Equity & Impact Associate Director

Title: Equity & Impact Associate Director

Location: California / Hybrid (Davis, CA Region preferred, with frequent trips to Davis)

FTE: 1 FTE

Salary: $73,000 – $85,000 annually

FLSA: Exempt

Reports To: Executive Director

Bilingual Pay Differential: Eligible 

Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) is a California-based membership organization that includes family farmers and other community members passionate about local food, farming, and the environment. As a farmer-serving organization, we recognize the historic and lasting inequities in the California food and farming system. We believe farmers of color, and other historically oppressed people, should have the opportunity to create and participate in a food and agriculture system that aligns with their needs, values, identities, knowledge systems, and communities. We commit to advancing racial, gender, and environmental justice in our larger systems, as well as in our own workplace. Currently our programming is focused in four areas: Farm to Market, Policy & Advocacy, Farmer Services, and Ecological Farming.  To learn more about CAFF, our history, and our core values, visit https://www.caff.org/about.

Position Summary

CAFF has grown in size over the past few years and refined its focus on communities of farmers it aims to serve. This position will develop trainings and processes for staff to build shared understanding of the organization’s mission, vision, and core values and support staff in their efforts to build an anti-racist organization; this work includes efforts to serve an increasingly racially diverse farmer base, as well as advance conversations around racial justice with our white and Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) members. The Equity & Impact Director will serve on the CAFF Management Team and work to support the implementation of our 5-year strategic plan and the transformation of organizational culture in alignment with our organizational core values and capacities.This position will work closely with the Operations Director to create internal systems and track progress towards goals and work closely with Program Directors to resource their teams as they navigate transformation and provide some one-on-one support to individual staff.

In 2020, after an extensive discussion and reflection process, CAFF affirmed justice and equity as a core value, and a commitment to better serve the needs of BIPOC farmers. In 2021, we developed and adopted a Racial Equity Action Plan, with a particular focus on growing our capacity to serve Spanish-speaking Latinx farmers. CAFF’s internal staff-led Justice & Equity Committee has offered some organizational accountability and is seeking additional leadership and support to advance organizational changes. In addition, Latinx/Spanish-speaking staff developed Las Semillas (Latinx/Spanish language staff peer support network) and Cosecha Colectiva (Latinx/Spanish-language specific projects), as two organizational structures to ensure culturally and linguistically appropriate technical assistance is being provided to farmers. 

The position is preferred in Davis, CA and particularly Northern California, given frequent trips to Davis. Additional travel will be required throughout California to support staff. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Essential responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

% Time Description
35% Lead Organizational Implementation of Justice & Equity

  • Facilitate ongoing staff learning through internal curriculum development and staff-wide trainings
  • Develop staff protocols for engaging farmer members and partners in conversations around racial justice
  • Support audit of CAFF operations, policies and procedures to uplift stated goals
  • Provide 1-on-1 support to individual staff, particularly BIPOC staff, and bridge different perspectives and experiences within the organization to ensure organizational accountability and healthy communication across staff and teams
  • Engage colleagues in other organizations in ongoing peer-learning and mutual support around organizational equity work, as appropriate
  • Partner with Senior Manager to enhance organizational structures and processes for Cosecha Colectiva and Las Semillas
  • Provide support and allyship for Latinx staff in advancing cultural and linguistic needs for Latinx farmers
  • Lead fundraising for justice & equity-related projects and trainings at CAFF as well as support fundraising for California Family Farmer Emergency Fund
30% Lead and Support Strategic Plan Implementation

  • Facilitate organization-wide process for evaluating progress towards or changes needed on annual goals
  • Support program directors with annual goal setting and team planning activities
  • Facilitate and support team-specific conversations around serving Spanish-speaking farmers
  • Support development of Board and Advisory Boards for organizational accountability
  • Lead development, design, and distribution of annual reports, in coordination with Communications Team
25% Facilitate Farmer Accountability 

  • Support and enhance annual or bi-annual farmer listening and accountability process, partnering with Policy Director
  • Maintain and improve farmer compensation guidelines and practices
  • Manage California Family Farmer Emergency Fund, short-term financial assistance for drought, wildfires and floods, with focus on historically marginalized farmers
  • Support program team engagement in emergency assistance reforms of state and federal programs
10%  Participate in Organizational Activities

  • Serve on CAFF’s Operations Team and Management Team and lead the Program Facilitation Team and the Justice & Equity Committee
  • Participate in quarterly program area team meetings (e.g. Farmer Services, Ecological Farming, etc.)
  • Participate in weekly CAFF all-staff meetings and two retreats or full-day all-staff meetings per year 
  • Participate in local grassroots engagement efforts, including outreach and relationship building with farmers in your local community
  • Represent CAFF by participating in community activities and events as necessary
  • Participate in other administrative tasks as needed 

Qualifications

Educational and Work Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent experience
  • At least 5 years experience working in a similar position, ideally with a nonprofit organization
  • Experience working with farmers in sustainable agriculture, or related fields preferred
  • Experience working in Latinx cultural communities is preferred
  • Significant experience in mediation, conflict resolution, and building organizational accountability are preferred
  • Demonstrated ability to create processes to advance justice and equity goals is preferred 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

  • Leadership experience within non-profit setting
  • Experience with team building in a virtual/hybrid work environment
  • Skilled at facilitating conversations around racial equity
  • Strong understanding of what racial equity looks like in organizational practice
  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy
  • Strong organizational skills with an ability to handle competing demands
  • Effective English language written and oral communication skills 
  • Proficient in Spanish language written and oral communication skills
  • Ability to work independently and remotely if necessary
  • Strong computer skills, including above average knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, Google Suite, and Wordpress or similar
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively work with and support diverse team members through your understanding of self, language, culture, and community
  • Familiarity with and enthusiasm for social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube
  • Willing to listen and able to maintain strict confidentiality
  • Desired experience: Salesforce and Adobe Creative Cloud 

Physical Abilities

  • Ability to sit for long periods of time working at a computer.
  • Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

CAFF’s policy is that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation. We strongly encourage those from diverse backgrounds and from historically underserved communities to apply.

To apply: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and sample of your work that you feel is relevant to this position with the subject line “Equity & Impact Associate Director” to jobs@caff.org by Oct 15th, 2023. Applications are assessed on a rolling basis. This position is open until filled with a projected close date of Oct 15th. Reference requests will be made further along in the application process.