Policy & Organizing Manager 

Title: Policy & Organizing Manager 

Location: Remote, CA with a preference (not a requirement) for Southern California, with  periodic trips to Davis/Sacramento

FTE: 1 FTE

Salary: $60,000 – 65,000 annually

FLSA: Non-exempt

Reports To: Policy Director

 

Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) is a 45-year-old California-based membership organization that includes family farmers and other community members passionate about local food, farming, and the environment. CAFF’s mission is to build sustainable food and farming systems through policy advocacy and on-the-ground programs that create more resilient family farms, communities, and ecosystems. 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

The interests of California’s family-scale farmers, particularly small, historically underserved, and urban farmers, are often obscured by powerful interests. For 45 years CAFF has worked to act as a megaphone for these farmers in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. In more recent years we have increased our attention on addressing urban farmer needs through local, state, and federal policy by crafting legislation and engaging in implementing programs.

CAFF seeks a Policy & Organizing Manager to work directly with farmers, partner organizations, and governmental representatives, to advance a more equitable future for agriculture in the state.

The Policy & Organizing Manager will be responsible for managing the implementation of several multi-year and multi-million dollar programs intended to support urban agriculture in California, in addition to supporting general CAFF Policy Team advocacy and communication needs. In collaboration with several partners, the Policy and Organizing Manager will work to build stronger regional urban grower networks, create opportunities for meaningful dialogue with governmental representatives, develop an urban grower leadership program as well as implement and distribute a large-scale microgrant program.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong initiative and ability to dive into and navigate complex issues and partnerships. A person who will excel in this position is independently driven with strong multicultural leadership, project management, and facilitation skills with experience and a passion for California agriculture and urban agriculture communities.

This position will also be an important part of the Policy Team and will have a valuable role in organizing and listening to farmers in order to identify opportunities and challenges and articulate policy positions at the state, local, and federal levels, as well as supporting general policy communications work. The Policy & Organizing Manager is expected to have a broad range of expertise and interest in a wide range of issues that affect farmers including access to land, water, capital, infrastructure, marketing, and climate change. Download our 2023 Policy Priorities: https://tinyurl.com/275s64ba.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Essential responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

% Time — Description

45% — Project Management

• Management of partner contracts, progress grant reporting, and project budgets
• Support regular (quarterly, monthly, or weekly) team meetings with project partners, agency officials, and stakeholders
• Lead in the implementation and track progress toward achieving project deliverables
• Implement and adapt projects to ensure key project deliverables are met
• Design and implement innovative strategies to support the organizing and engagement of farmers in various programs and leadership development opportunities
• Implement the administration and distribution of grant programs (e.g. micro-awards or relief grants)

20% — Farmer Organizing & Engagement

• Establish and uphold relationships of accountability with farmers and connect them with resources and opportunities
• Help design and implement the CAFF policy platform by organizing and hosting farmer listening sessions, strategy workshops, & legislative farm tours
• Support field visits with legislative and governmental officials and CAFF farmer members
• Develop communications material shared with farmer members and partners, including social media, blogs, webpage updates, action alerts, and fact sheets

15%  — Farmer Leadership Development

• Develop and implement an urban grower policy leadership program
• Support farmer leadership development and coalition facilitation needs
• Support monthly Policy Committee meetings and individual engagement of committee members
• Support policy education for farmers and a more formal policy leadership training program to form a stronger network of farmer policy advocates

15%  — Policy Advocacy

• Cultivate relationships with key policymakers, staff, and agency officials
• Submit written comments, feedback, or positions on key policy opportunities on behalf of CAFF and our members at key decision-making or stakeholder bodies
• Coordinate policy advocacy with active coalitions and networks
• Educate key decision-makers about policies that impact small, underserved, and urban farmers
• Develop written reports on relevant policy priority issue areas

5% — General CAFF Responsibilities This person will be an important member of CAFF’s Policy Team and work closely with all members of the team on various projects.

• Participate in CAFF’s Policy Team meetings and work closely with all members of the team on various projects.
• Participate in weekly all-staff meetings and annual retreat
• Represent CAFF by participating in community activities and events
• Collaborate with CAFF staff on grant-writing, reporting, and fundraising
• Participate in other administrative tasks as needed

We know it’s impossible to convey every single task for a particular job in one job description. Our hope is that as we work together, and your role evolves over time, we can adjust your job description accordingly.

Qualifications

Educational and Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; Higher degree or significant experience preferred
• At least 2 years experience working in the agriculture and policy fields preferred, ideally with a nonprofit organization
• Experience in grassroots organizing, advocacy, or a related field
• Experience writing reports and tracking major project deliverables
• Experience working with farmers in sustainable agriculture, or related fields preferred. However, more important than hands-in-the-dirt agricultural experience is a passion for food systems work and CAFF’s mission and values.
• Travel to events/activities on a weekly basis (valid driver’s license required)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong organizational skills with an ability to handle competing demands
• Ability to work independently and remotely
• Effective written and oral English communication skills are required; Spanish language proficiency is encouraged
• Demonstrated ability to enhance and effectively deliver programs to diverse audiences through your understanding of self, language, culture, and community
• Strong facilitation and listening skills, bring an ability to build trusting relationships with a diverse community of stakeholders
• Effective written and oral communication skills in English
• Ability to drive throughout the region and occasionally throughout the state
• Strong computer skills, including above-average knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, Google Suite, and WordPress or similar
• Familiarity with and enthusiasm about social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube
• Willing 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.
• Requires a full range of physical mobility, such as bending, stooping, lifting, turning, carrying objects, and grasping.

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 “Policy & Organizing Manager Job” to jobs@caff.org. Accepting applications until position is filled. Reference requests will be made further along in the application process.