Chicago Grows Food Director
Reports to: Advisory Board
Hours: Full time, 40 hours per week
ABOUT CHICAGO GROWS FOOD:
Chicago Grows Food (CGF) is a collaborative devoted to expanding and unifying the food growing community in Chicagoland. We believe that communities in and around Chicago deserve equitable and holistic health outcomes and that empowering and creatively connecting advocates for safe and environmentally-conscious food production, land stewardship, food access, food security and nutrition will help bring this vision to life. We support food sovereignty and healthy food access by implementing our Grow Your Groceries programming which includes grow kits, home gardens, and community gardens. As a grassroots organization budding amidst COVID-19, we are looking for a person who is invigorated by the prospects of taking on a prominent role in helping to form the structure and lead the collective vision of Chicago Grows Food.
JOB SUMMARY:
The Director will be responsible for high level administration, coordination, and planning for the Chicago Grows Food collaborative in coordination with collaborative members. Their role will be integral to fostering sustainability within the collaborative and supporting collaborative members in implementing programming, education, and evaluation activities.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Financial Management
● Generates budgets and obtains approval from Collaborative
● Generates financial reports on demand and publishes monthly Profit and Loss and Statement of Cash Position for members to review (open books)
● Completes all tasks that ensure CGF is complying with terms of fiscal sponsorship agreement with Gardeneers
● Responsible for tracking and updating group about the budget for the purpose of keeping group on budget
● Approves expenses and creates invoices for payments from fiscal sponsor
● Makes and tracks purchases with company credit card
● Set up and manage tax exempt accounts with vendors
Development
● Point person for Funding Work Group: liaison between work group and grant writing contractor
● Responsible for collaborating with grant writing contractor to create stock grant writing/funding documents, write grants, and submit grant reports on time
● Leverage individual relationships to actively recruit new donors and funders
Partnerships and Programs
● Point person for Website and Marketing Work Group: Manages website and social media resources; regularly promote CGF’s work on social media channels; expand and build upon CGF’s brand identity to increase notoriety and brand recognition; create relevant SOPs
● Point person for Education Work Group: Coordinates the creation of educational content and programs; creates relevant SOPs
Team management
● Works to expand relationships between CGF and the Chicagoland urban agriculture community
● Manages relationships with existing institutional and individual members of CGF
● Manages all internal communications including leading general meeting Zoom calls, email list, scheduling calls, and other tools for collective management
● Helps expand and grow our membership via prospecting, 1on1 meetings, and follow up with interested parties
● Initiates and drives democratic processes for member involvement in CGF including decision-making processes, gathering feedback, and implementing priorities as voiced by the collective
● Responsible for onboarding and overseeing contractors
Organizational development
● Engage the collective in strategic planning
● Track organizational goals and metrics
● Shepherd through organizational development process (i.e. 501(c)3)
● Produce annual report
OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE
● You are vision-oriented, full of ideas, and eager to take on big projects.
● You have the passion to be a go-getter and proactive, while also knowing how to delegate.
● You can work both individually and as a member of a team.
● You have a working knowledge of and demonstrated commitment to forming local food systems that increase community resiliency and health.
● You have strong organization skills and can keep folks accountable and on track to completing goals.
QUALIFICATIONS
REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of formal education, paid work experience, unpaid/volunteer experience, and life experience will be considered to meet the following:
● A minimum of five years nonprofit experience, specifically in operations, marketing and/or fundraising ● A minimum of three years managing direct reports, preferably in a nonprofit setting.
● Demonstrated track record of scaling an organization, department, or program(s).
● Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in a related field
● Ability to manage, organize, and coordinate operations
● Excellent verbal, written, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
● Strong time management skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously ● Professionalism, empathy, and the ability to work as part of a team and interact with a diverse array of people from all walks of life.
● A proven ability to move initiatives forward, identify opportunities, take reasonable risks, manage challenges, and achieve desired results.
● A skilled leader with an ability to motivate, coach, and develop an experienced staff
● Confident and inclusive leadership style.
● A commitment to improving food access and food sovereignty throughout Chicago.
● Passion for gardening, food justice and the benefits of farm-to-school programming
PREFERRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
● Multiple years’ experience growing food intensively in an urban setting
● Experience as a member or leader of a collaborative or non-hierarchical organization
● Experience in curriculum development, program design & evaluation is a plus
● Knowledge of urban agriculture, community development, and communities in Chicago.
● Experience cultivating support from corporate sponsors.
WORKING CONDITIONS
● Hybrid work environment. 50% work from home and 50% work from the field at CGF partner sites (indoor and outdoor).
● Work occasional nights and weekends as necessary to attend meetings and events.
● Must have access to reliable transportation and ability to travel to meetings or events at different locations.
● Use of computer required.
● Some heavy lifting may be required (under 50 lbs).
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
● This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position that is housed within Chicago Grows Food’s fiscal sponsor Gardeneers. Full benefits are available through Gardeneers including healthcare, employer-provided laptop, and generous PTO and sick days (in addition to federal holidays).
● Salary Range $60,000-70,000
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume in an email with the subject line “[Your Name] - Director” to chicagogrowsfood@gmaill.com.
The priority deadline for applications is July 26th, 2022. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until then.
Chicago Grows Food is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, disability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by law (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions). Women, people of color, and LGBTQ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.