Director of Programs

About Us

Concrete Jungle (CJ) forages, farms, and supports food access across Georgia. We provide fresh produce to food-insecure families by distributing excess produce from fruit trees and farms throughout the region; growing food on our farm and orchard; and providing nutrition education resources. We envision a future where communities are well nourished in a world with no food waste. As of December 2022, Concrete Jungle has distributed over 1,750,000 pounds of fresh, nutritious food. 

In the past 14 years we have grown from a grassroots, volunteer-led initiative into a small but impactful nonprofit organization. A summary of CJ’s main programs can be found here. CJ has two branches in Atlanta and Athens, both of which conduct picks as well as harvest activities and post-harvest collections unique to their cities. Additionally our farm, orchard, and produce purchasing program (Produce Buyers Club) are based in Atlanta. We achieve all this impact with 6 full-time employees, several part time staff and interns, and hundreds of dedicated volunteers. Headquartered in Southwest Atlanta, Concrete Jungle currently has program staff based in Atlanta, Athens, and South Georgia who oversee program activities in their region and throughout the state.

Position Summary

Concrete Jungle is seeking highly skilled and diverse candidates for our full time Director of Programs role based in Atlanta, GA. For this new role, we need someone who has the strategic visioning experience to help us prioritize and keep growing; the management chops to support the team and the culture we're working hard to build; and still has the willingness to jump in and deliver produce across town (because we're not yet so big that we don't all pitch in when it's needed!).

In this role, you'll be entrusted with the pivotal responsibility of working with the diverse and dedicated programs team that executes the activities of CJ's branches, Adventure Picks, and Produce Buyers Club. We'll look to you to inspire and motivate them, to support them to reach their ambitious outcomes, and to create a culture of excellence and core value alignment. This role will require on-the-ground work with our staff, volunteers, and partners and to be truly impactful, you will use those experiences to inform programmatic improvements. You'll also be a key partner to our leadership team as we together balance our short-term needs with the long-term vision we have for our impact in Georgia. 

It's a big and exciting role - one where you will shape Concrete Jungle’s direction and oversee the work that most directly serves our mission. You’ll do this with the support of a staff eager to collaborate, our awesome board of directors, and hundreds of committed volunteers.

Primary Responsibilities

As the scope of responsibilities for this position is broad and varied, the day-to-day work is expected to evolve and transform as our team and programs grow. Here’s what you can expect the role to entail initially: 

Directly supervise and support 3 full time and 3 part time program managers to ensure maximal impact of their programs (70% time)

• Build a strong team and ensure all staff members are maximizing their individual strengths and assets within the context of the larger organization, with explicit professional development priorities. 
• Create systems to hold yourself and your team accountable to impact metrics.
• Aid program managers with problem solving and identifying most efficient plans for program logistics, especially during the busiest weeks of harvest season.
• Regularly attend program events at both branches and throughout the state to observe, train, and support program staff. 
• Travel 2-4 times/month to visit the Athens branch, farm and community partners, or attend CJ events.     
• Serve as a safety net for program execution tasks, stepping in when program staff face challenges or are unavailable. 
• Coordinate staff and logistics across the 5 Atlanta based programs across 2 branches.  

Build strategic relationships and set the vision for programmatic growth (30%)

• Set vision for program development, bringing new ideas to the table and taking ownership of piloting innovations.
• Make connections with existing and new partners, exploring opportunities for speaking engagements, volunteer workdays, and programmatic partnerships.
• Identify opportunities for synchronizing programs and branches to build efficiency. 
• Develop strategy for and support execution of ongoing volunteer and farmer outreach efforts. 
• Collaborate with development and operations teams on data reporting and assessment, providing a keen eye for data important to storytelling and fundraising. 
• Develop training, resources and protocols to ensure a consistent volunteer experience across all branches and programs. 
• Explore opportunities for additional CJ branches and seasonal gleaning opportunities throughout the state. 

Qualifications 

You are a seasoned, self-aware, strategic leader with compelling management experience and demonstrated vision. You should be passionate about issues related to nutrition insecurity, social justice, and agriculture. To be successful in this role, you must be:

• A compelling leader:  Your sharply honed communication skills build consensus and empower action across multiple stakeholders. You establish direction while responding to your team to create real change.
• Passionate about people: You build systems and culture to empower staff to do the best work of their lives. You communicate directly and with empathy, seeking to understand while providing timely feedback. You are sensitive to the fact that we serve a diverse group of individuals from different socioeconomic backgrounds and abilities and adjust your communication accordingly.
• Empowered visionary: Concrete Jungle’s mission is ingrained in every action you take at work. You are constantly seeking ways to achieve our mission and have the ability to see opportunities where others might not. You bring new partnerships and opportunities to the table but only after thoroughly examining new projects for mission alignment and impact on metrics.
• Driven by outcomes: You have an incredibly strong track record of achieving ambitious goals despite obstacles, and have experience doing so in complex situations with diverse teams. You inspire your team to improve efficiency and increase impact through data-driven project planning.  
• A strategic thinker, planner, and operator. You can easily take an idea, build upon it, and execute it at a high level. Your approach to programs and projects is to break it down into smaller, manageable pieces and ruthlessly prioritize what is most important, and you support your team to do the same. You use and develop systems to track progress, streamline communication and increase efficiency. 
• Flexible and adaptive: When plans change or a project goes in a new direction, you meet that moment with excitement to problem-solve and don’t lose sight of how the work connects to our overall mission. We strive to improve a complicated food system, and you maintain an enthusiastic and positive personality despite adversity in this formidable task.

You also must have the following experience and abilities. We understand and embrace the variety of ways through which people gain experiences, whether through professional, personal, educational, or volunteer opportunities.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience with managing teams.
• Minimum 3 years of experience with program management. 
• Ability to regularly work outside of normal business hours during harvest season (at least 3-4 times/month April through November). 
• Physical ability to lift 40 pounds without strain, and willingness to support the on the ground aspects of  CJ's work.
• Reliable transportation and ability to transport materials as needed (e.g. produce and pick supplies).

Preferred candidates will also have:

• At least 3 years of experience in one or more of these fields: local food or sustainable food systems; agriculture or farming; volunteer management; and/or nonprofit management 
• Experience with CRMs or other data management systems.   

Compensation & Benefits

Annual Salary: $60,000-$65,000 based on experience. Concrete Jungle offers an attractive and competitive benefits package including 100% employer-sponsored healthcare, generous paid time off, gas and technology stipends, hybrid and flexible work schedule, and professional development opportunities. 

How to Apply

Applications requested by November 3, 2023, but will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Email your resume and responses to the following questions to info@concrete-jungle.org with “Director of Programs” and your name in the subject line.

• If you were a type of produce, which fruit or vegetable would you be and why?
• Which of Concrete Jungle’s program(s) do you think is the most impactful and why?

Concrete Jungle is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. Concrete Jungle is committed to an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity.