Corporate Engagement Lead (Korea)

Elevate alternative proteins through competitive ecosystem building in Korea

The Good Food Institute (GFI) is a philanthropically powered, science-based think tank and international network advancing alternative proteins (APs) to meet global climate, health, food security, and biodiversity goals. The Good Food Institute Asia Pacific (GFI APAC), Asia's leading AP think tank, collaborates with scientists, corporates, and policymakers to make plant-based, fermentation-enabled, and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible.

We unlock knowledge and resources to transform meat production—satisfying rising demand while accelerating climate progress, protecting ecosystems, and strengthening public health. Learn more via our Korean resources here, GFI’s Year in Review, and GFI APAC’s Year in Review.

We are currently establishing GFI Korea as one of our focus country offices. Until GFI Korea is formalized, initiatives may run under the brand of GFI APAC. This role is one of the first hires building the team on the ground.

About GFI’s corporate engagement

Korea has world-class fermentation, biotech, manufacturing and foodtech capabilities but commercial success of APs remains constrained by ecosystem immaturity rather than technology alone. The private sector is crucial to scaling alternative proteins in Korea and globally, as companies drive product development, manufacturing, supply chains, investments, and commercial availability. Despite technological advancements, commercial scaling faces significant hurdles, including limited access to affordable capital, infrastructure, partnerships, and supportive policies.

Overcoming these barriers requires collaboration among industry, investors, governments, and researchers. GFI’s Corporate Engagement teams facilitate this by working cross-sectorally to build partnerships, align goals, and accelerate the development of a resilient, investable alternative protein ecosystem regionally.

How you will make a difference

We are hiring a Corporate Engagement Lead to drive growth in Korea's biomanufacturing and alternative protein ecosystem and partner with conglomerates, VCs, and startups to build a sustainable food system.

You will lead GFI's private-sector strategy in Korea, working with business leaders and investors to overcome market barriers, implement impactful initiatives, and exchange best practices globally. Your role will be vital in securing public funding for commercial scale-up infrastructure and fostering international collaborations to accelerate alternative protein adoption.

As a senior leader in our entrepreneurial nonprofit, you will set the strategic direction of our industry workstream in Korea and operate with significant autonomy, combining commercial insight with strong partnership-building to align industry needs with policy opportunities and accelerate sector growth.

Key responsibilities

Commercialization & Scale-Up Strategy

● Identify systemic alternative protein scale-up barriers in ingredients, manufacturing, infrastructure, supply chains, investment, commercialization, and consumer access.

● Determine priority interventions for the Korean ecosystem using market insights, industry data, and stakeholder input.

● Develop initiatives and mobilize resources and partnerships to improve the taste, price, and accessibility of alternative proteins.

Public Investment & Policy Alignment

● Collaborate with the Policy Specialist to turn industry needs into policy recommendations for greater public investment.

● Collaborate with the Policy Specialist to develop and execute a strategy with multi-year targets to unlock government funding for alternative protein commercialization and scale-up.

Corporate & Investor Engagement

● Establish GFI Korea as a credible and evidence-based partner. Build trusted relationships that catalyze new collaborations, investment opportunities and industry action, across the food-tech, biotech, and alternative protein value chains with conglomerates, suppliers, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), investors, accelerators, and startups.

● Strengthen the enabling environment by developing strategic partnerships and industry collaborations that remove systemic barriers to commercial success. Convene existing food and bio companies by sharing opportunities and global alternative protein trends.

● Represent GFI Korea at industry events, forums, meetings, and in the media.

Market Intelligence & GFI Integration

● Track industry and investment landscape developments, and report to GFI platforms like industry reports and the investment database.

● Support cross-functional projects with private-sector insights and relationships to boost impact.

● Collaborate closely with GFI APAC's Head of Corporate Engagement and the global Corporate Engagement teams to share resources, exchange learnings, and coordinate on cross-regional initiatives.

● Draft programmatic budgeting alongside the Director of Strategy and Programs and the Operations Manager.

● Manage corporate engagement spending and adhere to operational and people procedures with the Operations Manager.

● Execute other assigned duties to support GFI corporate engagement initiatives.

Who we’re looking for

We seek smart, kind, creative self-starters dedicated to fighting climate change, building sustainable food systems, and developing accessible, healthy, and humane foods. GFI staff enjoy high autonomy and must be self-motivated, collaborative across remote teams, and comfortable in a rapidly evolving environment.

Minimum qualifications:

● Minimum 7 years of professional experience in business development, corporate strategy, marketing, management consulting, VC investment, innovation, or related roles for food or biotech companies.

● Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, finance, biotechnology/bioengineering, food science/engineering, industrial engineering, or another related field.

● Deep understanding of Korea's food and/or green bio industry landscapes.

● Proven ability to engage senior corporate stakeholders, build lasting relationships, influence decision-makers, apply strong commercial judgment, and identify where GFI can maximize influence.

● Strong analytical skills to translate complex information into actionable insights, and the ability to quickly build expertise in food systems, alternative proteins, and their underlying science.

● Strong written and verbal communication skills in Korean, including public speaking, to clearly convey technical details and convince diverse audiences.

● Excellent project management, organizational skills, and detail orientation; resilient and adaptable when managing multiple deadlines and ambiguity under pressure.

● Entrepreneurial and collaborative initiative-taker who delivers results independently with limited precedent, turning broad goals into concrete action.

● Native-level Korean fluency and business-level English proficiency.

Preferred qualifications:

● Experience in the alternative protein ecosystem.

● Comfortable working remotely and collaborating cross-culturally across time zones in an international nonprofit.

● Strong alignment with GFI's mission, core values, and fields like alternative proteins, public health, environment, animal protection, or hunger relief.

To avoid biases, we encourage applicants of every background, race, color, orientation, age, gender, origin, and ability. We prioritize a diverse workplace and an inclusive climate free from discrimination and harassment throughout the application process and employment.

The fine print

● Terms of employment: Full-time. Following the initial 6-month probation, you may transition to a permanent employee role upon mutual agreement.

● Reports to: Director of Strategy & Programs, Korea

● Location: Flexible – anywhere in Korea. This is a remote role allowing you to work from home. Seoul-based team members hold weekly co-working days in town and the full team meets in person twice yearly for 1-5 days. Travel costs are covered per company policy.

● Work hours: Flexible hours with an occasional need to work at night or early mornings to engage in global meetings with partners around the world.

● Annual Salary: 100-130 million KRW, depending on experience and qualifications.

● Benefits: Statutory health, pension, workers’ compensation, and employment insurance per Korean regulations; generous paid and unpaid leave per company policy; medical, dental and well-being support; professional development support; smart, kind and respectful colleagues.

● Right to work requirements: Candidates must have right-to-work and travel permissions in Korea by their start date. We do not sponsor employment visas; applicants must confirm their eligibility independently.

● Application process:

a. Application: Complete this application form (https://form.asana.com/?k=VpnGMlhH1Lds3nf28VeCWw&d=167772284987522) and upload your CV.

b. Screening call: Initial conversation for general questions.

c. Timed assignment: 2-3-hour written assessment.

d. First interview: With GFI APAC team members, focusing on team fit and expertise.

e. Final interview: With GFI APAC leadership to assess overall fit.

f. Reference check: Two referees to comment on your capabilities.

We know what AI can do; here, we are hoping to get to know you. Please prepare your application in your own voice so that we can better understand your experience, motivations, and perspective.

Important dates

Application deadline: 6 September, 2026

Anticipated start date: December 2026 - January 2027