Food Access Initiatives and Partnerships Program Manager

Organization Information 

GrowNYC is a 54-year-old environmental nonprofit organization helping more than 3 million New Yorkers by providing essential services and taking action to make NYC a livable city, one where every person can enjoy a healthier, more sustainable life. GrowNYC Programs include: 

• Our network of Greenmarkets, Farmstands, and the work of GrowNYC Wholesale ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, healthiest local food. 
• We blanket the five boroughs with resources like food scrap and clothing collections to make waste reduction, recycling, and composting easy for all. 
• We build and support community and school gardens through volunteer days, technical assistance, training, grants, and more. 
• We provide 70,000 children each year with programs that provide meaningful interactions with the natural environment. 

FOOD ACCESS INITIATIVES AND PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM MANAGER (Full-time):

Position Summary

GrowNYC’s Food Access Initiatives (FAI) program provides the framework for making healthy, regional food accessible to all New Yorkers by overseeing GrowNYC’s work to promote and accept SNAP/EBT, Health Bucks, Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Checks, eWIC, Over the Counter (OTC) Healthy Foods Benefits, and Greenmarket Bucks. The Food Access Initiatives Program Manager reports directly to the Assistant Director of Food Access Initiatives and Partnerships and oversees overall operations, logistics, expansion, and strategy related to nutrition benefits and food access at GrowNYC’s Food Access sites, with particular attention to SNAP. This role will also focus on managing and expanding program partnerships with government, community-based organizations, non-profits, healthcare, and private companies to implement and manage special programs to enhance food access at GrowNYC sites. 

Requirements

Food Access Initiatives and Partnerships Program Manager Responsibilities (Include but are not limited to):

Operations and Administration  

• Oversee operations, promotion, and acceptance of electronic payment processing, and market currencies, including EBT tokens, Debit/Credit tokens, Health Bucks, OTC Healthy Foods, FMNP, etc.
• Provide documentation on field staff’s FAI-related performance and work conjunctively with the appropriate managers to issue Corrective Action Notices (C.A.Ns) and Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) as needed. 
• Manage the relationship with GrowNYC’s EBT processor, Novodia Group LLC; liaise with them to troubleshoot technical issues as well as oversee their build-out of backend software updates and enhancements. 
• Oversee the Greenmarket Bucks program; communicate with buyers, create print orders as needed, and produce redemption reports.
• Serve as the primary contact for the Greenmarket producer community for any questions or guidance regarding nutrition benefit redemption and training farmers on how to accept various currencies. 
• Ensure that Greenmarket producers who need the approval to accept the required FAI currencies are in compliance and liaise between the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYDOHMH), and Greenmarket producers with any issues. 
• Manage, order, and track the program’s equipment, such as iPads, receipt printers, card readers, and tokens.
• Provide phone and email support on alternating weekends to Managers and Site Staff to troubleshoot time-sensitive field issues (i.e., TotilPay server issues, Filemaker not loading)
• Develop Standard Operating Procedures  (SOPs), policies, and protocols to guide program operations at GrowNYC Food Access sites. 
• Conduct program and project evaluations, including compiling reports and program statistics.
• Work with the Assistant Director to develop and monitor progress toward short—and long-term objectives and goals for Food Access Initiatives.
• Oversee the inventory and tracking of all FAI currencies, including internal currencies redeemed at food access sites, as well as those submitted for redemption via mail to the Farmers Market Federation. 

Communications and Stakeholder Engagement 

• Oversee existing and forge new key program partnerships with government, community-based organizations, non-profits, healthcare, and private companies to implement and manage special programs to enhance food access at GrowNYC sites.
• Manage the collaboration with external partners to organize nutrition education and food access-related programming at GrowNYC sites.
• Oversee the collaboration with partners to organize SNAP screenings and nutrition education at Greenmarkets. 
• Work with the Advancement team to manage the FAI program’s communications strategy, including the website, social media platforms, and earned and paid media. 
• Maintain relationships and communicate regularly with program partners, city agencies, and local stakeholders. 
• Oversee the creation of promotional materials for the program as well as relevant materials used to train and assist GrowNYC Site Leads, Producers, and partner organizations.

Staff Management 

• Supervise the FAI Operations Assistant and conduct regular one-on-one check-ins. 
• Oversee the training and supervision of all Food Access Site Leads in the operation of Food Access Initiatives programs, including handling equipment, running transactions, and operating food prescription programs and other special initiatives.
• Work with the FAI Operations Assistant to update FAI-related SOPs and training materials each year.

Budget Management 

• Work with the Assistant Director to create and periodically update the FAI program budget and the equipment and supplies expense tracking. 
• Manage grant reporting and invoicing for program projects 
• Assist the Assistant Director with revenue generation strategies and grant writing initiatives.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of three (3) years of work experience in project and/or program management, preferably in an agriculture or food-related field. 
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience managing staff (preferably supervisory experience similar in scope to current program staffing). 
• Demonstrated experience with creating and managing program budgets.
• Skilled at building partnerships, both internally and externally, including the ability to create and maintain strong collaborative relationships with organizational partners. 
• Knowledge of sustainable local agriculture/farming, food systems, food access, and/or food justice. 
• Strong commitment to a racially and socially just food system.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field. 
• Knowledge of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), WIC, the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), and other nutrition benefit programs
• Excellent written and public speaking communication skills, with a desire and proven ability to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and knowledge levels. 
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced team environment. 
• Highly organized with strong time management skills and the ability to prioritize based on organizational mission and goals. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and willingness to work with people from diverse backgrounds in terms of race, ethnicity, and gender, including trans and nonbinary, sexual orientation, class, and religion.
• High proficiency in MS Office and Google Suite; familiarity with Filemaker Pro and Adobe Acrobat or a willingness to learn.
• Very comfortable using Apple products (iPads and iPhones) and apps
• Creative problem-solver, able to troubleshoot and use good judgment to make on-the-spot decisions. 
• Agile with the ability to focus on meeting emergent needs and adaptable to continuous change.

Ideal Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in a relevant field 
• Spanish language proficiency (ideal, but not required)
• Familiarity with Filemaker Pro, Netsuite, Adobe InDesign, Learning Management Systems, Recording platforms (i.e., PearDeck, Panopto), or a willingness to learn

Physical Requirements

This position requires standing for up to 8 hours outdoors in all weather conditions and lifting heavy equipment and supplies, up to 50 lbs. 

Schedule

This position is full-time, year-round, with an expected weekly workload of 35-40 hours, and requires occasional flexible hours, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends. Working days are primarily Monday through Friday, with a mandatory presence on Wednesdays and rotating availability to be on call by phone on weekends and holidays. 

Compensation

This full-time, exempt position pays $70,000-$80,000 per year and includes benefits (medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long-term disability, incentive savings plan, paid time off, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and potential for parental leave for full-time regular employees who have been employed with GrowNYC for 175 days and FSA programs). This position is managerial and not part of the bargaining unit. 

Location

This is a hybrid role with a minimum of 3 days per week in our Manhattan office with a mandatory presence on Wednesdays or in the field at food access sites. In-person field-based work and off-site travel will be expected.

Applications

Qualified candidates for the FAI Program Manager position should submit a cover letter, resume, and three references. Interviews will take place on a rolling basis starting May 27th, 2024. Due to the volume of employment applications received, GrowNYC is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate. No phone calls or recruiters, please. 

Application deadline is June 14th, 2024.

Contact

GrowNYC 

P.O. Box 2327

New York, NY 10272

212-788-7900

For additional information, please see our website: grownyc.org 

GrowNYC is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer and hires without regard to race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation or physical disability.