Director, Feeding Change

About the Milken Institute The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities. The Milken Institute's events and programmatic activities, involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event. About Milken Institute Health, Feeding Change Milken Institute Health bridges innovation gaps across the health-care continuum to advance whole-person health throughout the life span by improving healthy aging, public health, biomedical science, and food systems. Feeding Change activates social and financial capital, engages policymakers and industry leaders, and convenes key stakeholders to catalyze a more nutritious, sustainable, resilient, and equitable food system. Sitting at the intersection of issues impacting finance and health, Feeding Change is uniquely positioned to transform food systems and achieve better health outcomes. We curate conversations with thought leaders on food systems transformation by convening top global CEOs, entrepreneurs, investors, academics, philanthropists, community-based organizations, and policymakers to accelerate progress toward our goals. About the Position The Director, Feeding Change plays a senior leadership role supporting the execution, coordination, and growth of Feeding Change's food systems work. Reporting to the Senior Director, this position is responsible for overseeing food systems programming across Milken Institute Signature Events, advancing sustainable and resilient food systems initiatives, and shaping food policy outputs. The Director focuses on engagement and partnership primarily with private-sector leaders across the food, agriculture, and health ecosystems, as well as internal collaboration across the Milken Institute. The Director works closely with the Senior Director to translate strategic priorities into high-impact programs, funded initiatives, and public-facing deliverables. The position combines content expertise, project leadership, external engagement, and cross-team coordination, while supervising one Senior Associate responsible for day-to-day execution and collaborating closely with the broader Feeding Change team. ResponsibilitiesLeading content strategy and stakeholder engagement for signature events: Oversee a suite of global food systems-focused panels and convenings across Milken Institute Signature Events (e.g., Global Conference, Future of Health Summit, Middle East and Africa Summit, Asia Summit, and others), including identifying and engaging key leaders, framing content, and supervising teams responsible for logistics and execution. Growing the research portfolio: Lead the expansion of Feeding Change's sustainable and resilient food systems work by supporting the development of externally supported projects and partnerships, and by managing initiatives from concept development and proposal development through publication and dissemination, including stakeholder engagement. Building the global food security leadership collective: Support the development and coordination of this collective focused on tensions and opportunities between food security and resilience, including relationship-building with global food and agricultural companies and other key stakeholders. Advancing the food policy agenda: Develop and shape food policy written materials, including policy briefs, comment letters, and other short-form policy materials, contributing expertise to Feeding Change's broader food policy engagement. Providing organizational leadership: Synthesize content across Feeding Change initiatives to identify opportunities for alignment, coordination, and operational efficiencies. Serve as an external leader for Feeding Change's food systems work through written communications, speaking roles, and participation in public and private events. Provide high-level input and oversight over the development and implementation of project management plans to ensure timely, high-quality execution. Identify trends and emerging areas across food systems, food policy, agriculture, nutrition, and food security landscapes, and recommend topics for integration into content development and programming. Track and assess the external environment to identify short- and long-term programmatic opportunities and support the development of a strong, relevant stakeholder network. Other duties as assigned. QualificationsMinimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in food systems-related fields, including food policy, nutrition, agriculture, sustainability, or food security. Master's degree in food systems, public health, nutrition, agriculture, sustainability, planning, or a related field. Exceptional writing and critical thinking skills, with demonstrated experience producing high-quality, public-facing content for diverse audiences, including reports, briefs, and other published materials. Experienced in leading qualitative and quantitative research, guiding analytical work and synthesizing evidence to inform strategic decision-making. Strong public speaking and external engagement skills, with experience representing organizations through panels, convenings, media interactions, or other public forums. Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with excellent judgment, prioritization, attention to detail, and follow-through. Demonstrated success engaging and aligning diverse stakeholders, including private sector partners, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, and bipartisan policymakers. Adaptive, solutions-oriented leader who excels in dynamic environments and works effectively amid ambiguity and change with demonstrated ability to build and execute new initiatives, respond to emerging challenges, and deliver high-quality work under pressure Demonstrated operational and project leadership experience, with a strong ability to manage complex initiatives, oversee workflows, and drive projects from concept through delivery in fast-paced, evolving environments. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook). Preferred Qualifications Demonstrated experience in food systems transformation, including policy, market-based, and cross-sector approaches to advancing sustainable and resilient food systems. Experience advancing global and/or national food security initiatives through collaboration with multinational or large-scale food and agriculture companies or consumer packaged goods businesses Working knowledge of customer relationship management, project management, and qualitative analysis tools, including platforms such as Salesforce, Airtable, Trello, and Atlas.ti. Working Conditions & Travel Requirements This position will work in a professional office environment on a hybrid schedule consisting of three (3) days per week reporting in-person to the Washington, DC office location (Tuesday - Thursday), with the remaining two (2) days working remotely. Please understand, this schedule is subject to change at the Institute's sole discretion. This person will also be required to travel occasionally to other offices and/or venues to assist with events as needed, requiring occasional work outside of traditional hours. Additionally, this position requires interacting virtually on a regular basis with Milken Institute staff based in other locations in the United States and around the world. Note The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer. We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment. Please submit resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. If applying via Indeed, please upload your resume and any supporting documentation as one attachment. Any application that does not include both a resume and cover letter will be rejected. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact our Human Resources department to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process. Our Culture The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran. Every person at the Milken Institute is treated with respect, supported with resources and training, and exposed to a broad range of experiences. We foster a space for growth with opportunities to share knowledge and passion with both clients and colleagues. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our leadership is actively involved in our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture that creates opportunities for everyone. BenefitsHealth Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision) Retirement Plan - 403b (5% match) Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D) Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays) Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity) Fertility Support Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Flexible Spending Account (FSAs) Pet Insurance Discount Training & Development: LinkedIn Learning - over 15,000 self-guided classes offered Annual Mentor Program Wellness Resources: Employee Assistance Program CALM app membership

Created: 2026-03-17