Executive Director

About this position

You’re a charismatic leader, who is excited by the opportunity to build the capacity of grassroots actors to meaningfully engage and shape national-level food policy and food systems change. You are comfortable with holding a macro vision, without losing the micro details, ensuring no one is left behind. You are entrepreneurial by nature and can effortlessly motivate a small and nimble staff team and hundreds of members to move mountains, creating a positive, collaborative and fun work environment.

You’re a strategic systems thinker, and a problem solver by nature. You thrive in a fast-paced work environment and are comfortable working in a complex and shifting political landscape. You have an eye for policy details and can identify how to refine a complex policy brief to ensure it sends just the right message.

You’re an expert oral and written communicator and relationship builder. You understand how to tell Food Secure Canada’s story to foster new relationships with diverse stakeholders from across Canada, from academics to farmers, Indigenous communities, funders, industry, and government. You recognize and are committed to the full and inclusive participation of Indigenous Peoples to achieve reconciliation, and will take the time to build fully respectful cross-cultural relationships. You recognize that with a growing movement comes increasing complexity, and you are willing to explore that.

You are a strong administrator, with a background in management, human resources, financial oversight, board governance, membership engagement, and organizational development. You are committed to inclusion, diversity, and anti-oppression work and will champion transparent and democratic decision-making.

Food Secure Canada’s Board of Directors is interested to receive applications from people with a wide range of skills and backgrounds and there is a potential to adjust responsibilities of the staff to complement the skills and experience of a new Executive Director. In the short term, the Board is also willing to consider the possibility of an Interim Executive Director.


Responsibilities

ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS

• Cultivates a positive, inclusive and safe work environment
• Manages organizational hiring, performance evaluations, salary increases, and general staff oversight
• Provides final oversight for all projects to ensure coherence organization-wide
• Facilitates calls, webinars, and processes with partners and members as needed
• Consults with members and other networks to develop joint projects, initiatives, and campaigns
• Maintains strong relationships with academics, funders, and food movement actors to advance advocacy and research work
• Initiates and collaborates on collective reports, recommendations, and letters for endorsement by FSC members
• Leads government relations strategy and identifIes advocacy opportunities and campaigns that can be supported by the food movement
• Maintains good relations with federal government, including Ministers, Members of Parliament (of all parties) and civil servants in several departments.
• Establishes and stewards new partnerships to enhance impact and build new alliances
• Oversees the organization of key events such as our biannual Assembly, policy workshops, training sessions, conferences and collaborations with other organizations.

• Cultivates relationships with potential funders and maintains an up to date list of potential partners
• Works with staff, board, members, and collaborators to prepare applications and reports to funders
• Directs sponsorship drives for events
• Provides financial oversight and preparation of budgets for reports and audits, and foster good internal controls and accountability mechanisms, in collaboration with the Treasurer and Bookkeeper

• Prepares materials and documents for monthly board meetings and activities and reports on organizational performance to the Board
• Oversees the development and implementation of a new strategic plan
• Oversees arrangements for Annual General Meeting, including adjusting bylaws and internal rules as necessary
• Develops, reviews and signs all contracts for suppliers, partnerships and funding agreements
• Provides oversight for payroll

• Frames and communicates FSC’s impact and vision for the Canadian food movement to funders, policymakers, partners, stakeholders, and the public, including the creation of reports, op-eds, think pieces, and webinars,
• Monitors, analyzes, and comments on food policy issues
• Provides oversight for communications (newsletter, social media, and website content)
• Liaises with public officials, community stakeholders, members of the private sector, philanthropy and academic and research communities
• Develops communications strategies as appropriate, particularly as they relate to advocacy initiatives
• Supports all media relations

• Minimum 4-7 years experience in a senior management position, with experience leading a national non-profit preferred
• Significant experience working in organizational leadership and management
• Strong human resources, financial management, and administrative planning experience
• Proven track record of successfully collaborating with diverse stakeholders, including grassroots advocates, civil society, funders and government  
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for stakeholder engagement, alliance building, and strategy development
• Demonstrated expertise in policy development and advocacy
• Familiarity with writing grants and working with funders
• Experience managing change, at staff, board, and organizational level, in a fast-paced and shifting environment
• Confident problem solver with excellent interpersonal skills
• Knowledge and commitment to food justice, anti-racism, decolonization, and food-system issues
• An understanding and commitment to Indigenous processes of reconciliation
• Knowledge of the Canadian food movement context and key actors an asset
• Experience working with a national board of directors an asset
• Bilingualism is a strong asset

About us

Founded in 2001, Food Secure Canada (FSC) is a pan-Canadian bilingual alliance of organizations and individuals working together to advance food security and food sovereignty. FSC works to achieve three interlocking goals: zero hunger, healthy and safe food, and sustainable food systems by mobilizing its members and other networks in joint initiatives with a focus on advocacy for better food policies at the federal level. We also host a biannual National Assembly (Resetting the Table) which is a signature initiative attracting hundreds of participants.

Application instructions

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