North America Partnership & Strategic Growth Manager

Griffith Foods is the caring, creative product development partner helping food companies meet the evolving needs of consumers while sustaining the planet. As a family business founded in 1919 and headquartered in Alsip, Illinois USA, Griffith Foods is known for true, collaborative innovation guided by their Purpose of "We Blend Care and Creativity to Nourish the World". The company's product capabilities range from seasonings and marinades to coating systems and sauces that are better for people and better for the planet. For more information, visit www.griffithfoods.com.

TITLE: North America Partnership & Strategic Growth Manager

LOCATION: Hybrid in the Chicago IL area or Remote from Illinois

COMP RANGE: $120,000 - 154,000/ year plus bonus

Griffith Foods is hiring a North America Partnership & Strategic Growth Manager to develop and lead the Griffith Foods North America 2030 partnership strategy to strengthen Griffith Foods' thought leadership and accelerate progress across the three Aspirations: (1) Partnering to Create Sustainable Food System Networks (2) Developing a Nutritious and Sustainable Portfolio and (3) Serving the Nutritionally and Socioeconomically Underserved in New Markets

This is your opportunity to help shape a more regenerative, nutritious, and inclusive food system-while working inside a global, family-owned business that believes purpose and performance go hand in hand. In this role, you will connect ambition to action, build partnerships that matter, and help Griffith Foods grow in ways that create lasting value for people, communities, and the planet. This is not a sales role, but rather a regional enterprise strategist position.

As a North America Partnership & Strategic Growth Manager, your responsibilities will include:

• Advance Griffith Foods' 2030 aspirations (https://griffithfoods.com/2030-aspirations/)through meaningful partnerships with innovation partners, customers, NGOs, technology partners, and research institutions focused on regenerative agriculture, nutrition, and inclusive access to food in North America.
• Translate global and regional priorities into action by designing partnerships that deliver tangible business value creation on a 2-5-year time horizon.
• Serve as a trusted bridge between internal teams and external partners, aligning values, capabilities, and commercial contracts.
• Design partnerships for long-term ecosystem impact by establishing clear goals, governance, success measures, and hand-offs that endure beyond individual relationships.
• Collaborate with global and regional teams to define clear policy stances and key messages aligned with aspirational priorities and business needs around regenerative agriculture and nutrition.
• Map and lead engagement with relevant policy groups, trade associations, and thought leadership forums in North America to strengthen regional storytelling by coordinating with external marketing and public relations partners.
• Represent Griffith Foods as a thoughtful and credible leader by engaging with policy groups, trade associations, and thought leadership forums, and supporting authentic regional storytelling.

The North America Partnership & Strategic Growth Manager position is well-suited for you if you:

• Enjoy working in complexity and ambiguity and are comfortable leading through influence rather than authority.
• Thrive in a matrixed corporate entity or large institution.
• Are experienced in identifying, applying, and deploying public or private grants - and managing long-range reporting requirements as a or alongside program managers.
• Like aligning mission with business reality and believe the strongest impact happens when both move together.
• Are energized by building trust-based relationships that turn shared ambition into real-world collaboration.
• Passion for contributing to a broader impact vision that can be translated into practical actions for partnering with teams that can be delivered annually.
• You roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Qualified candidates will have:

• Bachelor's degree in business, agribusiness, economics, public health, public policy or a related field
• At least 5 years of experience in partnerships, CSR, external corporate government affairs, stakeholder engagement, or strategic relationship management, in a commercial or corporate environment, preferably in the food, agriculture, or CPG industries.
• At least 2 years of relevant experience in creating impact metrics/or KPIs, measuring and delivering accountability of cross-functional team members as more than an individual contributor.
• Understanding of building trust-based relationships with a wide range of stakeholders (internal teams, external partners, and cross-functional collaborators).
• Experience in structuring an agreement between two or more entities, preferably with demonstrable dollar value or in-kind support.
• Strong facilitation, project management, and communication skills, with the ability to influence internally and externally - as shown by training or qualifications in design thinking, PMP, operations management etc.
• Willingness and ability to travel 40% of the year throughout US, Canada & Mexico, and sometimes globally.
• Qualified candidates must currently possess unrestricted access to work in the US, as the company cannot provide work visa sponsorship for this role.

What will set you apart:

• MBA, MPH or MS in Food Science, Policy or Technical related area
• Government/Regulatory policy exposure, government or NGO based grant application experience
• Having an existing network among food value chain partners like policy makers, lobbyists, NGOs, companies/suppliers, trade associations, and thought leadership forums such as WBCSD, FAO, IFT,
• Experience in CRM/Power BI
• Global experience outside of North America - US, Mexico, Canada.

There is potential for a discretionary bonus, with a target of 12%. This bonus is based on personal & company performance and is not a guaranteed bonus plan.

The Company offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

Medical, Rx, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts, EAP, Health Advocacy, Financial Planning, Parental Leave, Care.com, Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance, Education Assistance/Tuition Reimbursement, Safety Reimbursement, Lifestyle Spending Account, Group Life & AD&D, Voluntary Life Insurance, Short Term & Long Term Disability, 401(k) Plan with Company Match, ESOP, PTO, Holiday's & Leaves, Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Hospital Indemnity, Home & Auto Insurance, Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection, Long Term Care + Life Insurance & Legal Assistance.

Griffith Foods embraces WorkFlex, allowing employees to work from home most of the time, and select options like compressed work weeks, flex time, etc. that creates an effective workplace where work patterns meet the needs of both employers & employees. Most professionals come into the office once a week. This role will have access to our Lombard and/or Alsip (IL) locations.

At Griffith Foods, you can be a member of a globally connected team that is known for true, collaborative innovation, guided by our purpose to Blend Care and Creativity to Nourish The World. We are a family-owned business, founded in 1919 and headquartered in Alsip, Illinois USA. Our product capabilities range from seasonings and marinades to coating systems and sauces that are better for people and better for the planet.

At Griffith Foods, we aim to create a regenerative future and build food systems that are sustainable and resilient for both people and the planet. A sustainable supply chain enables us to deliver high-quality products in a way that supports the growers and farming communities. Learn more about us at https://griffithfoods.com/careers/

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Griffith Foods believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity. Griffith Foods does not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants because of the following actual or perceived characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, genetic characteristic or information, AIDS or HIV status, order of protection status, marital status, military or veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all persons in all aspect of the employer-employee relationship, including recruitment, hiring, participation in benefit programs, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, layoff, recall, and termination.

#LI-CC3

#LI-Hybrid

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Griffith Foods believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity. Griffith Foods does not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants because of the following actual or perceived characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, genetic characteristic or information, AIDS or HIV status, order of protection status, marital status, military or veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all persons in all aspect of the employer-employee relationship, including recruitment, hiring, participation in benefit programs, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, layoff, recall, and termination.

Benefits:

Benefits for this role include Medical, Rx, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts, EAP, Health Advocacy, Financial Planning, Parental Leave, Care.com, Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance, Education Assistance/Tuition Reimbursement, Safety Reimbursement, Lifestyle Spending Account, Group Life & AD&D, Voluntary Life Insurance, Short Term & Long Term Disability, 401(k) Plan with Company Match, ESOP, PTO, Holiday's & Leaves, Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Hospital Indemnity, Home & Auto Insurance, Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection, Long Term Care + Life Insurance & Legal Assistance. There is also potential for a discretionary bonus, this bonus is based on personal & company performance and is not a guaranteed bonus plan.