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Hiring: Project Lead, Farmer TA Network – FarmAid

Farm Aid is a national nonprofit whose mission is to cultivate a vibrant and just family farm-centered system of agriculture in the United States. Farm Aid catalyzes and offers creative ways to champion farmers, inspire civic engagement and leverage our cultural placement to influence positive change in our agricultural and cultural landscape. Through our annual music festival, grant funding, public education, activism, direct service, strategic partnerships, and offering opportunities to engage meaningfully, Farm Aid works to:

  • Amplify the voice of family farmers to bring attention to the challenges they face and the benefits they bring.
  • Connect farmers to resources and opportunity, connect farmers to eaters, and in general connect people so that they may cultivate community and power.
  • Celebrate family farmers, good food and the culture of agriculture, in which we all can participate.
  • Empower farmers and eaters to participate in a democratic, just and sustainable farm and food system.
  • Invest talent, time and money in efforts that bring about positive change in the farm and food system.

The Project Lead, Farmer TA Network, is a grant-funded, 3-year position designed to support Farm Aid’s engagement in a multi-stakeholder cooperative agreement with FSA/USDA. This agreement aims to build and strengthen the capacity of TA Providers within nonprofits and land-grant institutions to provide expert, empathetic, and tailored technical support for farmers in distress, improving their financial position as well as their access to and experience with FSA financing and programs. Farm Aid’s engagement will leverage a multi-million dollar budget over a three-year time span, and builds upon Farm Aid’s established reputation for direct farmer service through its 1-800 hotline, farm advocacy, movement building, and community convening.

WHAT YOU’LL DO
Reporting to Farm Aid’s Program Director, the Project Lead will ensure the effective planning, execution, and evaluation of Farm Aid’s involvement in the Farmer TA Network initiative. Specifically, the Project Lead is responsible for:

  • Project Oversight: Oversee project-dedicated staff (Admin Lead, Project Coordinator) and external contracts, and collaborate with Farm Aid’s Leadership on the allocation of Farm Aid staff time and resources in key project areas (e.g. trainings, communication, evaluation, etc.). Support the development and implementation of efficient systems to ensure project compliance and that deliverables are met with high standards.
  • Committee Leadership: Represent Farm Aid on the project Governance Committee, and actively contribute to additional subcommittees. Provide values-aligned leadership to achieve committee goals, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence.
  • Network Design and Implementation: Collaborate on the creation/activation of network infrastructure to recruit, train, and mobilize TA Providers and Farmer Supporters to provide crucial direct support to distressed farmers. Utilize Farm Aid’s platform to elevate the visibility and impact of the Farmer TA Network resources and offerings.
  • Strategic Partnerships: Develop and sustain relationships with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including farmer service groups, grassroots organizations, university partners, and government agencies. Act as an ambassador for Farm Aid and work collaboratively to improve access to Network training, resources, and communities of practice.
  • Event Planning and Implementation: Lead the successful planning and execution of two major in-person Network Summits, and support targeted in-person and virtual training sessions throughout the project timeline. Ensure these events are impactful, meticulously organized, and aligned with the overarching strategic goals of the initiative.
  • Adaptive Learning and Capacity Building: Foster a culture of learning and adaptability, ensuring the project remains responsive to evolving challenges and opportunities in the field, and builds upon and strengthens Farm Aid’s ongoing farmer service and advocacy programs.

WHO YOU ARE

  • You are a passionate advocate for Farm Aid’s mission and values. You are energized to build a system of agriculture that uplifts family farmers, good food, soil and water, and strong communities. You thrive on a team of advocates, organizers, and networkers who deeply value collaboration, community, and teamwork.
  • You are a program leader with experience working in farm advocacy/organizing. You bring at least 7 years of experience managing programs, projects, and/or grassroots coalitions in support of farmers’ livelihoods. National experience is a plus. You have working familiarity with FSA programs, including rules and regulations governing agricultural credit and finance.
  • You are a strategic self-starter and collaborative problem-solver. Your strategic mindset and self-motivation drive you to take initiative, while your collaborative nature ensures effective teamwork. You excel at navigating complex projects with agility, identifying opportunities in ambiguous situations, and prioritizing tasks efficiently.
  • You are a systems thinker with the ability to implement tactically under pressure. You are able to strategically synthesize information, uplift key connections, and translate complex strategy into actionable activities and goals. With extensive experience in organizing large-scale events, including conferences, workshops, and trainings, you excel at delivering results within strict deadlines.
  • You are an effective communicator, relationship builder, and network weaver. You are a clear communicator and are skilled at navigating group dynamics and center relationships in collaborative work. You have worked closely with grassroots organizations and bring existing networks within the agriculture, rural, and farm advocacy space.
  • You are a well-organized, nimble, resourceful project director. You are experienced in leading complex, multi-faceted projects from inception to completion, with a high attention to detail, timelines, and deliverables. You work well across teams and effectively utilize limited staff resources. You have experience managing a project of similar scope, or at least demonstrated success with project(s) that exceed hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  • You are a catalyst for equity and justice in rural farming communities. You possess a keen understanding of challenges faced by historically disadvantaged and underserved farming communities, and a commitment to working towards fair, anti-racist, and sustainable agricultural systems.

SALARY, BENEFITS, LOCATION AND TRAVEL
Compensation: Salary for this position is $90,000-$100,000. This is a full-time, 3-year position (through June 2027) and is eligible for all Farm Aid benefits including: 100% health insurance premium coverage (for up to full family coverage, ranging in value of up to $30K+ annually depending on family size); 20 days (4 weeks) of paid vacation; 15 days paid sick and excused time; 2 civic engagement days; 11 holidays & general office closure from December 24 through January 1; option to participate in company IRA, FSA and Employee Assistance plans

Location: Preference for the ability to work regularly from Farm Aid’s office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, through a hybrid arrangement. Requests to be fully remote will be considered.

Travel: This position requires travel approximately 5-6 times/annually to project planning meetings, network summits and trainings, and other travel as needed.

TO APPLY
Please apply with 1) a thoughtful cover letter that explains why this opportunity excites you and 2) your resume. Please address your cover letter to Shorlette Ammons, Farm Aid’s Program Director. We review applications on a rolling basis through October 1, 2024, and strive to get back to applicants within two weeks.

Click here to apply.

Farm Aid is an equal opportunity employer and as such, we do not discriminate against any team member or candidate because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, or any other basis protected by law. We encourage all to apply because we believe a diversity of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.

Farm Aid has retained DH Search to support the search for a Project Lead, Farmer TA Network. DH Search partners with mission-driven organizations to hire the people they need to create a more just and equitable world. Learn more at www.dhsearch.net.

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