Managing Director, GFI Japan

Lead GFI’s efforts in Japan to help catalyze a global transformation of the food system

The Good Food Institute (GFI) is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based, fermentation-enabled, and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible. Powered by philanthropy, GFI is an international network of organizations advancing alternative proteins as an essential solution needed to meet the world’s climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals.

How You Will Make a Difference 

GFI Japan’s Managing Director will lead our efforts to support the alternative protein sector with a focus on the unique opportunities in Japan. The Managing Director will be responsible for strategic direction setting, governance, and organizational growth. This role will build and manage a team in Japan, oversee the organization’s strategic plan and programmatic growth, and engage with local stakeholders.

 The Managing Director, GFI Japan will be responsible for:

• Establishing GFI Japan as the local authority on the science, policy landscape, and business of alternative protein.
• Building a dynamic team that will work with local stakeholders and with GFI affiliates across the globe to further GFI’s mission.
• Managing the day-to-day work of the organization, including supervising staff, creating budgets, overseeing spending, evaluating new ideas and opportunities, and providing strategic leadership to ensure all staff are engaged in tasks aligned with the organization’s goals.
• Maintaining awareness of risks and changes in the external environment that affect the sector and GFI in Japan; escalating critical issues to the Board as appropriate. 
• Serving as a key external-facing representative for donor engagements, media interviews, and high-level government, scientific, or industry events, and meetings.
• Developing, driving, and implementing strategic initiatives to forge relationships with high-level government agencies, key academic and research stakeholders, funding bodies, regulatory bodies, and mission-aligned consortia, as well as businesses, to advance the alternative protein sector in Japan.
• Leading GFI Japan’s multifunctional team by example, demonstrating the highest ethical standards, creating a vision of success, and motivating and inspiring the team to achieve our mission and vision.
• Serving as a member of GFI’s Regional Leadership Group alongside GFI’s global President and the other leaders of GFI’s global affiliates.
• Engaging with GFI’s U.S. team members in line with the GFI Japan affiliate agreement and as a strategic partner.
• Working in close collaboration with GFI’s finance and operations teams to establish and maintain best practices for financial management, budgets, internal controls, and robust corporate governance.
• Ensuring staff policies, procedures, and administrative processes are reviewed and regularly updated for operational efficiency.
• Ensuring the organization fulfills all its legal, statutory, and regulatory responsibilities.
• Ensuring GFI Japan is championing diversity, equity, and inclusion as a part of its organizational culture.

Who We’re Looking For

An ideal candidate for the Managing Director, GFI Japan position will have experience that reflects the following:

• Fluent in written and spoken Japanese and English.
• Firsthand knowledge of Japanese cultural, business, and legal norms.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in leadership positions with at least 5 years in executive management; experience in the nonprofit sector preferred.
• An advanced degree or equivalent experience in environmental studies, public health, food systems, science, political science, law, or a related field.
• Strong support for GFI’s philosophy and mission; demonstrated interest in plant-based & other alt proteins, public health, environmentalism, climate change, animal protection, or hunger relief.
• A commitment to GFI’s values: believe change is possible, do the most good we can, share knowledge freely, act on evidence, and invite everyone to the table.
• Experience and comfort in running a complex organization and being accountable for cross-programmatic and cross-functional strategic planning and execution.
• Experience and comfort in building and coaching teams and guiding, developing, and retaining staff.
• Experience with financial management, reporting, and budgeting oversight.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and organizational skills, with experience and comfort communicating with a range of stakeholders. 
• Ability to work well independently and in concert with a larger group, and be comfortable working with a rapidly evolving and growing team. 
• Cross-cultural competency: an ability to understand and effectively communicate with team members from different cultural backgrounds.
• An optimistic and collaborative spirit with a start-up mentality, flexibility, resilience, open-mindedness, and a sense of humor.
• Comfort working remotely and in-person as required and in a rapidly growing and evolving organization.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels like they belong.

We want the best people and we don’t want biases holding us back. We use a third-party anonymizing tool to redact personal information from submitted applications — including name, location, contact details, and several other factors — to reduce bias and increase fairness in our process. We strongly encourage people of every race, color, orientation, age, gender, origin, and ability to apply. Since we value a diverse workplace, we prioritize an inclusive climate absent of discrimination and harassment during the application process and after you join the team. 

Research indicates that men tend to apply for jobs when they meet just 60% of the criteria, while women and people from other marginalized groups only apply if they are a 100% match. If you are passionate about GFI’s mission and think you have what it takes to be successful in this role even if you don’t check all the boxes, please apply. We’d appreciate the opportunity to consider your application. 

The Fine Print

• Terms of employment: Full-time
• Reports to: Bruce Friedrich, Founder / President & GFI Japan Board Chair
• Location: Remote, in Japan
• This is a Japan-based position: In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in Japan and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. 
• Travel: Regularly within Japan for meetings and events, with some international travel as required.
• Benefits: Hugely meaningful work at the forefront of a fast-growing, intellectually challenging sector. Working in a warm, inclusive, and high-impact team environment.
• Salary: Up to 11,744,109 JPY per annum (commensurate with experience)

Important Dates

Application deadline: November 14, 2024

Target start date: On or around January 20, 2025

Application Instructions

GFI uses an anonymized hiring system that redacts key identifying personal information from all applications. We use this tool as part of a wider effort to reduce bias in our hiring process. Following these instructions will help to ensure your application is not delayed by a failed redaction. 

• Where possible, limit the creative formatting of your documents. If the name on your resume is an inserted image file or is styled with large spaces between each letter, for example, the redaction is likely to fail. Colors and designs are OK, but wherever possible, the text itself should just be regular text. 
• Please use consistent names. Please ensure the name you use in your resume and cover letter is the same as the name you type into the application below. For example, if your name is Ziana, please sign your cover letter as “Ziana” rather than “Zi.” 
• Submit PDF or .docx files only. Other file formats, like .txt, are likely to fail redaction. 
• Please do not include personal identifying information in your responses to the application questions. Referencing past education, work experience, and mission alignment is OK. 
• Please do not contact the role’s supervisor or any potential member of the hiring team. If you have questions, please email careers@gfi.org. 

Thank you for helping us to ensure that the redaction process works smoothly and to review your application as quickly as possible!