Food Access Director
Food Access Team | Full-Time
Farmshare Austin’s Food Access team is seeking a full time Food Access Director to provide strategic oversight for our Fresh for Less Mobile Markets and Curbside Delivery program.
About Farmshare:
Located on a 10-acre certified organic farm in Eastern Travis County, Farmshare Austin’s mission is to grow a healthy, just and equitable local food system by increasing community food access and cultivating new farmers. We envision a future of resilient local food economies that ensures equitable access to food and to the resources needed to farm.
Farmshare Austin embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team representative of the communities we work with: one that celebrates a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We highly encourage individuals who self-identify as a member of a marginalized group to apply for open positions at our organization.
Fresh for Less Curbside Delivery and Mobile Markets
Started in 2016, Fresh for Less is a weekly, year-round source of healthy, fresh food for neighborhoods in the Eastern Crescent of Austin and Travis County. We sell reduced cost Farmshare produce, produce from other farms, and healthy grocery staples such as canned beans, rice and local eggs.
Cultivating New Farmers
Begun in 2014, Farmer Starter is a 5-month immersive beginning farmer training program designed to launch adults with the essential skills and training into careers in sustainable agriculture. Taught twice yearly, the course focuses on the art, science and business of farming through in-field training, formal classroom education and community workshops at other farms.
Food Access Director Scope of Work
The Food Access Director will be responsible for providing overall strategic direction, oversight, management and expansion of Farmshare Austin’s Food Access Programs, including the Fresh for Less Mobile Markets and Curbside Delivery Program. The goal of these programs is to provide fresh, seasonal produce from Texas farms at accessible prices at identified sites that have been selected due to socioeconomic and/or geographic barriers to accessing fresh food.
Primary responsibilities:
-Hiring, training, and supervising Food Access Managers and Coordinators
-Building and managing partnerships with other local organizations
-Evaluating and improving Food Access Programs
-Providing direction for the development and implementation of a collaborative outreach plan with local partners as well as the Fresh for Less Community Advisory Council.
-Grant and contract management including grant writing and reporting, including monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting, as well as ensuring accurate and timely data collection needed to accomplish this.
Skills Required:
-Three to five years or more experience working within food systems, food access, food justice, hunger alleviation, community development, or related subjects. Educational experience can substitute for some of these years.
-Strong understanding of the concepts of institutional and structural racism and bias and their impact on underserved and underrepresented communities
-Experience managing a staff
-Proven success managing a program or other operation, including ability to meet and exceed goals set for the program
-Effective and compassionate leadership skills
-Experience managing grants and budgets
-Strong communication and organizational skills, including the ability to build strong collaborative relationships with organizational partners
-Self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal supervision
-Ability to help develop new programs, identify opportunities for improvement, and take initiative
Skills Preferred:
-Fluent or conversational in Spanish
-Retail experience or experience in marketing and produce sales
-Experience with ethnically, culturally, and socio-economically diverse groups
This is a full-time position beginning in June 2022. Farmshare Austin offers staff benefits including farm fresh veggies, generous paid time off, a gas reimbursement stipend, a healthcare reimbursement stipend, and professional development opportunities. Compensation for this position is $50,000-60,000 per year, based on experience.
Deadline to apply is May 15 and qualified candidates will be interviewed ASAP on a rolling basis. Please submit a resume and cover letter describing why you’d be a good fit for this position to info@farmshareaustin.org.
