Director of Industry Partnerships
Spring Innovation Fund · Full-time · Remote (US-based) · Reports to the President
About Spring Innovation Fund
Spring Innovation Fund is a nonprofit venture philanthropy studio and fund building the next generation of humane animal agriculture technology, with a focus on fish and aquatic animals — fish, shrimp, lobsters, and other seafood species. We co-found new companies through our venture studio and back external ones through our investment portfolio, on a simple thesis: the most durable welfare gains come from solutions the industry actually wants to adopt — technologies that align animal welfare and producer profitability by design.
The Role
This is the bridge between Spring and the aquaculture and broader animal agriculture industry. You'll be the person producers, processors, trade groups, and certification bodies trust — and the person our studio and portfolio companies rely on to open doors. You'll translate in both directions: helping our companies understand what the industry will actually adopt, and helping the industry embrace the welfare innovations we build and back. You'll turn relationships into trials, and trials into adoption at scale.
What You'll Do
- Be Spring's face to the industry — building and stewarding relationships with major producers, processors, trade organizations, and certification programs.
- Bring a clear, current read on what producers need in welfare technology: the operational, cost, regulatory, and certification realities that drive adoption.
- Mobilize industry support, demand, and credibility for the companies Spring launches and invests in.
- Connect studio and portfolio companies with industry partners to run trials and pilots in real production environments.
- Build partnerships that lead to commercial offtake, co-development, distribution, or strategic investment.
- Advise our founders directly on go-to-market and landing their first customers, and feed industry intelligence back into our sourcing and diligence.
Who You Are
- A genuine commitment to animal welfare and to building a more humane food system.
- Deep, hands-on experience in the aquaculture or seafood industry (or an adjacent animal ag sector), with strong preference for aquatic animal production.
- A track record working closely with major producers — ideally from inside a producer, processor, trade organization, or certification program — and an activatable network.
- Strong commercial instincts: you know how adoption decisions get made and how to move from interest to commitment.
- An excellent relationship-builder, equally fluent with a hatchery manager, a sustainability director, and a startup founder.
- Comfortable owning your domain end to end in a small, fast-moving organization. US-based and able to travel.
- Pluses: experience bringing new technology into the industry; familiarity with seafood welfare or certification standards; experience advising early-stage companies.
What We Offer
A senior, high-autonomy founding role at a mission-driven organization, with real leverage over which welfare solutions reach the market. Fully remote with flexible working arrangements. Salary range of $150,000–$175,000, commensurate with experience, plus a comprehensive benefits package.
Spring Innovation Fund is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.
