Working under the direction of the Director, Food Security, the Social Entrepreneur will pursue poverty and food insecurity alleviation goals with entrepreneurial zeal, business methods, and the courage to innovate and overcome traditional practices to scaling solutions. The Social Entrepreneur will provide daily operational support and be a strategic advisor on a portfolio of programs designed to reduce food insecurity among low income older adults and increase their access to affordable and nutritious foods. The Social Entrepreneur will work in concert with other Social Entrepreneurs and Analysts (including Income, Housing, Workforce and Isolation) and across the AARP Foundation (including Development, Communications, Technology, Litigation and Innovation) to identify and integrate solutions to the biggest challenges facing the low income 50+ and their families.
This position is responsible for a portfolio of work from new ideas and concepts in the innovation pipeline to programs in multiple states and involving multiple partners – including for-profit and non-profit stakeholders. This position requires a commitment to the Foundation's strategy of continuously developing social innovations that increase our ability to provide practical and scalable solutions to the needs of the low-income 50+.
The role requires a strong ability to work well at an inter-personal level in order to champion innovation and social entrepreneurship in the Foundation. The role also involves a strong analytical component, requiring the ability to repeatedly review, critique, upgrade and provide constructive feedback on new initiatives and opportunities. This position will have a very high impact on AARP Foundation’s ability to execute its strategy and reach both its short and longer term goals.
- Supporting the achievement of large scale, systemic and sustainable social change through new innovations, a different approach, a more rigorous application of known technologies or strategies, or a combination of these.
- Innovating by finding new products, new services, or new approaches to social problems – particularly focused on senior hunger and malnutrition as health issues.
- Continuously refining and adapting approaches in response to feedback, research and insights
- Contributing to ensuring sufficiency of new initiatives in the Foundation's innovation pipeline each year to meet the Foundation's annual innovation goals.
- Serving as a key advisor on scaling effective solutions.
- Exhibiting a heightened sense of accountability to the constituencies served and for the outcomes created.
- Mission-driven commitment to building food security for low income older adults and the power of innovation to drive social impact.
- Proven experience of managing relationships in and across complex organizations
- Knowledge of and experience in developing shared value and collective impact with multiple stakeholders
- Continually understand the food insecurity and nutrition field to drive strategic differentiation and partnerships.
- The drive to work in cross-functional teams and to engage different units across the Foundation and AARP enterprise to drive innovation to achieve AARP Foundation’s mission.
- Focus on being an integral part of a high performing team
- 5+ years’ experience in social entrepreneurship, social enterprise development – a focus on health outcomes strongly preferred. Evidence of building a social enterprise preferred
- Experience in scaling solutions through various pathways
- Excellent business judgment, a familiarity with a wide variety of business models both in the for-profit and non-profit sectors, and the ability to see the potential application of these models in the context of social innovation
- Excellent communication skills both oral and written; ability to produce high-quality reports and presentations
- Well-networked in the entrepreneurial, social-entrepreneurship fields with an ability to engage these resources to assist the Foundation in its mission
- Strong familiarity with both quantitative and qualitative research and analysis as well as quantifying return on investment
- A preference to take responsibility, manage multiple projects at once, and deliver professional work-product promptly and on-deadline
- Highly self-motivated
AARP offers competitive benefits with a 401K, 100% company funded pension plan, health, dental, vision and life insurance, STD/LTD, paid vacation and sick, and other benefits.