Program Director, Family Farm Action and Family Farm Action Alliance; Remote

Family Farm Action Alliance and Family Farm Action leverage research, policy development, advocacy campaigns, and political expertise to achieve a democratized food and agriculture system in which independent actors hold power, rather than a consolidated few. We are joined in our movement by farmers, ranchers, rural communities, food system workers, policymakers, advocates, and anyone who eats. We envision a fair, inclusive, and competitive food and agriculture system that respects our land, natural resources, and neighbors around the world.

Family Farm Action Alliance is a tax-deductible charitable 501(c)(3) organization that formed as an affiliate organization of Family Farm Action, a political nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization. Together, our two organizations represent a seamless chain of action from research and policy development, to the adoption of the policy through legislative action by elected officials who support our vision.

The Position

The Program Director is a member of Family Farm Action Alliance’s senior management and reports to the President. They are responsible for providing leadership and direction for the organizations’ programs, emphasizing measurable outcomes and using best practices. The Program Director is responsible for researching, planning, developing, and implementing the organization’s programs. The Program Director will ensure seamless team management and development, program delivery, and program evaluation and success. In this newly established role, the Program Director will help build and manage a growing staff. The Program Director works for both Family Farm Action Alliance and Family Farm Action.

Responsibilities

Program Development, Implementation, and Evaluation:

• In conjunction with the President and Vice President, develop programs, campaigns, communications, and activities that carry out the mission and operations of the organization, including identifying processes, deadlines, and milestones

• Recommend the necessary systems, processes, and tools to better support the facilitation, collection, and sharing of knowledge that is generated by the programs and campaigns

• Execute programs, campaigns, communications, and activities from start to finish, ensuring consistent message and narrative, cohesion, coordination, and implementation across all programs

• Ensure that key project outcomes and/or policy, advocacy, and legislation are evaluated and leveraged for maximum community and organizational impact

Staff Management

• Attract, develop, and manage high-performance team members, empowering them to elevate their level of responsibility, span of control, and performance 

• Build a strong team through open communication and by collaborating on decision-making responsibilities. Create and nurture effective communication within the organization. 

• Coordinate and lead staff meetings

• Ensure the implementation of the Personnel Policies and Guidelines; Encourage the development of staff skills and talents

• Foster a friendly and motivating work environment

• Evaluate staff as directed in the Personnel Policies and Guidelines

• Lead staff by example in work habits and professionalism

Financial Management

• Supervise the financial management of programs and campaigns

• Develop and draft program and campaign budgets for review and approval by the President and Vice President

• Provide support for grant writing and reporting and help to nurture relationships with funders

Qualifications

• Proven leadership skills and staff management experience, including the ability to develop team performance and a genuine desire to coach and mentor

• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity

• Self-motivated, able to balance multiple and competing priorities or deadlines, excellent organizational skills, and ability to track multiple projects/programs tasks as delegated to program staff with attention to detail

• Strong focus on being strategic, problem-solving, and solution-focused

• Experience working with broad-based coalitions and organizations, community capacity-building efforts, and group facilitation

• General knowledge of and familiarity with political contexts at the federal, state, and local levels

• Knowledge of food and agriculture system issues, especially as they relate to rural communities, and willingness to build issue knowledge where needed 

• Strong budget management experience

• Excellent written and oral presentation skills, with ability to engage, inspire, build credibility and engender trust with diverse audiences. This includes the ability to build coalitions, negotiate, and resolve conflicts effectively while preserving important relationships with partners and funders

• Trustworthy, ethical, and authentic in all situations

Compensation, Hours, and Location

This is a full-time remotely-based position. Compensation is $68,000-$72,000, based on experience. A monthly $300 healthcare stipend is provided.

 

Application Instructions

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to info@farmactionalliance.org with the subject line “Program Director.” Email materials in Word or PDF format only. All communications will be treated confidentially. Resume review begins immediately.

 

Additional Organizational Information

Family Farm Action and Family Farm Action Alliance are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming a diversity of voices and perspectives is essential to solving the pressing issues of today, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the farm and food movement. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.