Managing Director Farm Fresh Rhode Island
- Date Posted June 02, 2023
- Location Providence, RI
- Category Agriculture / Nonprofit
- Job type Full-Time
About Farm Fresh Rhode Island:
Founded in 2004 with the mission of growing a local food system that values the environment, health, and quality of life of Rhode Island farmers and eaters, Farm Fresh Rhode Island has grown from a two-person staff and an operating budget of $30,000 in 2006 to a nationally recognized food systems organization with over 50 employees and an annual operating budget of over $6M in 2023.
Farm Fresh Rhode Island operates a range of innovative programs that enhance the local food system of Rhode Island and the broader Northeast region, with particular attention to farm viability and access to fresh food regardless of economic status. Our programs are as follows:
- Community Education: Educates the broader public on local food systems and food preparation in school and community settings across the state through cafeteria taste tests, local food marketing campaigns, cooking demonstrations and other in-person programs.
- Food Access: Manages farmers markets and operates nutrition incentive programs such as SNAP-match, produce prescription and other special initiatives to subsidize the purchase of locally grown produce for low-income communities statewide.
- Harvest Kitchen: Hosts a culinary job training and supported internship program for youth in state custody through the Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF) on-site at a local Cafe in Pawtucket, RI while also providing processing capacity for local farmers by processing b-grade and surplus foods into a line of value-added products
- Hope’s Harvest: Mobilizes volunteers to harvest surplus fruits and vegetables from farms, contracts with local growers, and pays for surplus produce — all for distribution to hunger relief agencies throughout RI.
- Market Mobile: A local food aggregation and distribution program delivering to a variety of customers including residential, wholesale and institutional buyers.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Managing Director oversees general management of Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s program and service areas including: Community Education, Food Access, Harvest Kitchen, Hope’s Harvest, and Market Mobile. They will be responsible for the operational success of Farm Fresh RI by leading all team management, program delivery and quality control, financial management, and evaluation efforts.
This position will have direct management responsibility of the Assistant Director of People & Culture as well as six individual Program Directors, who are collectively responsible for managing 20-30 permanent and seasonal employees in executing program activities. As such, the ideal candidate will have strengths in hiring, recruiting, managing, developing, coaching, and retaining individuals and teams, empowering them to elevate their levels of responsibility, span of control, and performance.
As a member of the senior management team, the Managing Director will be involved in a range of strategic planning and internal organizational initiatives. This position supports all aspects of program management including but not limited to program business planning, budgeting, grant writing and reporting. They will continually evaluate best industry practices in comparison to internal systems and needed resources, with an eye toward both future needs and budget realities. Additionally, this position is responsible for supporting the Executive Director and Advancement Director in maintaining key external relationships with state and national partners to advance Farm Fresh RI’s mission of growing the local food system.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Program Administration & Operations
- Identify opportunities for Farm Fresh RI to leverage cross-program strengths to take advantage of new opportunities and/or to address organizational challenges.
- Facilitate annual program work-planning processes in partnership with Executive Director and Program Teams, ensuring strategic alignment across programs.
- Work with Program Directors, Director of Business and Administration, and Executive Director on program-specific financial projection updates and scenario planning as needed.
- Work with the Executive Director, Advancement Director, and Program Directors to evaluate program related grant opportunities. Support grant writing and budget development as needed.
- Uphold Farm Fresh’s commitment to racial equity, diversity, and inclusion by ensuring that Farm Fresh programs thoughtfully and intentionally engage a wide range of community groups and stakeholders.
Staff Management & Development
- Responsible for all Program Director hiring, coaching, supervision, and ongoing performance management.
- In partnership with Program Directors, support hiring, coaching, and performance management processes for individual program staff, volunteers, and AmeriCorps members.
- Ensure consistent, high-quality evaluation and goal setting and professional development for all employees.
- Instill accountability among team by modeling tight oversight of individual and organizational performance standards.
Organizational Leadership
- Provide inspiring leadership by being actively involved in all services, developing a deep knowledge of all programs.
- Support the implementation of strategic initiatives and special projects involving program staff.
- Supervise the drafting, and communicating internal organizational policies and SOPs to ensure standards across programs.
- Work in partnership with the senior management team to oversee annual organizational budgeting and financial forecasting systems.
- Consistently demonstrate an action-oriented, entrepreneurial, and innovative approach to operational management to support program impacts.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
Our ideal candidate will have the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform this role but does not need all of these in order to qualify.
- Experience in a leadership role at a nonprofit with an annual operating budget of at least $2M
- Strong interpersonal and supervisory skills, including both human resources management as well as the ability to successfully provide leadership, inspire others.
- Predisposition to mentor and subsequently increase responsibilities in employees as team members develop.
- 5+ years experience with financial data management
- Demonstrated success in developing, implementing, and evaluating programs and initiatives.
- Analytic decision maker with the ability to prioritize and concisely communicate to staff key objectives and actions necessary to achieve organizational goals
- Strong project management skills and ability to handle a variety of assignments simultaneously
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with exceptional attention to detail
- Commitment to the success of co-workers and Farm Fresh RI’s mission and values
- Passion for local food systems and social justice issues
- Deep understanding of local food systems and specifically the RI/New England community
- Strong technology proficiency including Airtable, Microsoft Office, and Google Suite
PHYSICAL DEMANDS (PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL)
The following capabilities are required in order to perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations that do not create an undue burden on the company are available to address the following requirements:
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit/stand for long periods of time at a desk; use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls on computers; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear in meetings and on the telephone or on the computer in an office or variable setting.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Ability to travel, which may include travel via car, train, airline, overnight hotel stays