Workforce Empowerment Manager

Workforce Empowerment Manager

Full time salaried position

Reports To

HR & Program Director

Location

San Francisco, CA (in person)

Compensation

$79,000 - $85,000 salaried exempt

100% employer funded health & dental benefits after 90 days

Other benefits include 10 paid holidays, 2 weeks PTO, staff lunch, cell phone reimbursement, and wellness stipend

Application Deadline

Complete applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a final deadline of June 20, 2025

Organization Overview

Are you interested in joining a committed team that is passionate about changing the world, one meal at a time? If so, you may find yourself at home at Farming Hope!

Farming Hope is a 501(c)3 food justice nonprofit. Our mission is to empower folks experiencing major barriers to employment to cook food to sustain themselves and their communities. Fueling our pursuit of lasting social change are our guiding principles: that food is a human right, that everyone deserves an empowering livelihood, and that neither food nor human potential should go to waste.

In service of this mission, we provide a culinary job training program for community members who are overcoming obstacles such as former incarceration or homelessness. Our paid 12 week program helps adults transition to personal well-being and employment while nourishing food insecure neighbors and preventing cosmetically-imperfect food from going to waste. We are proud to have provided 70,000 paid training hours, served more than 240,000 meals to the community, distributed more than 460,000 pounds of groceries, and recovered more than 58,000 pounds of food over the last two years. We’re looking forward to making even more of an impact in the years to come. Learn more about our organization at farminghope.org.

Farming Hope is an equal opportunity employer. We enthusiastically accept our responsibility to make employment decisions without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, marital status, medical condition as defined under State law, disability, military service, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions or any other classification protected by federal, state, and/or local laws and ordinances.

At Farming Hope we have a clear vision to be a place where a diverse mix of talented people are able to learn, teach, and grow. Diversity is more than a commitment at Farming Hope—it is necessary to advance equity and inclusion for the Apprentices in our training program and our diners in the community.

Position Overview

The Workforce Empowerment Manager plays a vital role in supporting Farming Hope’s mission to empower program participants through meaningful employment, to ensure access to food is a human right, and to inspire our community. This role is a key member of our Apprenticeship Program Team, supporting and working closely with program participants and graduates to ensure successful integration into the workforce by securing sustainable employment. This role will support approximately 15 Apprentices per cohort; cohort sizes may increase over time based on organizational bandwidth and training opportunities. The Workforce Empowerment Manager will lead job readiness curriculum development and instruction such as job search strategies, resume building, interview preparation, and more. This position will also cultivate and manage employment partnerships to identify opportunities, provide information about our workforce program, and connect our participants to full time employment, internships/externships, etc.

Additionally, this position will maintain and grow our employer network, track job placement outcomes, survey employer satisfaction, and report recruiting activities to internal teams and external partners. The Workforce Empowerment Manager will also co-develop systems to track alumni outcomes and provide long-term support to graduates through holistic engagement strategies that keep our community connected and thriving. This position requires an ability to engage patiently with individuals facing multiple barriers to stability—including those impacted by homelessness, incarceration, or systemic inequity—and to apply harm reduction and trauma-informed approaches. It also calls for strong relationship-building skills with both graduates and employers, and a passion for helping others navigate toward sustainable career paths.

At Farming Hope, we are a small, mission-driven team of problem solvers who take ownership of our work. For those who love food, community, and have a deep desire to make an impact, this is game-changing work in a meaningful, collaborative, and energizing environment and culture.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Collaborate with Apprenticeship Team to support curriculum development and instruction surrounding job readiness and professional advancement including but not limited to resume building, job search strategies, mock interviews, etc.
• Serve as the primary liaison for graduates, providing continued support and career coaching
• Support the development, implementation, and management of alumni engagement strategies
• Support with weekly job skills and soft skills classes
• Interpretation and translation of program materials and conversations with program participants
• Support team in maintaining and developing team rituals to foster community
• Track and report employment outcomes, including data for grantee reporting
• Design and manage systems to track employer partnerships, streamline communication workflows, and ensure consistent follow-up and engagement
• Build and maintain relationships with employment partners to connect graduates to opportunities
• Partner with the Apprenticeship Team to support graduates in securing and sustaining full-time employment after graduation
• Manage job seeker communication, including sending weekly emails with job leads and resources
• Participate in internal team meetings and contribute to continuous program improvement
• Other duties as assigned that are needed to help drive to our vision and fulfill our mission

Candidate Qualifications

• 3+ years workforce development, recruiting, case management, or similar experience
• 2+ years in hospitality or food service
• Strong partnership-building skills with employers, training providers, or community partners
• Coaching and mentoring experience
• Experience working with marginalized communities, especially those impacted by homelessness or incarceration
• A self-directed mindset, able to manage oneself, take initiative and prioritize multiple tasks and projects
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience with data entry and management systems
• Comfortable with outcome tracking and using data to inform strategy
• Strong interpersonal communication and organizational skills
• Flexibility with dynamic work environment
• Knowledge of trauma-informed approaches and harm reduction principles
• Commitment to social justice and systemic transformation

Other Preferred Qualifications:

• Spanish proficiency strongly preferred
• Previous lived experience with socio-economic barriers strongly preferred
• Management or supervisory experience is a plus

To Apply

Send your resume & cover letter as PDF files to hiring@farminghope.org.

Complete applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a final deadline of June 20, 2025