Position Title: Executive Director
Organization: CitySeed
Location: New Haven, Connecticut
About CitySeed
CitySeed is a dynamic, community-based nonprofit organization based in New Haven, Connecticut, whose mission is to engage the community in growing an equitable, local food system that promotes economic development, community development, and sustainable agriculture.
From its beginning, CitySeed has worked to address structural barriers to accessing local, healthy food while supporting the viability of farming in Connecticut and inclusive economic growth in the community.
Our values include:
1) supporting community rights to access healthy and culturally-appropriate food and recognizing the know-how, celebration, and/or history that each community member brings to food and cooking;
2) dismantling privilege, oppression, and racism in the food system;
3) collaborating with community partners on food justice and inclusive growth projects and to leverage resources and programming to better serve the community at large.
CitySeed’s programs work together to support its mission.
- Farmers Markets are foundational to our engagement in the community and support of CT farm viability. We run the Wooster Square market in New Haven, one of the most acclaimed Farmers Markets in Connecticut, as well as a three-season market at Edgewood Park, a summer market on the Downtown New Haven Green, a summer market in Fair Haven, and in Indoor Winter Market.CitySeed Farmers Markets have one of the highest redemption rates of federal, state and local food assistance benefits in the state of Connecticut. We additionally support a Mobile Market, operated by Common Ground High School, which acts as a farmstand on wheels, bringing local produce to neighborhoods across New Haven with limited access. Through our markets we also offer a range of cooking education and other activities.
- CitySeed Incubates delivers wraparound food business incubation services for early-stage food entrepreneurs, providing mentorship and training, making connections to local farmers, and offering resources, including shared commercial kitchen space, to help businesses succeed. CitySeed Incubates aims to remove barriers to food entrepreneurship for all, supporting leadership by people of color and immigrant food entrepreneurs, and strengthening our local food system. We offer affordable access to shared commercial kitchen space, and run a 12-week Food Business Accelerator, an in-depth training and mentorship program aimed at supported equitable food-oriented development.
- Sanctuary Kitchenprogram was launched by CitySeed in 2017, partnering with immigrant and refugee chefs to build economic opportunity and intercultural understanding through food. We facilitate immigrant-led culinary events, and run a catering social enterprise that offers employment and professional development opportunities for rising chefs and food entrepreneurs.
- The New Haven Food Policy Council(NHFPC), a volunteer, advisory commission of the City of New Haven that advocates for healthy food for all New Haven residents, was founded and is supported by CitySeed. The NHFPC seeks to encourage the community at large and legislators to enact positive policy changes that will build a more just food system. CitySeed also offers fiscal administration to the Council and programmatic support to the Master Cooks Corps program, run by Global Local Gourmet, which operates in cooperation with the NHFPC’s Working Group on Cooking & Food Education. These cooks from within the community are peer-based educators trained to teach culturally relevant, affordable, healthy cooking across New Haven.
For more information about our organization and our work, please see: www.cityseed.org
Opportunity
CitySeed seeks a dynamic, mindful, and entrepreneurial leader who is both inspired and inspiring. We seek someone with creative ideas for how to evolve and support the organization so that we keep growing to meet our mission.
Position Summary
The Executive Director (ED) will be responsible for the consistent achievement of CitySeed’s mission, values, strategic priorities, policies, programs, and financial objectives. The ED will formulate and recommend to the Board strategic, business, operational plans, and budgets. They will directly manage and work with the Director of Operations in the design and implementation of specific programs, initiatives, and actions. They will directly lead the development effort and participate actively in all development events and activities. This position reports to the Board of Directors.
Professional Qualifications
The successful candidate will have one or more of the following:
- Significant experience in managing an initiative, department and/or organization with responsibility for planning, fiscal controls, revenue generation and community relations or related relevant experience
- Experience with social enterprise, equitable food-oriented development, and/or food entrepreneurship
- Experience in raising funds, developing strategic fundraising programs and expanding development efforts
- Strong financial management skills and knowledge of the fundraising and investment landscape that can support our work
- Strong public relations skills
- Passion for social justice, agriculture, community organizing, or food system work
- Excellent listening, facilitation, and analysis skills
Essential Duties and Responsibilities of the ED include, but are not limited to the following:
Strategy & Planning
- Works with the Board, staff, and partners as necessary, to develop, fund, and execute a strategic plan defining the future direction of CitySeed
- Develops long-range income streams, annual budgets, and program plans based on priorities, strategies, and measurable outcomes in collaboration with the Board, Director of Operations, and relevant partners
Development and Public Relations
- Drives an overall fundraising strategy to raise money from individual donors, foundations, corporations, and the government
- Cultivates and stewards individual and institutional donors
- Oversees all grant-writing and grant reporting for the organization
- Explores innovative earned revenue opportunities to further diversify and strengthen CitySeed’s fiscal wellbeing and sustainability
- Manages all fundraising, public relations, and marketing activities, with Board and staff
- Serves as lead representative and spokesperson for CitySeed to all media, government agencies, and community partners
- Establishes and nurtures intentional, diverse, and collaborative relationships with other organizations to further food access and justice
Management
- Evaluates all CitySeed plans, programs, activities and procedures with regard to their purpose, sustainability and impact on the organization and community
- Ensures compliance, at all levels, with CitySeed’s policies and procedures as well as federal, state and local laws
- With the Director of Operations, hires, trains, supervises, evaluates and reviews performance of staff in accordance with CitySeed’s personnel policies
- Leads and nurtures a strong staff, building relationships with social justice, trust, responsibility and accountability for optimal partnership and cohesion within CitySeed
- Promotes effective, consistent, and inclusive communications, internally and externally, to ensure cooperation and collaboration between staff and community to support CitySeed’s work
Finance
- Recommends an annual budget for Board review and approval
- Ensures adequate funding raised to operate the organization and to maintain a solvent financial position
- Maintains the implementation of a sound fiscal management and accounting system that includes budgeting, accounting, reporting and auditing activities, ensuring that appropriate fiscal controls and procedures are in place to ensure transparency and accountability
Governance
- Fosters Board relationships and overall Board effectiveness in concert with the Board leadership
- Provides support for the Board’s oversight and fiduciary responsibilities
- Recommends policy for Board review and action and implements the Board’s policy decisions
- Works with and supports the Board President and Governance Committee in mobilizing the Board committees and is present on all appropriate standing and ad-hoc committees
Compensation and Benefits
This is a full-time position that reports to the Board of the Directors. Competitive salary and benefits including vacation, sick, and holiday time. Benefits and salary are negotiable commensurate on skills and experience.
Equal Opportunity Employer
CitySeed is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to the recruitment and retention of staff that is reflective of communities we work with.
To Apply
Please send resume, cover letter, and three contacts for reference including name, email and relationship/relevance to you to: jobs@cityseed.org. Inquiries may be also directed to jobs@cityseed.org.
Please apply by AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
