit experience 

If you don't meet all of the criteria above but still are interested in the job, please apply! Nobody checks every box, and we are looking for someone excited to join the team who possesses important skills we likely have not thought of. If that is you, don’t hesitate to reach out and tell us about yourself.

Our Recruitment Process

Our recruitment process includes the following steps:

1. Initial screening interview over Zoom

2. Writing sample review

3. 2-3 interviews over Zoom with various team members

4. Skills assessment over Zoom which may or may not include an ask to complete work ahead of time and present during the skills assessment meeting. All necessary information and guidance will be provided ahead of time.

5. Reference checks, typically three are requested 

We aim to be as communicative as possible throughout the recruitment process but may not have the bandwidth to respond to every initial application. Our process always involves multiple team members representing diverse backgrounds and viewpoints from across the organization. 

Our Operating Environment

ReFED is an entirely remote organization with 20 staff distributed across the U.S. As such, we work with a variety of digital collaboration and connectivity tools to enable our work. Our operating stack includes Google Suite (mail, calendar, docs, sheets, slides, drive), Zoom, Slack, Monday, Salesforce, Miro, MS Office, Adobe, and Insperity. 

We build our culture remotely, with two key in-person gatherings of the full team each year. These include our annual team retreat and the Food Waste Solutions Summit, an annual conference we host. Our remote culture building includes team-hosted casual get-togethers, ask-me-anythings with our Board and Advisory Council members, peer recognition on our shoutouts channel in Slack and through our Big Dill spot bonus program, as well as engagement on our watercooler channel in Slack. Our in-person moments are incredibly valuable with big focuses on team building, learning, and fun.

Learn more about our culture here. 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Commitment

ReFED is an equal opportunity employer. We believe 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 our people. Our 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, we accept that our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) means a commitment to constant learning, listening, and interaction in all aspects of our work. ReFED is an organization that seeks to attract exceptional and dedicated talent to advance our mission, and we firmly believe 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 us to lead with an entrepreneurial spirit and innovate with the enterprise.

Compensation & Benefits

ReFED offers a competitive salary and benefits package, opportunities for professional development, and policies and programs that encourage a healthy work-life balance. The salary range for this position is $60,000 to $65,000 and will be determined commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications.

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 the option to participate in ReFED’s mentor program;

• 18 paid vacation days annually;

• 10 paid sick days annually;

• Early closure in July and August for Summer Fridays;

• Paid family leave;

• Approximately 13 paid company holidays annually - including closed offices the last week of the year;

• Short- and long-term disability coverage and term life insurance; and

• A flexible work environment with the option to work from home or a co-working space.

Learn more about our values, team, and commitment to employees at refed.com/careers. ​​​​​​

Jeff Costantino is the hiring manager for this position. All correspondence should be addressed to Jeff. Applications must be received by June 9, 2023, to be considered.