Director

650 Suffolk St, G10 

Lowell, MA 01854 

www.millcitygrows.org 

Director 

Full time with benefits 

We’re hiring a new Director-level position. Please see below for details, this position is flexible based on the experience the applicant brings to it. 

Organization Description: Mill City Grows (MCG) was founded in 2011 as a catalyst for food justice, ensuring that all people of Lowell have access to culturally connected food, land, and education. Our programs have grown from a single community garden to include: food education for people of all ages; community, school, and market gardens; working urban farms; mobile markets and farm shares; and above all encouraging and supporting people to grow their own food. MCG infuses food production spaces with food education to increase food sovereignty, universal access to fresh produce, and promote environmental sustainability throughout Lowell. 

Position Description: Mill City Grows is hiring a Director. The Director position oversees the effective delivery of several of Mill City Grows’ programs. This requires oversight of planning, development, staffing, partnerships, and evaluation of each of these programming areas. The Director directly supervises full-time, part-time, and seasonal staff members, effectively overseeing thousands of people that help to carry out the mission of Mill City Grows, including staff, volunteers, and program participants. Ultimately, the Director is responsible for the quality of these MCG programs, ensuring that goals are met, and that resources are used efficiently in all program operations. They will report to the Co-Executive Directors to ensure that all MCG programming meets the needs of the community. 

Role and Responsibilities 

The ideal candidate has technical expertise in all or any of the following:

• Public Health
• Food Systems/Food Sovereignty
• Farming/Land Management

MCG will fit the supervision and department responsibilities based on the qualifications of the applicant. Regardless of speciality, the new Director will oversee 2-3 programs (programs include Farm, Market, Merrimack Valley Growers Aid, School Education, Community Gardens, Food is Medicine, Advocacy, and Development), manage the staff of those programs, support staff professional development, and manage a diverse team with a wide array of skills and growth areas. They will be an experienced, hands-on leader, partnering with program staff, participants, and other stakeholders to develop, oversee, and evaluate the effectiveness of our programs. 

The Director will also be an advocate and spokesperson for MCG and its participants. They will represent MCG at events and meetings with the city, partners, foundations, and advocacy groups. They will be passionate about the larger food justice vision of the Merrimack Valley and eager to take on opportunities that will lead to a more food just community. Using input and feedback from our constituents, the Director will design and implement program innovations when needed.  They will provide content and data for grant and report writing as it relates to their programs. 

The Director is a member of the MCG leadership team and as such will partner with the Co-Executive Directors and other Directors on agency wide initiatives including fundraising, strategic planning, budgeting, and training. This position plays a key role in building and maintaining a positive culture both internally with staff and externally with partners.

Candidates must have the ability to not only see obstacles, but craft feasible solutions to meet goals; demonstrate a commitment to cultivating community and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion; be a great team player and passionate about food justice work; possess an interest in sustainability; have a love of learning, and a desire to grow professionally and personally.

Responsibilities

• Manage 2-3 departments within MCG; supervise employees, set larger vision, ensure MCG mission is upheld, contract and liaise with partners
• Conduct performance evaluations and implement any performance correction plans 
• Support professional development of all staff 
• Oversee and evaluate the effectiveness of programs 
• Support the grant writing and reporting as they pertain to your programming
• Serve as a member of the leadership team and help steer MCG into a sustainable, thoughtful future
• Serve as an ambassador for MCG and an advocate for the people of Lowell; attend events, meetings, and policy setting spaces
• Take part in creating a more food just Lowell through advocating for policy change, food hub model, and small farmer support
• Work with Co-Executive Directors to develop yearly budget and ensure programs arspending appropriately
• Use data to develop programming and create solutions to food insecurity issues
• Take part in board meetings 
• Ensure all documentation for spending is accurate and transparent 
• Ensure grant obligations and budget requirements are met and carried out 
• Partake in a flexible work schedule with some nights and weekends necessary

Additional skills: 

• Microsoft Office; Google Suite
• Experience with tracking program data 
• Experience in budget creation and tracking 
• Non-profit experience and program development preferred 
• Knowledge of Lowell a plus

Physical Requirements 

• Ability to sit for more than an hour at a time 
• Keyboarding, viewing screens 
• Ability to visit unpaved farm sites

Mill City Grows offers a strengths-based collaborative staff team, flexible work environment, with parking and accessible office location in Lowell. This position will require flexibility to work evenings and weekends for special events, volunteer days, and to provide program support outside of normal business hours. Salary range is $65,000-$75,000 commensurate with experience. Benefits include: health, dental, & vision insurance, as well as vacation, sick, & personal time - and fresh veggies! 

Mill City Grows is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to creating a multicultural organization. We actively seek a diverse pool of candidates for this position. 

Compensation: full-time salaried, paid bi-weekly

• 24 hours of Personal Day 
• Accrued Vacation Time
• Accrued Sick Time
• Paid Holidays
• PFML State Program benefit that offers up to 26 weeks of paid leave upon enrollment eligibility
• Fresh produce from the farm
• Eligible for enrollment in our 401K program
• Eligible for health, dental and vision insurance with 75% paid by company 

To Apply: 

Email cover letter and resume with the subject line “Director” to hr@millcitygrows.org 

Please have 3 references upon request. 

Mill City Grows is an Equal Opportunity Employer. http://www.millcitygrows.org