TITLE: 

Project Manager, Food Systems Leadership Network 

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: 

The Wallace Center’s mission is to bring together diverse people and ideas to co-create solutions that build healthy farms, equitable economies, and resilient food systems.  We cultivate relationships of trust and solidarity among food systems leaders – at the local, regional, and national level – and provide platforms for sharing knowledge and skill, building collective power, and acting collaboratively to transform the food system. Through our programs and leadership, we seek to affect systems change to bring benefits to the environment, to communities, and to the farmers and food businesses that are the building blocks of a healthy and equitable food system. 

The Wallace Center is committed to centering anti-racism, racial equity, and inclusion in our programs, operations, and culture. Our work is guided by our 2021-2023 Strategic Plan, and we strive to embody our values in all we do: 

• Systems-based and intersectional approaches 
• Practitioner knowledge and leadership 
• Anti-racism, equity, and multi-culturalism 
• Ecological resiliency and regeneration 
• Economic justice and fair markets 
• Local and regional solutions and self-determination 
• Human-centered and joyful organizational culture 

The Wallace Center is a unit within Winrock International, an international nonprofit organization that works with people in the United States and around the world to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources. 

CATEGORY: 

Full-time, Exempt  

GROUP: 

Domestic 

UNIT: 

The Wallace Center 

REPORTS TO: 

Wallace Center Co-Director, Food Systems Leadership 

START DATE: 

January 15, 2024 

LOCATION: 

Remote, anywhere in continental US. Winrock International has physical offices in Crystal City, Virginia and Little Rock, Arkansas, but the entire Wallace Center team works remotely.  

SALARY/BENEFITS: 

Starting salary range is $70,000 – $75,000 and will be commensurate with experience and physical location. Excellent benefits offered (https://www.winrock.org/join-us/careers/winrock-international-benefits/). 

APPLICATIONS: 

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, current resume, references, and a writing sample via email to WallaceCareers@winrock.org with the subject line FSLN Project Manager. Applications are due Friday, December 1. International sponsorship is not available. 

BACKGROUND: 

The Wallace Center coordinates the Food Systems Leadership Network (FSLN), a national peer learning community that connects current and emerging leaders, strengthens individual and collective leadership capacity, and fosters collaboration across communities. The FSLN invests in grassroots leaders and amplifies innovative ideas to accelerate community-led, equity-centered solutions that are vital for food systems transformation.  

The Wallace Center’s Food Systems Leadership (FSL) team serves as the backbone staff for the FSLN. Our work primarily focuses on creating learning and connection opportunities for food systems leaders working in community-based organizations, non-profits, and mission driven food businesses across the US. We do this through designing and delivering a wide suite of capacity-building offerings like leadership retreats, webinar series, mentorship programs, accelerators, and research and communications efforts. This work is informed, shaped, and delivered in partnership with network members and allies in the broader movement.  We are a highly collaborative team and we all lead and contribute to the design and facilitation of various network services. 

We envision the FSLN growing and evolving into a radically diverse and inclusive member-driven collaborative network, where members are informing, shaping, and leading the network’s actions and collaborating with each other to co-create a future where all communities are nourished and sustained through good food. In 2024, an FSLN Evolution Team comprised of 7 network members is exploring pathways for the network’s governance and operational structures to better reflect its values around equity, transparency, and community leadership. This is an exciting and pivotal moment for the right leader to help shape and steward the future of this burgeoning network.   

DESCRIPTION: 

The FSLN Project Manager will be a key leader in the implementation and administration of the Food Systems Leadership Network and the projects and programs that serve it. They will join a passionate and highly collaborative team dedicated to the development of equitable and just food systems across the US. The Project Manager will lead the design and delivery of several emerging network activities including Racial Affinity Groups, Network Activation Grants, and the FSLN Evolution Team, while also contributing to and/or leading other core network services in partnership with other team members including the Community Food Systems Mentorship Program, virtual Non-Profit Boot Camp workshop series, Food Systems Leadership Retreats, and Communities of Practice.  

