Michigan Good Food Fund: is a statewide food financing collaborative whose partners invest in good food enterprises working to spark equitable economic opportunity, promote healthy food access, and shore up the resilience of our local food economy. Since 2015, this initiative has provided more than $17 million in loans and grants supporting 300+ Michigan-based food businesses that grow, process, distribute, and sell food. Support includes financing and business assistance to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses and thrive.

About the Role:

How Fair Food Network and Michigan Good Food Fund work together: Fair Food Network serves as the administrative backbone of the Michigan Good Food Fund, bringing together the expertise, knowledge, and financial capital of stakeholders and partners from across the state. The mission and goals of the Good Food Fund are set by a Stakeholder Board of community members, entrepreneurs, and implementing partners; the role of the Director of the Michigan Good Food Fund is to manage these partnerships and the processes necessary to make the goals of the collaborative, as defined by stakeholders, a reality. The Director will also work closely with internal Fair Food Network departments, including evaluation, communications, finance, investment, and fundraising.

The Director will also contribute to Fair Food Network’s efforts to foster similar collaboratives in other places, providing lessons learned from Michigan and incorporating the successes and learnings of other efforts into the management of the Michigan Good Food Fund.

Fair Food Network is headquartered in Southeast Michigan and prefers this Director position to be co-located within commuting distance. A relocation package is available. Remote employment will be considered for exceptional candidates elsewhere in Michigan. Travel to client sites and stakeholder offices across Michigan will be required.

The Michigan Good Food Fund Director will be part of Fair Food Network’s impact investing team and report to the Senior Director of Impact Investing.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the partner community that makes up the Michigan Good Food Fund (lending, technical assistance, entrepreneur, and community partners) in evolving the strategic vision of the Michigan Good Food Fund, ensuring community voice and balance between strategic and tactical achievability.
• Develop and implement plans to achieve the objectives Michigan Good Food Fund as developed by the community partners, including strategies that promote racial and gender equity.
• Manage and support the lifecycle of entrepreneur “client,” from pipeline building -> identification -> case management -> technical assistance and/or financial assistance -> long-term and ongoing support.
• Build out the Michigan Good Food Fund team, hire staff to fill needed roles, and manage the team according to identified goals and metrics.
• Orchestrate the engagement of Fair Food Network colleagues in support of Michigan Good Food Fund goals.
• Effectively collaborate with various stakeholders, including stakeholder board, lending and TA partners, and other external constituents.
• Represent Michigan Good Food Fund and Fair Food Network at external conferences and with other partners, including funders.
• Support fundraising activities for Michigan Good Food Fund, Fair Food Network, and partner organizations through prospect identification, contributing to grant proposals and reports, responding to funder requests, and participating in funder meetings as appropriate.
• Integrate the Michigan Good Food Fund into the overall program work of Fair Food Network and serve on the Organizational Leadership Team.

What You’ll Need

• Collaboration: Experience co-creating, managing, and evolving initiatives rooted in and shaped by the community, as well as experience managing formal and informal groups of participants to solicit input.
• Management: Build and identify staff roles, hire, and manage for success.
• Initiative: Experience managing a complex project with multiple elements; inhabits a “builder” mindset.
• Team Player and Orchestrator: Work collaboratively with internal and external implementing partners, including colleagues in other Fair Food Network departments and lending and technical assistance partners.
• Equity and Justice: professional track record and strong orientation toward social justice, proximity to communities of color, and demonstrated success enacting strategies that effectively promote racial and gender equity.
• Michigan and Food Economy: Experience and understanding of how to navigate Michigan’s demographic and economic complexity; understand the food economy from agriculture to retail and challenges and opportunities facing food entrepreneurs in the state. A strong network of existing relationships is preferred.
• Content area expertise: Experience or formal training in food business management, entrepreneurship, finance, impact investing, or community development.
• Communications: Strong written and verbal presentation skills to motivate partners, including funders and influencers.

The Rewards:

A competitive, comprehensive benefits package includes full health benefits, a 401K match after one year, family leave, an open PTO policy, and professional development opportunities. All Fair Food Network employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This position is a director-level role with a salary range starting at $76K/year.