How to apply for Head of Policy

About Good Food Institute (GFI)

The Good Food Institute is a nonprofit that promotes research and development of alternative proteins to reduce reliance on conventional animal agriculture. It works on policy, science, and corporate engagement across multiple regions. This role sits in GFI APAC, which focuses on Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, and Korea.

About the role

This is a senior policy leadership role. You set regional and country-level policy strategies, identify priority markets, and oversee high-impact policy work across Asia-Pacific. You also manage a policy team of two, manage budgets, and build relationships with senior government officials, regulators, and multilateral institutions.

A typical day

A typical day may include a strategy call with regional colleagues, a meeting with a government official or regulator, and review of a policy brief or budget item. You may also mentor your two team members and coordinate with GFI's corporate engagement or communications teams. Travel across APAC is regular, so some weeks are spent in meetings in another market.

Who Good Food Institute (GFI) is looking for

• 10+ years in policy, public affairs, diplomacy, or regulatory affairs within Asia-Pacific, with a strong regional network.
• 3+ years in management, including setting performance expectations, managing budgets, and mentoring colleagues.
• Demonstrated policy influence, such as changing regulations, shaping government positions, or leading advocacy campaigns.
• Fluent English and ideally an Asian language, with willingness to travel regularly across APAC and attend periodic global meetings.

Tips for this application

• Show specific policy wins in APAC. Name the countries, the institutions, and the outcome. Avoid general statements about 'driving change'.
• Address the alternative protein context directly. Explain how your policy experience applies to food systems, novel foods, or agricultural regulation.
• Name your regional network. List the types of government bodies, regulators, or multilateral institutions you have worked with and at what level.
• Quantify your management experience. State team size, budget size, and how you set performance expectations.
• Mention language skills clearly. If you speak an Asian language, state your proficiency level and which markets you have used it in.

What to cover in your cover letter

Focus on four points: (1) your 10+ years of APAC policy experience with named markets and institutions; (2) a concrete policy influence example with measurable outcomes; (3) your management approach, including team size and budget responsibility; (4) why alternative proteins and GFI's specific approach to government engagement interest you. Keep it to one page.

Research before applying

• Read GFI APAC's published policy priorities and any public submissions or reports on alternative proteins in Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, and Korea.
• Check which APAC markets GFI already works in and what policy stage each market is at (for example, novel food regulation, labelling, or government research funding).
• Look up the Chief of Staff, GFI APAC, and any public statements or interviews about the team's strategy.
• Review GFI's global policy work to understand how APAC fits into the broader organisation.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you set regional and country-level policy strategies across Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, and Korea? Which markets would you prioritise and why?
• Describe a policy initiative you led that changed a government position or regulation in APAC. What was your specific role?
• How do you manage a small policy team of two while mentoring regional colleagues who do not report to you?
• How would you build relationships with senior government officials and regulators in markets where GFI has limited presence?
• How would you align policy work with corporate engagement, communications, and development functions across GFI?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying with only general policy experience and no named APAC markets, institutions, or outcomes.
• Treating this as a general nonprofit leadership role and ignoring the alternative protein and food regulation context.
• Claiming a strong regional network without naming specific relationships or government bodies you have worked with.