Responsibilities will include: 

• Lead the development, implementation, and administration of new and active projects through the FSLN, particularly in the growth areas mentioned above. This includes project startup, implementation, budget management, evaluation, and funder reporting. 
• Work in partnership with the network backbone team and our partners to design and deliver meaningful and relevant network support services, including developing and managing partnerships with network members, contractors, and partnering organizations.  
• Be a lead contributor to process design and facilitation of network services, including coordinating and facilitating calls and webinars and creating opportunities for member engagement. 
• Provide outreach and communications support for the FSLN, including connecting with and recruiting new network members and partners, contributing content to the Catalyst (FSLN’s monthly newsletter), writing blog posts, liaising with partners to amplify others’ work and creating promotional pieces for the FSLN.  
• Contribute to the maintenance of the FSLN’s digital platform and build strategies to increase member engagement on the platform. 
• Contribute to and help maintain the FSLN’s Evaluation Framework and associated monitoring, learning, and evaluation activities, including data collection, management, and analysis. Track project activities and progress against targets and goals and help translate evaluation data into network strategy and communications. 
• Manage the financial performance of one or more projects. Support Co-Directors with semi-annual reforecasting process and budget adjustments. 
• Compile and submit financial and programmatic reports to funders.  
• Contribute to fundraising and resource generation for the network.  
• Champion and contribute to overall Wallace Center activities around operationalizing racial equity in all facets of our work, implementing our strategic plan, maintaining a human centered organizational culture, and contributing to all-team meetings and events. 
• Commit to ongoing learning and relationship development in the food systems change ecosystem and maintain deep knowledge of the sector.   
• Communicate Wallace Center values, mission, and objectives, in front of relevant internal and external audiences. Serve on relevant committees and working groups, and act as a Wallace Center representative.   

QUALIFICATIONS: 

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and rising leader who thrives at the intersection of food systems change, collaboration, leadership development and racial equity. The ideal candidate will be a systems thinker and network leader, bring a learning and growth mindset, and be deeply committed to advancing racial equity and justice through their work. They will have demonstrated experience in project and program management in the food systems change ecosystem, and be personable, adaptable, communicative, and highly collaborative. They will enjoy managing and/or contributing to multiple initiatives at any given time and can keep calm and a good sense of humor in a dynamic, emergent, and sometimes hectic environment. This position includes building and nurturing relationships with a wide range of people, including network members, partners, and funders in the food systems sector, so an ability to connect and relate with people from all kinds of backgrounds is a must. This position requires a lot of collaboration and teamwork, as well as the ability to work independently as part of a fully remote team. Some domestic travel will be required.  

The Wallace Center has been building strategies for centering racial and economic equity in our work and we are seeking candidates eager to forward that mission. We have worked hard to make the Center a safe, supportive, and human-centered workplace where food systems leaders of all races, genders, ages, abilities, and backgrounds will thrive. We are committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and other candidates of color. 

EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE: 

This is a mid-level position and requires previous experience with project and/or program management. The ideal candidate will have at least four years of relevant work experience OR a BA/BS degree in agriculture, food systems, environmental or public policy, public health, rural development, or related field 

AND at least three years of demonstrated professional, work, or lived experience directly in one or more of the following areas:  

• Food Systems Development: Experience working for a community-based food systems organization or mission-driven food business, government entity, or academic institution focused on building local and equitable food systems. 
• Community Organizing: Experience working and building power with community members, mobilizing volunteers, and advancing campaigns and initiatives for social, environmental, political, and/or economic justice.  
• Administration: Experience working for a non-profit organization or similar for-profit entity, including familiarity with managing basic organizational activities, internal relationships, and administrative responsibilities.   
• Network Stewardship: Experience supporting collaborative networks with a social change mission, including member recruitment and engagement, network weaving, priority setting, and network governance. 
• Policy: Engagement in local, state, and federal policy advocacy. 
• Communications: Experience generating, disseminating and managing high quality written content and editing for online and traditional media. 
• Research and Evaluation: Demonstrated ability to aggregate research and/or data to support unique research or evaluation on a topic or event. 
• External Relationship Management: Experience positively communicating and working with diverse stakeholders. 

DESIRED SKILLS: 

• Project management and grant administration from startup through close down and reporting.  
• Strong time management and organizational abilities for completing detailed administrative, communications, and other assigned tasks. 
• Demonstrated writing skills (English fluency) for published content designed for a variety of audiences and mediums, proposal preparation, reporting and other assigned tasks. 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and communities.  
• Takes initiative, self-starter, and self-directed as well as the ability to work effectively in a team. 
• Ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple concurrent tasks. 
• Ability to learn new policies, procedures, and the language of contracts and compliance. 
• Knowledge of or ability to learn web development software (eg. WordPress BuddyBoss) 
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office software, including SharePoint, Teams, Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.