Hiring: Director of Programs – Grow Food Northampton

Position Announcement: Director of Programs

Grow Food Northampton seeks a Director of Programs, a new, full-time position reporting to the Executive Director. As our second full-time staff member, you will directly staff several Food Access initiatives and provide overall management and support to part-time staff and Americorps members carrying out the following programs and initiatives: Community Garden, Farmers’ Market, Youth Education, and Giving Garden.

About Grow Food Northampton

Grow Food Northampton works in concrete ways to build a community that supports its farms and farmers and makes local food available to everyone who lives here. Grow Food Northampton: owns a 120-acre community farm that leases land to four different farmers practicing sustainable agriculture; manages a vibrant 265-plot organic community garden; operates a thriving downtown farmers’ market; educates over 1,200 students about local food on the farm and in the classroom annually; and manages food access initiatives that invite people of all incomes into the local food movement. Through incentives for local food purchases and donations to partner meal sites and food pantries, our Food Access program brought over 40,000 pounds of local produce to low-income members of the community in 2016. Founded as a volunteer-driven non-profit in 2010 with a campaign to acquire the farm, Grow Food Northampton serves the small city of Northampton and nearby communities with a full-time Executive Director, two part-time Program Directors, a part-time office manager, and three Americorps service members.

Position Description

The Director of Programs will be responsible for the overall performance of the organization’s programs and management of program staff and service members, working closely with these individuals and the Executive Director on strategy, goals, implementation, and evaluation. The Director of Programs will also serve as the hands-on manager for several initiatives in the Food Access program area (including Double SNAP Share, Red Bag, Senior FarmShare, farmer donations).

Responsibilities

• Staff several Food Access initiatives, implement associated partnership and outreach strategies, integrate external programs such as the new statewide Healthy Incentives Program, and meet program goals regarding participation, engagement, and impact.
• Provide formal supervision for paid staff, Americorps service members, interns, and work-study students in a professional manner consistent with applicable laws, organizational policies, and partner contracts and agreements.
• Provide supportive management, including setting goals, evaluating progress and performance, and collaborating to identify and address barriers to the success of each program and person.
• Support the Executive Director in evaluating and setting strategic direction for individual programs and programs as a whole, selecting new team members as needed, meeting budget targets, and developing and stewarding funding requests.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to strengthen programs through external resources and partnerships, organizational systems and culture, and other means.
• Become an integral member of the Grow Food Northampton team.
• Perform other duties as assigned by Executive Director and, when necessary, act on behalf of the Executive Director to perform functions normally outside the position description.

Required Qualifications

• Ability to train and manage people to achieve strong performance and good morale.
• Strong program implementation and evaluation skills.
• Ability to work with external partners and diverse individuals and communities in order to implement programs serving many different populations.
• Knowledge of food access challenges and community-based solutions.
• Strong organization, communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple projects and timelines.
• Ability to learn new technology systems and train others in their use.
• Driver’s license valid in Massachusetts and ability to travel to and between our office and community farm in Florence, our downtown Tuesday Market, and other locations throughout the region with applicant’s own vehicle and our cargo van.
• Ability to meet physical requirements of farm operations and food delivery, including but not limited to lifting 40 pounds and walking on uneven terrain.

Preferred Qualifications

• Spanish speaking and writing proficiency.
• Knowledge of educational theory and practice for elementary age students.
• Knowledge of organic gardening principles and practices.
• Knowledge of sustainable small farm principles, practices, and challenges.
• Knowledge of direct marketing of local foods, including farmers’ markets.
• Demonstrable skill in using or managing Salesforce and/or Google Suite.
• Knowledge of the Northampton community.
• Ability to pass a CORI check and to work unsupervised with minors.

Job Type and Schedule

Full-time (40 hours per week), year-round. Some weekend and evening hours required.

Compensation and Benefits

$40,000 annually with paid sick days, vacation, and holidays and pre-tax benefit options.

To Apply

Send cover letter, resume, and public LinkedIn profile (if available) to Clem Clay, Executive Director, at clem@growfoodnorthampton.com. The initial deadline is March 12, but applications will be accepted and reviewed until a selected candidate has accepted the position. Interviews for qualified applicants will be scheduled starting March 13 with the intent of making a decision by the end of March for target a start date of April 3.