George Weston Limited Manager, Seeding Food innovation Grants (12 month contract) Temporary in Toronto, ON

Overview

George Weston Limited

Branch Toronto ON CA

Position:
Manager, Seeding Food innovation Grants (12 month contract)
Location:
Toronto, ON

George Weston Limited and Loblaw Companies Limited are one of North America’s largest bakeries and grocery retailers, employing more than 200,000 people across…

The decision to join a company is a big one. We have opportunities for hard working, energetic and reliable people just like you.

Overview:

George Weston Limited and Loblaw Companies Limited are one of North America’s largest bakeries and grocery retailers, employing more than 200,000 people across North America. For more than 130 years, the Weston family of companies have been feeding Canadians as well as donating back millions of dollars to the communities where their employees and customers live and work. Two years ago, we launched the Seeding Food Innovation grant program which provides early-stage research grants to fund investigations into all aspects of sustainable food production and distribution. We are seeking an innovative, scientifically-grounded influencer to help us build on our early work.

As our Manager of the Seeding Food Innovation grants program, you will use your expertise and creativity to ensure that we fund the best projects possible in the field of sustainable food production and distribution. A key part of what you do will be to implement innovative approaches to our grant-making, and influence critical decisions about the strategic direction of future granting. You’ll manage our growing portfolio of sustainable food grants while developing stakeholders and building external relationships.

As Manager, of Seeding Food Innovation , you will embrace the Companies’ mission of funding research in sustainable food production and transform this research into action. Reporting directly to the Vice President, Community Affairs, you will be a key player in the initiative.

Responsibilities:

• Establish and maintain robust and productive relationships with relevant Canadian research institutions
• Maintain and continue to refine a grant approval system including the refinement of appropriate advisory and expert reviewer groups
• Manage the calls for the Letter of Intent and Proposals processes, ensuring that timelines and guidelines are appropriately set and adhered to including the development of appropriate collaterals such as advertisements and web pages
• Assess grant applications to the Foundation – analyzing the quality and potential impact of proposals and organizational viability; obtaining appropriate advice and references; helping to reach a funding judgement through development and implementation of expert decision-making panels and making a recommendation to the Companies for funding; and handling relationships throughout the process until the application is either successful or declined
• Manage and monitor funded grants to completion including: agreeing appropriate outcome targets and timely reporting regimes, analyzing monitoring reports, and authorizing and generating grant payments
• Communicate complex science and research issues in non-academic language to various stakeholders

Qualifications:

• A relevant PhD
• Experience in consulting or working in a business setting is an asset
• An understanding of the various aspects of sustainable food research and a broad understanding of the food research community in Canada
• Effective skills to develop relationships with organizations at all levels, with personal credibility, communication and analytical skills to drive forward the initiative and provide advice and support to the Companies
• Strong project management skills with experience in delivering successful projects
• An ability to work creatively and flexibly in a small team and to effectively work alone
• Creativity and flair to explore the best methods for evolving this initiative in an engaging and successful way
• Superior oral and written communications skills
• Ability to understand and advise on research-related regulatory and ethical requirements
• Excellent attention to detail but able to think about the ‘big picture’
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint; experience with other database management an asset
• Occasional travel may be required.

Please note, this role has the ability to be flexible, such as working from home, hours, and workdays.

George Weston Limited recognizes Canada’s diversity as a source of national pride and strength. We have made it a priority to reflect our nation’s evolving diversity in the products we sell, the people we hire, and the culture we create in our organization. Accommodation is available upon request for applicants and colleagues with disabilities.

Number of Openings

1

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