Executive Director

Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) is a ground-breaking, multi-stakeholder skill-building and certification organization whose mission is to improve the lives of farmworkers while transforming food supply chains through workforce engagement. EFI’s first key innovation was to demonstrate that motivated, trained, and incentivized farmworkers can address retailer, civil society, government, and consumer concerns about working conditions, pesticide use, and food safety in the produce industry. More recently, EFI has diversified into programs offering scalable supply chain risk management solutions through the LAB (learn/assess/benchmark) software platform, and strategies to document and credential the skills of frontline workers.

Reporting to the Chair of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director has overall strategic and operational responsibility for EFI’s staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission. The successful candidate cultivates deep knowledge of food supply chains, the certification landscape, and workforce development. They shape EFI’s core programs, raise funds, configure and manage staffing, oversee operations and budgets, develop business plans for future growth, and sustain board relationships to appropriately balance governance and management roles. Most importantly, the Executive Director protects the integrity and optimizes the impact of EFI’s programs, while maintaining its multi-stakeholder approach to “disruptive design,” capacity-building and continuous improvement.

Working at EFI

EFI believes in building a work culture around a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. We strongly encourage candidates from groups whose voices and experiences are underrepresented in the agricultural industry to apply. We are self-starters and work in an environment that demands creativity, flexibility and collaboration. Our small-yet-mighty team encourages one another to innovate, act boldly and broaden perspectives while supporting each other in experimentation and innovation as we work to transform agriculture and improve the lives of farmworkers.

Expected Start Date & Interview Requirements

Recruitment for this Executive position will begin in June 2025 with an expected start date of January 2026. Final candidates will be required to participate at a in person interview in the state of Washington. Travel costs for the finalist will be reimbursed in accordance with EFI’s travel policy.

Job Location/Travel Requirements

This position is remote. All remote work agreements are subject to ongoing review and although extremely unlikely to change, EFI always reserves the right to modify or terminate remote work agreements at any time with at least 30 calendar days’ advance notice. A successful candidate must be able to legally work for a U.S. company. The position will require travel up to 30% of the time.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership & Management:

• Ensure ongoing program excellence, rigorous evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, business development, training and certification systems; recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve strategic goals;
• Respond to market signals and needs by developing new program areas consistent with

EFI’s mission;

• Lead and support a strong Board of Directors: serve as ex-officio member of committees, seek and build board involvement with strategic direction for operations and expansion; engage and motivate EFI’s board members, committees, staff, partner organizations, and funders through bold and inspirational visioning;
• Recruit, lead, coach, develop, and retain EFI’s senior management team; ensure that job descriptions are developed, that regular performance evaluations are held, and that sound human resource practices are in place; maintain a climate that attracts, retains and motivates a diverse staff of top quality people; encourage staff development and education, and assist program staff in relating their specialized work to the total program of the organization;
• Ensure effective systems to track progress and impact, and regularly evaluate program components to measure outcomes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents;
• Maintain official records and documents, and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations;
• Maintain a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in food supply chains;
• Work with the staff and board committees to develop annual budgets; see that the organization operates within budget guidelines;
• With the chair and secretary of the board of directors, conduct official correspondence of the organization, and jointly, with designated officers, execute legal documents.

Fundraising & Communications:

• Ensure that adequate funds are available for the organization to carry out its work by expanding revenue-generating and fundraising activities to support existing program operations and future growth;
• Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from web and media presence to external relations—with the goal of creating a stronger brand;
• Leverage thought leadership and networks to develop new opportunities and relationships;
• Keep the board fully informed on the condition of the organization and important factors influencing it;
• Establish sound working relationships and cooperative arrangements with partner groups and organizations.
• Represent the programs and point of view of EFI to government agencies, media, partner organizations, and the general public.

Program Planning & Business Development:

• Manage the development and implementation of 5-year organizational strategic plans which achieve EFI’s mission, and toward which it makes consistent and timely progress;
• Provide leadership in developing program, organizational and financial plans with the Board of Directors and staff, and carry out plans and policies authorized by the board;
• Build partnerships in new markets, establishing relationships with funders, industry and community leaders;
• Serve as a national presence who communicates program results with an emphasis on the successes of EFI programs as models for international replication.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

The Executive Director will be thoroughly committed to EFI's mission, with proven leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience. Concrete demonstrable experience and other qualifications include:

• Advanced degree in business or nonprofit management, with at least 10 years of senior management experience, or comparable work experience;
• Track record of effectively leading and scaling a performance- and outcomes-based organization and staff; entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative; demonstrated ability to develop and operationalize strategies that have taken an organization to the next stage of growth;
• Cultural competency: ability to engage as easily with farmworkers as with executives
• Unwavering commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation;
• Excellence in organizational management, with the ability to coach and mentor staff, manage high-performance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and establish realistic budgets;
• Past success working with a Board of Directors, with demonstrated ability to cultivate board member relationships;
• Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills as a persuasive and passionate communicator, with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project management skills;
• Ability to multitask and prioritize on a continual basis;
• Demonstrated decision-making and problem-solving capabilities;
• Resilience and flexibility to manage changes in funding, policies, or societal trends;
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people;
• Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is required.

• Health and Dental Insurance: EFI will cover 80% of the employee premium and 60% of dependent premiums upon enrollment in a health plan provided through EFI’s membership in the TriNet benefits program;
• Employee assistance program;
• Retirement savings (EFI will make a fixed contribution based on years of service);
• Life Insurance and Accidental Death/Dismemberment Benefit: EFI will cover 100% of
• the premium for life and AD/D benefit equal to twice the employee’s annual salary;
• Short-term Disability: EFI will pay 60% of salary, to a maximum of $1,100/week;
• Long-term Disability: EFI will pay 70% of salary, to a maximum of $6,000/month;
• Sick leave: up to 12 paid days/year, with up to 5 that carry over to the following year;
• Vacation: 17 days paid vacation/year, rising to 23 days after 3 years of service;
• Holidays: all U.S federal holidays will be paid days off.

Optional Benefits not paid by employer:

• Flexible Spending Account
• Accident Insurance
• Personal Excess Liability Insurance
• Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Legal Services