Hiring: Education Director – NOFA/Mass

The NOFA/Mass Education Director oversees and holds the vision for education within the organization, reports directly to the NOFA/Mass Executive Director and receives guidance from the NOFA/Mass Board of Directors and the NOFA/Mass Education Committee. This person supports and leads NOFA/Mass education department staff in achieving all stated goals in a timely, efficient and financially sustainable manner.  Additionally the Education Director keeps an eye out for possible grants to fund department initiatives and works closely with the Development Director in this area. The Education Director also oversees relationships with other organizations that provide education to farmers, gardeners, homesteaders, consumers, and landscapers in the state of Massachusetts. The programs that lie within the education department for 2016 are bulk order, policy, education events, winter conference, beginning farmer, raw milk, food access, organic certification education, soil carbon restoration and summer conference.

Major Responsibilities Include:

Staff Oversight:

• Through regular monthly half hour to hour long calls with each education department staff member, oversees and provides guidance (and assistance) to education department staff.
• Reviews education department staffs’ work plans annually, with quarterly review of work plan at monthly check ins.
• Edits and assists education department staff in the creation of program collaterals.
• Coordinates and runs annual personnel evaluations of Education Department staff.
• Attends committee meetings of summer and winter conference committees, all advanced seminars, policy committee, carbon committee, handful of education events, and visits to food access program sites. Provides feedback and support for these committees and events.
• Develops job postings and publicizes vacant education department positions widely.

Administrative/Specific Tasks:

• Directs and coordinates education department conference calls every two months to enhance collaborative working relationships in the education department and brainstorm the direction of NOFA’s educational activities.
• Participates in monthly directors’ calls, board meetings, and staff/board retreats.
• Keeps or develops a working relationship with a number of like minded organizations in the state, collaborating when appropriate.
• Visions and develops appropriate new educational programming and gets it off the ground.
• Regularly writes for the NOFA/Mass newsletters on topics of educational interest.
• Oversees the consolidation of best practices within the education department, acting as the facilitator between all of the individual education programs which will increase effectiveness and efficiency throughout the department.

Budget Oversight:

• Advises for, collects and oversees Education Department annual budgets and fits them into the overall budget picture for NOFA/Mass.
• Conducts monthly check ins, or more often, with the Development Director and Executive Director to review income needs and opportunities for the Ed Dept.
• Meets as needed with Administrative Director to review individual Program budgets.
• Assists in grant identifying and writing process for education department grants.

Qualifications include:

• A strong commitment to and knowledge of organic farming practices.
• Three years of staff management experience.
• Excellent leadership abilities.
• Strong communication and people skills.
• Ability to work collegially as a team member as well as independently from home, with minimal supervision;
• Basic office management and computer software skills.

Position Details:

• 780-885 hours per year, with generally flexible schedule.
• Starting pay: $18 per hour, with no health insurance benefits.
• Employee must maintain a current NOFA/Mass membership.
• Employee must attend NOFA/Mass retreats and staff meetings, the winter and summer conferences, and education department conference calls.
• Employee must provide appropriate basic office equipment to facilitate working from home
• Employee must submit weekly staff reports to the Executive Director, participate in peer reviews of other centrally-hired NOFA/Mass staff and maintain monthly timesheets.

Application procedure:

By Friday, February 19^th, send resume and three references to Julie Rawson, Executive Director. If you have questions, email Julie or call (978) 355-2853.

NOFA/Mass is an equal opportunity employer who does not discriminate in employment and contracting practices based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability.