Role Summary
The Director of Business Engagement will lead GFI Israel's business engagement and development efforts, with a primary focus on establishing and growing a new category of blended products (products that combine animal-based ingredients with plant-based/alternative proteins). This role combines strategic business development with hands-on relationship building across the food industry, driving adoption of blended products among food manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice players in Israel.
The Director will have significant managerial ownership over the Blends category development, both working independently and coordinating team members to drive it forward, whilst also working closely with the GFI Israel CEO and cross-functional teams (science, marketing and Labs by GFI IL) to align business engagement efforts with GFI's broader mission.
The Director of Business Engagement will be responsible for:
- Blended products category leadership
- Define and execute a business engagement strategy to establish and grow the blended products category in Israel.
- Build and manage a pipeline of relationships with food manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice companies to drive adoption of blended products.
- Identify and prioritize the most promising commercial partners and opportunities for collaboration.
- Business development & industry engagement
- Cultivate and manage relationships with food industry executives, R&D, and marketing decision-makers at meat processors, retailers, and foodservice chains.
- Lead outreach, pitching, and negotiation with potential partners to secure new business engagements and commercial collaborations, including fieldwork.
- Represent GFI Israel at industry events, trade shows, and conferences to expand the organization's network and pipeline and present blends strategy .
- Provide market and technical guidance to companies developing or considering blended products.
- Strategic planning & market intelligence
- Track market trends, consumer research, and the competitive landscape for blended products in Israel and globally.
- Develop business cases and materials that make the commercial case for blended products to industry stakeholders and leadership.
- Cross-team collaboration & reporting
- Collaborate with GFI Israel's science, marketing and Labs teams to align messaging and support for industry partners.
- Track and report on the business engagement pipeline, partnerships, and category-level KPIs to the CEO.
Skills & Qualifications:
- 5-10 years of experience in the food industry, with a background in sales and/or business development.
- Proven track record building and managing commercial relationships and partnerships with food companies (manufacturers, retailers, and/or foodservice).
- Strong sales, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
- Ability to work independently, comfortable being the driver of this workstream within a broader team .
- Experience in the meat industry and/or alternative proteins - a bonus.
- Excellent communication skills in Hebrew and English.
- Comfort working in a fast-moving, mission-driven, and globally connected organization.
Terms of Employment: Full-time
Reports to: CEO, GFI Israel
Location: Hybrid, 2 days a week in Tel Aviv, occasional travel will be required
If you are interested in applying and meet the above criteria, please send your resume and cover letter in English to israeljobs@gfi.org with SUBJECT: Director of Business Engagement - [candidate name].
The cover letter should briefly describe your relevant experience, what makes you qualified for this role, and why you are interested in joining GFI Israel.
Please submit your cover letter and resume in English to ensure we consider your application.
We appreciate your effort and wish you the best of luck!
Research indicates that men tend to apply for jobs when they meet just 60% of the criteria, while women and 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.
