organizing Director
Organizational Overview
Real Food Generation (RFG) harnesses the power of youth and universities to create an equitable and sustainable food system. After winning dozens of campaigns nationally over the last decade that have resulted in $80 million committed to our definition of “Real Food” we have proven that student organizing can drive substantial change in the food chain across the country. After a time of significant internal restructuring [1], RFG is revitalizing our engagement with regional and national campaign work. We are gearing up to launch targeted, procurement-specific campaigns at universities in California and the Northeast this fall and seek an Organizing Director to build momentum on college campuses behind shifting procurement practices towards a more just and sustainable food system.
RFG is a Worker Self-Directed nonprofit that operates under a horizontal leadership structure. Working with us both demands and fosters high levels of integrity, self-motivation and collaborative praxis. This position will work closely with the Procurement Director, another role we are currently seeking to fill. NOTE: We welcome joint applications for these two positions together from pairs of people who have organized together before and know that they work well as a team.
RFG is a project under the fiscal sponsorship of the Alliance for Global Justice [2].
Responsibilities
Along with our partners at Anchors in Action [3], RFG is releasing an updated set of Real Food Standards and a new version of the Real Food Calculator this summer, setting the stage for unified food procurement standards across a wide set of institutions (hospitals, municipalities, K-12 schools, and higher education). The Organizing Director will partner closely with our Procurement Director to lead recruitment and retention of organizing capacity on university campuses and support students in campaign crafting, building power with student groups, and winning campaigns that translate to shifting university procurement dollars towards values-based producers. The primary universities you’ll be targeting in 2023-2024 will be in California, with campaigns to expand eastward across the country from 2024-beyond.
For a more detailed job posting please see our website [4].
OUTREACH & BASE BUILDING
- Lead student recruitment at 12 university campuses, building groups capable of leveraging campaigns against their university dining administrators
- Facilitate political education and discussion amongst students that builds their understanding of RFG’s analysis and strategic approach
- Develop systems and methods for incorporating student visioning and feedback into the organization’s planning process in appropriate ways
- Hold regularly scheduled one-on-one supervision meetings with field organizers to develop work plans and guide their work and development
STRATEGY & PUBLIC RELATIONS
- In partnership with the Procurement Director, research existing value chain and procurement efforts to develop a strategic plan by end of 2023 that outlines RFG’s plan to win on adoption and implementation of our standards at targeted universities
- Meet with Anchors in Action partners to publicize the standards and provide leadership in implementation and policy updates
- Engage the broader community of universities, communities, and like-minded organizations in our vision for Real Food through participating in panels, conferences, presentations and other opportunities for outreach and information sharing
- Bottomline public comms including managing social media and producing a quarterly newsletter
- Act as primary public point of contact for the organization
ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP
- Engage in participatory budgeting with our Operations Director and other staff
- Collaborate with Procurement Director and Development Director on developing and aligning strategic plans for leveraging our resources and vast network of funders and partners
- Other activities, including taking on additional operations responsibilities as appropriate based on skills and interests and in alignment with our structural transition into a Worker Self Directed Model
Qualifications
We will consider exceptional candidates who demonstrate a strong combination of the specific qualifications and skills in the arenas described below.
ORGANIZING & PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
- 3+ years of experience in campaign crafting and execution
- Experience leading or participating in a coalition, aligning multiple organizations’ strategies towards shared goals
- Strong writing and public speaking skills, and ability to hold external relations with the community, press, and partners
- Excellent program management and data management skills. An ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize and problem solve while working with a team through a remote setting is needed
CULTURE & POLITICS
- Alignment with Real Food Generation’s food sovereignty and racial justice values and analysis, including a clear personal stake in transforming the food system
- Experience working (or volunteering) in horizontal, consensus-based organizations
- The ability to embrace and navigate nuance and complexity when it comes to conflict, power, identity and working within the non-profit industrial complex
- The ability to build trust and maintain relationships across differing subjectivities and positionalities
Additional Information
This position may involve travel 4-6 times per year, including to strategy retreats, actions and trainings, in accordance with travel and safety guidelines due to COVID-19. There may be additional opportunities to represent Real Food Generation at conferences and to attend trainings for professional development.
This is a remote position and can be based anywhere in the United States of America. Current staff are based in: Boston, MA; Oakland, CA; and Virginia. Candidates based in California are highly encouraged to apply.
