Hiring: Director of Institutional Relations – The Food Project
Who We Are
Youth. Food. Community. Three important issues that intersect in one place: The Food Project.
Here, we believe that food is a unique vehicle for creating personal and social change. Nothing
else ties us so intimately to each other and the planet we share, affecting our health, the climate,
culture, and poverty and privilege around the globe. If we – young and old from all walks of life
can unite to change the food system, we can change the world. From our urban and suburban
farms to our community education programs, we aim to do just that by bringing together youth
and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build local and sustainable food
systems.
Since 1991, The Food Project has built a national model of engaging young people in personal
and social change through sustainable agriculture. Each year, we work with more than 120
teenagers and hundreds of volunteers to farm on 70 acres in eastern Massachusetts in Wenham,
Lincoln, Boston, and Lynn. We consider our hallmark to be our focus on identifying and
transforming a new generation of leaders by placing teens in unusually responsible roles, with
deeply meaningful work. In addition, we help others grow their own food and provide training
resources based on all we have learned.
What We Seek
We seek a results-driven, collaborative philanthropy professional to co-lead our fundraising
strategy and support our development team to meet its annual goals. This position, reporting to
the executive director, oversees the strategy and implementation for all institutional fundraising
and stewards our key corporate and foundation relationships. It is primarily supported by a
full-time Grants & Sponsorships Manager. The person who thrives in this role will care deeply
about relationships, collaboration, transparency, and the importance of nourishing a culture of
philanthropy throughout the organization.
Responsibilities
Strategy & Coordination (25%)
● Collaborate regularly with the Director of Donor Engagement and the Executive
Leadership Team to create an overarching strategy for both annual support and
longer-term strategic growth, including communications
● Support the Grants & Sponsorships Manager to build and maintain a rigorous approach
to funder research, strategy, identification, and cultivation.
● Support Trustee and Development Committee member engagement with corporate and
other institutional relationships.
● Oversee the grants and sponsorships administration process, including proposal
development and submission, processing awards, grant agreements, acknowledgment
letters, and tracking grant-funded deliverables.
Stewarding Relationships (30%)
● Regular information sharing and strategy discussions with colleagues.
● Support for trustees and volunteer committee members who hold important
relationships with funders.
● Regular interactions with funders, following a communications strategy that solidifies
and deepens our institutional relationships.
Proposal and Report Development (30%)
● Collaborate with staff and stakeholders to develop strategy for proposals.
● Research, write, and edit narratives for a select portfolio of letters of inquiry, grant
proposals, reports, and acknowledgment letters.
● Collaborate with the Associate Director of Impact and Initiatives to develop
evaluation metrics and reporting processes for grant proposals.
● Collaborate with relevant staff from across the organization to generate program
budgets, reports, and proposals.
Organizational Health (15%)
● Participate in our justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.
● Prepare and participate in structured, regular feedback sessions.
● Participate in all-staff meetings, team meetings, and provide cross-department support.
● Participate in annual planning, budgeting, and performance review processes.
● Perform other duties as needed, within capacity.
Qualifications
● Must embrace TFP’s mission, goals, and commitment to building just food systems..
● Committed to helping to foster an environment of equity and belonging.
● Committed to contributing to an organizational culture of learning and wellbeing.
● At least 5 years of relevant experience.
● At least 2 years of experience supervising staff.
● Excellent project management skills, well-organized, and attentive to detail.
● Excellent time management, especially when working collaboratively and balancing
competing internal priorities and external deadlines.
● Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build effective relationships.
● Ability to balance attention to process, results, and relationships.
● Comfort working within our data management systems: Salesforce, Asana, Google
applications, and Microsoft Office Suite.
Location & Schedule
Much of this job can be accomplished at a desk–either in a TFP office or at home–using a laptop
provided by TFP. Each of our offices is accessible by public transportation. However, you must
be able to provide your own transportation to travel, as required, typically three days per week,
depending on the season, between our program sites and administrative offices in Boston, Lynn,
Wenham, and Lincoln. Occasional weekend and evening work is required for special events.
Compensation
This is a full-time position with a salary commensurate with experience and skills. This position
is eligible for health insurance benefits, 403B retirement plan, and paid vacation and holidays.
The salary range is $77,000 to $85,000 per year.
Recruitment Process
Please send resume and cover letter via email to: jobs@thefoodproject.org. In the subject line,
write your name and the position for which you are applying, eg: “Jordan Smith – Youth
Development Manager”.
We will review all submissions, identify viable candidates and contact ONLY those individuals
selected to continue in the search process. The position will be filled when a desired candidate is
found.
The Food Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to creating an inclusive
organization. We actively seek a diverse pool of candidates for this position.
