Company description

The Chicago Food Policy Action Council co-develops, advocates for, and supports implementation of policies that advance food justice and sovereignty for the Chicago region. We envision a food system where all Chicagoans, of all race, class, and social, or gender identities, have a right to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through community-driven, ecologically regenerative, and economically viable processes.

Job description

Position Overview

The Good Food Purchasing Initiative Director stewards the Metro Chicago Good Food Purchasing Initiative (GFPI) toward achieving its goal of creating an institutional food procurement system that is more equitable, healthy, and sustainable - where access to good food is a right, not a privilege. The Director is a strategic and adaptive leader bringing the ability to activate multiple stakeholders that will work collectively to achieve that vision. This person is an experienced and highly emotionally intelligent people leader who can develop and execute complex concurrent plans, projects, and working groups. The Director is a strong relationship manager, nurturing external and internal partners toward achieving the mission and vision of GFPI reflective of CFPAC's culture and values.

Objectives You’re Here to Meet
GFPI Leadership:

• Guide the transition of GFPI to an inclusive and accountable coalition membership model, and support by measuring and tracking its activities to achieve its strategic goals and objectives.

GFPP Implementation:

• Fully implement the Good Food Purchasing Program with the City of Chicago, its Sister Agencies, Cook County Government, and other local anchor institutions who have adopted GFPP

Equitable Supply Chain Development:

• Develop a racially & socially equitable regional food supply chain that can meet increasing institutional demand for good food

• Support pathways for BIPOC food producers and businesses to scale operations for sales to public and community-based meal programs, cafeterias, and concessions

Normalizing Values-Based Procurement:

• Normalize values-based procurement across all community-based "anchor" institutions in the Chicago region, including hospitals, higher ed institutions, cultural institutions, senior living facilities, and others

• Engage both institutional food service staff and meal program recipients in building food literacy and directing Good Food Purchasing Initiative activities

Position is Accountable for…

GFPI Leadership

• Manage a strong, cohesive GFPI team of staff providing support and guidance to program managers with specific programmatic, logistical, and leadership issues and opportunities. Manage and support the team’s work activities and work plans toward completion and achievement of outcomes.
• Transition GFPI’s coalition to a democratic membership model, with an elected steering council, and lead its Operations Working Group.
• Oversee the communication of GFPI's work through regular newsletters, an active web presence, public speaking opportunities, and a comprehensive Annual Report.
• Oversee the progress of GFPI's 2022-2024 strategic plan and work with staff and coalition members to develop its next iteration.
• Support the efforts in Research & Evaluation in collaboration with the Research Coordinator and CFPAC Grants & Project Manager to track the initiative’s goals and outcomes in partnership with the Evaluation Working Group.
• Serve as an ambassador of GFPI with both local and national partners working on aligned good food purchasing efforts.

GFPI Grants & Budget Management

• Collaborate with the CFPAC Director of Operations and the Grant Manager to maintain and sustain the GFPI budget, helping ensure programs/projects operate within approved budgets and timelines.

• Regularly check in and steward relationships with funders to share updates on the initiative’s activities and progress.
• Review and approve grant invoices and co-develop reports used in reporting on activities to funders.
• Support and identify resource development opportunities for the initiative to be able to effectively implement the strategic plan.

GFPP Implementation & Expansion

• Provide leadership, guidance, and support to the City of Chicago GFPP Coordinator and Cook County GFPP Coordinator who are working to implement GFPP with publicly run meal programs and food environments.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and support to the GFPP Expansion Coordinator in releasing cost-share opportunities for private institutions to pilot GFPP.
• Support the GFPP Expansion Coordinator in engaging new anchor institutions to join GFPI and participate in peer-to-peer learning communities.

Equitable Supply Chain Development

• Provide guidance and support to the Community Fund Manager in their grantmaking efforts to local producers and food businesses.
• Support the Equitable Supply Chain Development Manager with planning the Buyer/Supplier Mixer Series, which regularly brings stakeholders across the supply chain together to build relationships, identify sales opportunities, and discuss challenges/solutions to good food purchasing efforts.
• Support the Equitable Supply Chain Development Manager in developing and providing resources and tools, such as the GFPI Guide for Growers and Food Businesses, for food producers who want to sell to community food access sites.
• Provide guidance and support to the team at Roosevelt University’s Policy Research Collaborative, which is leveraging GFPP to support safer working conditions, living wages, and the right to organize across the food industry.

CFPAC General Support

• Annual Chicago Food Justice Summit: Present on GFPI at the annual Summit, and provide back-end logistical support to event planning team.

• Be an active member and co-leader of CFPAC’s staff and support a collaborative and inclusive staff culture; participate in staff review and feedback processes.

• Chicago Food Justice Rhizome Network: Collaborate internally with CFPAC's Rhizome Network leaders to make connections between Rhizome efforts and GFPI's activities.

• Support and collaborate with Director of Operations in team building through recruitment, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and staff development.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $75,000 - $100,000

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline