Sustainable Foods Corporate Policy Program Manager
Calling all ambitious great communicators with sales experience or related who want a job with meaning!
Want a full-time job working from home or anywhere (some travel required) that makes the world a better place? Set your own full-time hours, with room for growth and a results-driven atmosphere. This is a great role for productive, self-directed people who are highly skilled at interpersonal communication, who are resilient, and who want to do work that makes a difference in the sustainable foods sector.
Lever Foundation is a globally operating NGO that works with food industry companies to help them improve sustainability in their supply chain by reducing their use of animal-based foods and increasing their use of plant-based foods and ingredients. Active across North America, Europe, and Asia, we engage some of the largest food businesses in the world, offering strategic guidance to shift portfolios toward plant-rich options. Our work delivers measurable benefits: reduced carbon emissions, lower operational costs, streamlined supply chains, and stronger brand value. You can learn more about Lever Foundation at: https://www.leverfoundation.org
Job Description:As Program Manager, you will reach out to and build relationships with food-industry companies across Europe and North America—including hospitality groups, food service providers, food manufacturers, and retailers—to engage them on reducing animal-based ingredients as part of their sustainability goals. You will help companies understand the environmental and business case for plant-forward portfolio shifts, connect them with relevant resources and support, and work to secure concrete public commitments.
You will work from home with flexible hours. You'll have wonderful colleagues in Europe and North America who will work with and support you, and you'll stay in close touch through calls, email, and messages. This role offers hands-on experience driving meaningful change at major food companies, with potential to grow into a managerial position.
The scope of work includes:
Conducting large-scale outreach to food-industry companies across Europe via email, LinkedIn, phone calls, and in-person meetings
Building relationships with sustainability leads, procurement teams, and senior executives
Educating companies on the environmental and business benefits of reducing animal-based food and ingredient purchasing
Compiling country-specific scorecards benchmarking hospitality companies across key markets and food industry categories
Securing concrete, public plant-forward commitments from food companies
Representing the organization at relevant industry events and conferences
We are looking for individuals with very strong outreach and engagement skills, and therefore with sales experience or related business development or policy advocacy experience. This could include successful experience in direct selling, persuasion-focused business development work, or similar non-profit or NGO advocacy work. Experience in the food industry — hospitality, food service, food manufacturing, or retail — would be a plus, but is not required or expected. You also do not need advanced knowledge of the plant-based food sector to do well in this role.
Ultimately, we want someone with the following personality traits and skills:
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a strong ability to engage and persuade others
A "people person" who genuinely enjoys reaching out, building relationships, and holding conversations with new contacts
Success-driven personality, with strong internal motivation to hit goals and move engagements forward
Ability to work highly independently, with a strong work ethic and self-discipline in a remote environment
Resilience — when outreach goes unanswered or companies push back, you are not discouraged but motivated to find another way in
Personal interest in sustainability, climate, or food systems — you care about why this work matters
Willingness to travel occasionally for industry events, conferences, or company meetings across Europe
Fluent in English — written and spoken English must be professional and highly fluid, as much of your work will involve engaging companies across multiple European markets
German language skills, not expected but would be a bonus