Application Guide
How to Apply for Director of Strategic Growth & Partnerships
at Planet Harvest
🏢 About Planet Harvest
Planet Harvest is pioneering a scalable commercial ecosystem that turns agricultural surplus into valuable ingredients, creating a win-win for farmers and food companies. Their mission to reduce food waste while building a sustainable supply chain is both impactful and innovative. Working here means joining a purpose-driven team that's building something from the ground up in the 'Food as Medicine' and corporate impact space.
About This Role
As Director of Strategic Growth & Partnerships, you'll own the full sales cycle—from hunting leads to closing executive-level partnerships—focused on transforming excess crops into commercial-grade ingredients. This role is critical to scaling Planet Harvest's impact by building repeatable commercial processes and expanding their market presence in high-value channels. You'll be the face of the company at industry events, driving growth in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with reviewing your pipeline and prioritizing outreach to new leads—sending personalized emails or LinkedIn messages to sustainability directors at food companies. You'll then hop on a call with a potential partner, discussing how Planet Harvest can turn their supply chain challenges into opportunities. Afternoons could involve preparing for an upcoming industry conference, analyzing market intelligence to identify new channels, or collaborating with the team to refine the commercial process. Evenings might include networking events or follow-ups with executives from earlier meetings.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Planet Harvest Is Looking For
- A proven hunter with 5+ years of experience selling strategic partnerships or programs into complex organizations (e.g., food & beverage, CPG, or sustainability-focused companies).
- Comfortable engaging C-suite executives and building relationships that convert into long-term partnerships, with a track record of closing high-value deals.
- Self-starter who thrives in ambiguity and can build processes from scratch, not just execute existing ones.
- Passionate about food systems, sustainability, or agricultural innovation, with the ability to speak credibly about 'Food as Medicine' and corporate impact trends.
📝 Tips for Applying to Planet Harvest
Tailor your resume to highlight 'hunting' wins: quantify pipeline built, deals closed, and revenue generated from net-new business, not just account management.
In your cover letter, name-drop specific industry conferences or events where you could represent Planet Harvest and explain why you'd be effective there.
Research Planet Harvest's current partners or clients and mention how you'd approach similar organizations in your application.
Demonstrate your understanding of the 'excess agricultural supply' challenge by referencing relevant trends (e.g., food waste reduction, upcycled ingredients) and how you'd turn that into commercial opportunities.
Use metrics to show you can build repeatable processes—e.g., 'Developed a sales playbook that increased lead conversion by X% in a previous role.'
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Emphasize your hunter mentality and specific examples of building pipeline from scratch, especially in complex or ambiguous markets.', "Show your ability to develop executive relationships and close deals, with concrete metrics (e.g., 'Closed 3 multi-year partnerships with Fortune 500 companies').", "Connect your personal passion to Planet Harvest's mission—explain why reducing food waste and supporting farmers matters to you.", "Highlight any experience with 'Food as Medicine' or corporate impact initiatives, even if tangential, to show you understand the ecosystem."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read about Planet Harvest's current partnerships and the types of ingredients they produce—understand their value proposition for both farmers and food companies.
- → Study the 'Food as Medicine' movement and key players (e.g., healthcare providers, insurers) to identify potential channel partners.
- → Look into competitors or adjacent companies in the upcycled food space (e.g., ReGrained, Renewal Mill) to understand Planet Harvest's differentiation.
- → Review recent news or reports on agricultural surplus and food waste regulation to speak knowledgeably about market trends.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't focus on account management or retention—this role is pure hunting, so emphasize new business acquisition.
- Avoid generic statements about 'passion for sustainability' without specifics—tie it to your actual experience or knowledge of the industry.
- Don't overlook the 'build-it-from-scratch' aspect; if you've only worked in structured environments, acknowledge your adaptability and give examples of creating structure.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Planet Harvest!