Monday, September 23, 2013

Staff Attorney: Worker Justice Center of New York

Worker Justice Center of New York
The Worker Justice Center of New York pursues justice for those denied human rights with a focus on agricultural and other low-wage workers, through legal representation, community empowerment and advocacy for institutional change.
Job Title:  Kingston Office Staff Attorney
Job Description: The Worker Justice Center of NY seeks a staff attorney to manage an active docket of labor and employment law and civil rights cases, including class action lawsuits.  The candidate should possess a minimum of 3-5 years of experience in the area of labor/employment or related areas of law.  The attorney will work closely with WJCNY staff and co-counsel and report to the Executive Director(s).  S/he will also as needed conduct legal trainings for advocates and other attorneys.   Applicant should possess a demonstrated interest in low-wage worker issues and have a strong commitment to providing legal services to low-income populations. Must be admitted to practice in New York or be able to be admitted within a reasonable period of time.  Proficiency in Spanish is preferred. 

Compensation:  Salary commensurate with experience, including a union benefits package competitive with other non-profit legal services organizations.

Applications:  Please send, fax or e-mail a resume and brief cover letter to the Worker Justice Center of NY, 101 Hurley Avenue, Suite 5, Kingston, NY 12401. Fax: (845) 331-6617. Attn: Milan Bhatt. Email: mbhatt@wjcny.org   Position open effective immediately.
 
The Worker Justice Center of NY represents the joining together of Farmworker Legal Services of NY and the Workers’ Rights Law Center of NY.   We serve communities throughout New York State from our offices in Rochester, Kingston, and Albany.   
  

Senior Policy & Advocacy Advisor for Farm Journal Foundation - Wash., D.C.

Job Title: Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor

Location: Washington, D.C.
The Farm Journal Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit launched by Farm Journal Media, the nation’s leading agricultural media company. Founded in 2010, the Foundation is dedicated to sustaining agriculture’s ability to meet the vital needs of a growing population through education and empowerment. Its flagship initiative, Farmers Feeding the World (FFW), is platform to rally the agricultural community around the fight against world hunger

About the Position
Working closely with FFW’s Director of Government Relations, the Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor will principally manage implementation of a new advocacy program supported by a recently awarded grant. This position is responsible for coalition building and developing/coordinating an effective grassroots and grass tops advocacy effort to advance global agricultural development. The Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor will also play an integral role in strategic planning and messaging.  A background in international development, grassroots organizing, food and agriculture policy, or related experience is essential. The Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor will have the opportunity to work with farmers, development professionals, policymakers, youth and philanthropists, and will be instrumental in executing large-scale projects.

Responsibilities:
·       Plan and organize a grassroots advocacy network
·       Grass tops advocacy training
·       Conceptualize messaging and training materials for direct advocacy program
·       Coalition building and outreach within the development community
·       Analyze and synthesize research related to food security, international development and agriculture policy into policy briefs and recommendations
·       Evaluate trends in the political and policy environment within the scope of this project
·       Regular communication with grant maker, Foundation staff, Board of Directors and other stakeholders
·       Strategy and communications planning/oversight
·       Contribute to work plans and progress reports as necessary

Desired Qualifications:
·       5+ years previous experience required (including internships)
·       BA required, master’s degree strongly preferred.
·       Degrees in international development, international affairs, food policy, agricultural communications, political science, economics, agricultural journalism or related fields preferred.
·       Field work experience in grassroots advocacy, development, and/or  food aid will be prioritized.
·       A strong command of domestic and foreign agriculture, food policy, food aid, international development and related issues
·       Superior oral and written communication and issue analysis required
·       Attention to detail, organizational skills and the ability to multi-task are essential.
·       Command of content development and persuasive writing
·       A passion for improving the lives of others, especially alleviating hunger and poverty

Competitive salary with benefits package.
Travel up to 20%.
Employment is on an at-will basis.
Farm Journal Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.


