ABOUT EIT FOOD

EIT Food is the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community. We create connections across the food system that stimulate new ideas and innovations to drive change. Supported by the EU, we invest in projects, organisations and individuals that share our goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. Our projects and programmes are delivered with a combination of industry, education and research  organisations to bring innovation to the key challenges across the Food System by developing solutions that align with our three missions - healthier lives through food, net zero food system, and building a resilient food system.

EIT Food headquarters (HQ) are based in Leuven (Belgium) and it has 5 regional hubs in Europe (based in Poland, Spain, Germany, the UK and Netherlands), each working with and for partners in several EIT Food partner countries.

Visit our website: https://www.eitfood.eu

JOB DESCRIPTION

The CIO holds a pivotal role for EIT Food, ensuring that we stretch our ambition for food systems transformation and create innovative and impactful programmes. By leading the delivery of EIT Food’s programmes and projects across our three Missions, and ensuring they generate material impact on Europe’s food systems, you shape our contribution, as Europe’s largest food innovation ecosystem, and as one of the key players in the transformation of our food system.

Your work sits at the heart of EIT Food’s success, connecting you closely with every part of the organisation. You collaborate across teams to design and deliver programmes with our partners and community, using the strength of our brand to engage startups, students and innovators. Working predominantly with grant funding, you help embed operational excellence alongside Operations and Finance. Above all, you act as a visible leader across the food ecosystem, championing innovation as a lever for change and driving food system transformation.

The role reports directly to the CEO and is a full member of the Executive Management Team (EMT). You will oversee directors and teams delivering:

• Thematic Leadership in Resilient Agriculture, including our resilient agriculture landscape programme, and in Biotech & Protein Diversification, including our Biotech Alliance, driving transformation at scale.
• Value Delivery, including large consortia‑led innovation projects and impact evaluation.
• Business Creation, including accelerators and startup investments.
• Education, including EIT Community programmes and Erasmus+ initiatives.
• EIT Community collaboration, including Strategic Synergies clusters.

To ensure a smooth onboarding, the CIO’s remit will be phased in and expanded based on the strengths and profile of the successful candidate.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide strategic leadership as part of the Executive Management Team and engage with the Supervisory Board on impact‑related topics.
• Lead the Impact Office to ensure all teams deliver tangible, mission‑aligned impact, guiding the organisation toward programmes that advance our missions. This requires navigating a complex innovation ecosystem, influencing senior stakeholders across sectors, and driving EIT Food’s growth while shaping the future of food innovation in Europe.
• Shape and execute strategy across portfolios, ensuring innovations accelerate breakthrough solutions and are positioned for commercial and societal success.
• Oversee the development of robust performance frameworks to track and measure the impact of EIT Food’s initiatives, as well as intellectual assets and property (IP) management.
• Build a culture of operational excellence, working closely with Finance and Operations to improve processes, resolve issues, and ensure delivery against KPIs and funder requirements.

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

You are a strategic leader, able to drive a long-term impact strategy. You have proven senior leadership experience, for example at C-level or equivalent, with a track record of impact delivery, ideally in the food and innovation sectors. You are familiar with measurable impact metrics and scalable solutions. You have led diverse, cross-functional, cross-location teams, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement.

This role is a unique opportunity for a leader to step into a critical role, where you can focus on shaping the vision and building the capabilities to enable the Impact teams to perform excellently.

You have great collaboration capabilities, which you can bring to life with examples from your professional experience. Of course, you need to be able to solve complex problems and find creative solutions within the rulebook of public funding, working collaboratively with colleagues across the organization. And last but by no means least, you will enjoy being a great communicator, sharing our vision and strategy with our vibrant ecosystem.

This is a C-Level role, with high demands on you as a leader. You are able to articulate your philosophy as a leader, and are able to draw on experience leading in different and challenging environments. You can bring a diverse team together, and most importantly: build collaborative relationships across an organisation to enable your team to be successful. At the same time, you will be hands-on, and you will need to be comfortable in our processes and systems.

Success in this role depends on building strong, trust‑based relationships with strategic partners, peers in the C‑Suite, and leaders across EIT Food with whom the Impact function has close dependencies. The CIO’s leadership is grounded in collaboration, ambition and a continual drive for impact, inspiring both internal teams and the wider community to deliver transformational change through innovation.

WHAT WE OFFER

Working at EIT Food means joining a team of like-minded individuals who are dedicated to creating a better future through food innovation. We cultivate a culture of collaboration, inventiveness, inclusivity, and constructive feedback. All employees are encouraged to contribute their ideas and expertise towards our mission of creating a more sustainable and inclusive food system. Together, we're making a real impact on the food industry and we're looking for talented individuals like you to join us.

As a valued member of our team, we'll provide you with a competitive salary and benefits package.

CONTRACT TYPE

Full-time position.

LOCATION & TRAVEL FREQUENCY

This role can be based in any of our six locations: Belgium, UK, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain or Poland. To be eligible, you must be based in one of these locations and have the legal right to work there. Within your chosen location, we offer flexible working arrangements, including remote and hybrid options, depending on local policies and requirements.

Frequent travel within Europe.

APPLICATION

We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible. While the application deadline is May 17th, 2026, we reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier if we find the right candidate. We recommend submitting your application at the earliest opportunity to ensure consideration.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

At EIT Food we believe that diversity and inclusion make us stronger. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all candidates, regardless of age, gender, background, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic. We welcome applications from everyone and strive to create a workplace where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute to their fullest potential.