Director of Food Security & Community Impact

Program Director job at Mountain Roots. Gunnison, CO.

ABOUT US

Mountain Roots Food Project is a community food systems initiative in the central Rocky Mountains of Colorado. We cultivate a resilient and equitable food system by enhancing healthy connections between food, earth, and community. We foster knowledge, teach skills, and provide opportunities that ensure access to affordable, nutritious food that is regionally based and sustainably produced. As the leading local food systems initiative in the region, we promote personal, community, and environmental health to increase individual and community resilience.

We run a district-wide Farm to School program, cultivate a regenerative community farm and four hydroponic farms, and coordinate a network of community gardens. We manage a 150-member multifarmer CSA, we lead targeted-access food security programs including Cooking Mattersä and Backyard Harvest, and we lead a regional Ameri Corps program focusing on service within rural community food systems.

JOB OVERVIEW

The Food Security Program Director is a key leadership role responsible for strategic development, operations, and program administration. By working in the general community with low-income and other underserved/underrepresented audiences, you’ll develop current programs and design new access strategies that increase access to and consumption of fresh healthy food, build self-sufficiency and improve individual and community health, address the root causes of poverty, some social determinants of health, and bridge age, cultural, and socioeconomic gaps.

You’ll be working directly with marginalized audiences to challenge systems of oppression, amplify voices, and empower people to take action for personal and community change. Current programs include a weekly fresh food box program, community farms and gardens, cooking education classes, and community engagement initiatives. The position oversees three supporting staff members and works with a high level of collaboration with the Executive Director, other program leaders, and community partner organizations.

The Food Security Program Director must demonstrate strong leadership, strategic thinking, excellent communication skills, a passion for resilient and equitable food systems and a commitment to serving diverse communities. Key competencies include expertise in project management, food systems and regenerative agriculture, data-driven decision-making, and a commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in all aspects of the program. Conversational Spanish language is a plus;

30% of our audience are Spanish speak

Strategic Development:

• Advance strategic visioning, program priorities, goal setting, and action planning, ensuring alignment with the organization’s objectives. Work cross-departmentally to leverage resources and expertise.

• Identify emerging trends and challenges to inform program direction. Pursue opportunities for improvement, collaboration, and growth.

• Evaluate program impact/success, making data-driven decisions and sharing results with stakeholders.

• Strengthen critical partnerships with local government, nonprofits, regional and state organizations, private entities, and businesses to enhance resource sharing, funding opportunities, and program outreach.

• Drive innovation by exploring and integrating best practices in sustainable agriculture, food systems, and community-based food security solutions.

• Plan meetings and participate in local and regional food security working groups and stay current on local, regional, state, and national food security issues.

• Advocate for, design, and implement systemic solutions that improve food access and equity for underserved communities.

Food Security Operations & Programming:

• Plan and implement current day-to-day food security program activities and be the driving force behind implementing new activities.

• Oversee the coordination of logistics for food distribution, including partnerships with local farms and other community-based initiatives to ensure consistent and reliable access to food.
• Monitor results, developments, and impact to ensure efficiency, resilience,…