Friday, September 20, 2013

Rural Sociology Fellowship

Please consider or forward this announcement to prospective graduate students as appropriate regarding an opportunity for Master's or Ph.D. level studies in Rural Sociology and associated fields of sociological inquiry, including Environmental/Natural Resource Sociology, Sociology of Agriculture/Food Systems, Community Development and Development Sociology.  The Rural Sociology specialization in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University is seeking high quality applicants for several academic fellowship opportunities.  Qualified students may also be considered for teaching and research associateships depending on school and faculty needs.

Fellowship awards are for one and possibly multiple years and include stipend, tuition and fees, with additional years of support possible via teaching or research associateships.  Fellowship awards are available beginning in Fall 2014.  To be considered for a fellowship, applications for graduate study are due by December 31st, 2012.  Contact our graduate program staff at ENRGrad@osu.edu for guidance regarding submission of an application and contact Linda Lobao (lobao.1@osu.edu) for further detail about graduate studies in Rural Sociology.  See http://senr.osu.edu/ for more information about the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State and http://go.osu.edu/RuralSociology for information specific to the rural sociology specialization.


Jeff Sharp
Professor and Interim Director, School of Environment and Natural Resources
210 Kottman Hall
2021 Coffey Road
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH  43202
sharp.123@osu.edu
614-292-8522

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Senior Counsel Food Law, ConAgra Foods

Job Summary: This position can also be located in Omaha NE or Naperville IL. In-house senior counsel position responsible for food law-related legal support activities for the company. Position may also provide legal support for the day-to-day commercial activities of certain businesses, including marketing reviews and development of a variety of commercial agreements. Position conducts legal research as needed, assists on resolution of disputes associated with support activities, and other related duties.

Position Qualifications: Licensed attorney with a minimum of eight (8) years experience in a law firm and/or corporate role, with significant food law/regulatory experience. Other more general CPG commercial legal experience (such as counseling on marketing/advertising, commercial contracts, and IP/trademark protection) also desirable. Demonstrated ability to be a team player and partner effectively with business clients in a collaborative environment to achieve stated business objectives while minimizing risks. Professional written and oral communication skills, including the ability to translate complicated legal concepts to understandable business terms. Excellent organization and advocacy skills. Proficiency in the following software: MS Office tools. Ability to conduct complex legal research on Lexis, Westlaw and other on-line computer research databases and to develop and track information. Strong organizational skills coupled with the ability to compile information from multiple sources. Must be able to handle company confidential information and data requiring the highest degree of attention to preserve confidentiality. Self-starter with a sense of urgency, ability to multi-task, ability to handle unanticipated situations effectively and work well under pressure with tight deadlines. Must present a professional image. Must communicate effectively with all internal constituents from employees to senior management, as well as external organizations including potentially government enforcement agencies, non-governmental organizations and outside counsel.

View the full job posting here.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Policy Analyst/Organic Food and Farming: The Cornucopia Institute

The Cornucopia Institute is a farm policy research group focused on research and education.  We are one of the most preeminent and aggressive organic and sustainable food and farming watchdogs.  We seek to protect the integrity of the organic food label from governmental regulatory indifference as well as from agribusinesses cutting corners so as to profiteer from unethical and questionable food processing and agricultural practices.  We further work to protect the authenticity of other marketplace vehicles farmers and consumers used to interact and that are also being abused/exploited (CSA's, farmers markets, local food and other direct marketing structures).
We are seeking to add the following individual to our growing organization.
  • Farm and Food Policy Analyst: We are seeking an individual with a strong academic background and/or professional experience with agricultural policy, nutrition, research, writing, organizing. Click here to read the full job description:  http://www.cornucopia.org/job-opportunities/

Cornucopia is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable state and federal law.

The Cornucopia Institute is engaged in educational activities supporting the ecological principles and economic wisdom underlying sustainable and organic agriculture.  Through research and investigations on agricultural and food issues, The Cornucopia Institute provides needed information to family farmers, consumers, stakeholders involved in the good food movement, and the media.