Director of Youth Development & Network Learning

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Director of Youth Development & Network Learning is a pivotal senior leadership role at The Food Project (TFP), responsible for the strategic vision, structural design, and pedagogical rigor of all youth development and community experiences.

Reporting to the Executive Co-Directors, this position ensures that TFP’s spaces function as cutting-edge learning laboratories that balance mission-driven impact with operational excellence.

The Director leads annual programmatic planning, sets youth development standards, and fosters deep cross-regional collaboration to ensure a seamless, high-quality experience for staff, youth, and the broader community.

RESPONSIBILITIES

EXPERIENCE STRATEGY, DESIGN & ANNUAL PLANNING

• Collaborative Planning Leadership: Jointly lead the organizational annual planning process alongside the Co-Executive Director of Strategy & Organizational Support and the Director of Food Systems & Network Learning to establish unified goals, strategic priorities, and timelines.
• Regional Framework Design: Develop the overarching framework and implementation strategy for all youth and community experiences, in parallel with the Director of Food Systems & Network Learning’s strategy. Partner closely with the Regional Lead Directors to translate this into effective, locally responsive regional application and integration.
• Curriculum & Pedagogical Rigor: Research, establish, and refine TFP's core youth development pedagogy and standards. Oversee the continuous development of a cutting-edge youth and community curriculum.

STAFF COACHING, SUPERVISION & TEAM EFFECTIVENESS

• Experience & Regional Operations Oversight: Direct, align, and evaluate the execution and operational performance of key regional experience models. Provide strategic oversight for Youth & Community Staffing in North Shore and Greater Boston and ensure regional work streams are cohesive, structurally aligned, and effectively integrated.
• Coaching: Act as an expert coach during the season, conducting site visits to observe, mentor, and workshop delivery models with youth development managers and frontline staff.
• Community of Practice: Design and facilitate cross-regional meetings and affinity spaces to encourage knowledge sharing, workshop revenue-generating or experimental programs, and ensure structural alignment across regions.

IMPACT, EVALUATION & INSTITUTIONAL LEARNING

• Measuring Depth of Impact: Coordinate cross-site metrics and evaluation frameworks with Impact & Initiatives staff. Ensure TFP accurately tracks, understands, and communicates depth of impact—focusing on who we reach and what changes, rather than just outputs.
• Institute Field Impact: Direct the strategy, design, and execution of seasonal Institutes and ongoing partner engagements to expand TFP’s field-level impact. Build a continuous community of practice that supports organizations to adopt and adapt TFP practices, while establishing reciprocal learning loops to absorb insights back from the field.
• Alumni Leadership Impact: Collaborate with key staff to cultivate and sustain a robust alumni network that serves as a key multiplier of impact. Empower youth, board, and staff alumni to actively carry leadership skills, values, and food justice practices into their communities, careers, and organizations.

EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS & SECTOR ENGAGEMENT

1. Institutional Networks: Represent TFP and build strategic coalitions within local, regional, and national mission- and values-aligned networks (e.g., Rooted in Community, MA Food Collaborative) to drive policy engagement and advance health equity in combination with the Co-Executive Director of Strategy & Organizational Support and the Director of Food Systems & Network Learning.
2. Conference & Thought Leadership: Serve as the organizational decision-maker, in combination with the Co-Executive Director of Strategy & Organizational Support and the Director of Food Systems & Network Learning, regarding conference participation. Curate opportunities for staff and youth to present TFP’s learning lab models on local and national stages.

ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH

Relationship and Trust Building Engagement: Includes, but is not limited to:

• Staff Retreats
• All Staff Meetings
• Real Talk
• Peacemaking Circle
• Events
• Training
• Reflection Activities
• Cooking Together
• Dialogue Space

Intersectional Work: Includes, but is not limited to:

• Interview Committees
• Recruitment
• Onboarding
• Orientation
• Training
• Culture of Philanthropy
• Farm Support
• Youth Support
• Serve & Grow Support

Continuous Learning: Includes, but is not limited to:

• Professional Development Plans
• Internal/external mentorship

CORE COMPETENCIES & QUALIFICATIONS

Experience: Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in youth development, community organizing, or sustainable food systems programming, with at least 3 years explicitly in a senior team management or directorial role.

Educational Background: Bachelor's degree preferred; Master’s degree in Education, Social Work, Non-Profit Management, or a related field is preferred.

Pedagogical Expertise: Deep conceptual understanding of positive youth development (PYD) frameworks, experiential learning models, and curriculum design.

Systems Thinker: Proven ability to navigate complex, multi-site matrix organizations, aligning operational realities across distinct regions (e.g., urban vs. suburban, agriculture vs. youth programming).

DIBE Commitment: Demonstrated track record of integrating Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity practices into youth pedagogical spaces and internal team cultures.

Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal, written, and cross-cultural communication strengths, with an emphasis on coaching and collaborative conflict resolution.

LOCATION & SCHEDULE

This is a full-time job, 40 hours/week.

During the off season, the majority of this job can be accomplished at a desk—either in a TFP office or at home—using a laptop provided by TFP.

Each of our offices is accessible by public transportation. However, you must be able to provide your own transportation to travel, as required, typically three to four days per week, depending on the season, between our program sites and administrative offices in Boston, Lynn, Wenham, and Lincoln.

Occasional weekend and evening work is required for special events.

COMPENSATION

Please note that we utilize an internal equity formula to determine all starting salaries, taking a range of factors into account.

Because this process is designed to maintain fairness and equity across the organization, the final salary amount is fixed and non-negotiable.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please submit a resume and cover letter via the online portal: https://tinyurl.com/WorkAtTheFoodProject

If you experience difficulty with the online portal, please email jobs@thefoodproject.org for support, but please do not submit your application via email. We will review all submissions, identify viable candidates, and contact ONLY those individuals selected to continue in the search process.

The position will be filled when a desired candidate is found. The Food Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to creating an inclusive organization. We actively seek a diverse pool of candidates for this position.

See Benefits Information here: