Who We Are:
Oregon Food Bank (OFB) believes that no one should be hungry. Our mission is to eliminate hunger and its root causes. We believe that food and health are basic human rights for all. We know that hunger is not just an individual experience; it is also a community-wide symptom of systemic barriers to employment, education, housing and health care such as systemic racism, sexism, and cissexism. That’s why we work systemically to achieve our mission to end hunger: we foster community connections to help people access nutritious food, and we build community power and strengthen networks of support and the safety net to eliminate the root causes of hunger for good.
We build community power to dismantle systems and policies that drive hunger and poverty.
Oregon Food Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we strongly encourage applications from candidates who can increase the diversity of our organization and strengthen our capacity to eliminate hunger. We believe strongly in the power of lived experience — and we actively seek individuals who have experienced hunger and its root causes to join our team. Our organization is stronger because of the leadership of people who have faced food insecurity in their own lives and/or hail from historically under-represented communities. Learn more about our commitment at oregonfoodbank.org/equity.
Who You Are:
You care deeply about community, about people experiencing hunger and hold them in the center of all that you do. You are committed to apply equity as a process and an outcome of your work to disrupt systemic social patterns that promote hunger such as racism, sexism, and cissexism. You have a strong affinity with OFB’s 10 Year Vision and are profoundly excited to achieve this vision for and with our community.
Position Summary:
The Network Equity & Racial Justice Manager is a skilled trainer and consultant who works to advance equity and racial justice and you are passionate about food justice and food access. You will oversee a team of staff who advance equity and racial justice in food assistance programs through diversity, equity and inclusion training and consultation, data analysis and evaluation, and the development of service improvement plans which center community leadership and increase accountability. The Network Equity & Racial Justice Team responds to reports of racism, xenophobia, sexism and other forms of oppression throughout the statewide network of food assistance sites in Oregon and SW Washington and develops proactive strategies to increase equity throughout the service area.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Supervise a team charged with implementing network transformation programming that centers communities disproportionately impacted by hunger.
- Define critical competencies (skills and mindset) and provide regular feedback to ensure a high level of productivity, excellent customer service, teamwork and professional growth.
- Design and communicate clear team roles and accountability to maintain a positive and collaborative work culture. Facilitate open communication, representing diverse experiences.
- Maintain a positive, collaborative and productive work culture amongst project teams.
- Provide strategic direction to ensure food assistance programs in Oregon and SW Washington reflect a commitment to equity and racial justice.
- Oversee the design and implementation of activities that advance equity and racial justice at partner food assistance sites, including training, technical assistance, and consultation; data analysis and evaluation; and partnership development efforts.
- Work to align food assistance programming with racial justice work. Lift up, support and amplify racial justice leaders within the food assistance network.
- Work collaboratively with the Network Compliance, Metro Services, and Statewide Services Managers to lead teams in cross-departmental strategies that address instances of racism, sexism, xenophobia, and other forms of systemic oppression across Oregon Food Bank’s network of food assistance partners in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
- Work collaboratively with Advocacy, Organizing, and Food Systems Managers to lead teams in cross-departmental strategies that develop interdependence with BIPOC- and immigrant-led groups and organizations.
- Develop and recommend Network Equity & Racial Justice Team annual work plan, goals, objectives and budget for incorporation into OFB annual plan and budget. Operate within the annual budget of income and expenditures and ensure successful completion of the annual work plan.
- Provide oversight and develop tracking systems to ensure compliance with OFB approved budget, grants, policies, reports, and documents. Create and utilize standard department documents such as program descriptions, project charters, logic models, and evaluation plans.
- Coach staff and volunteers to develop and exhibit excellent interpersonal skills, creative problem solving, passion and authenticity, skillful time-management and compelling facilitation skills.
- Contribute to the P&P management team, to define and build consensus for OFB’s strategic direction and culture; including personal learning to address systemic inequity and its role in food insecurity.
- Organizational level responsibilities of exempt employees include:
- To be an ambassador and a leader for OFB’s vision and mission, a cross-departmental collaborator, and an active contributor to building a movement to end hunger for good.
- In consultation and coordination with the supervisor, actively contribute to:
- cross-departmental efforts
- work culture activities and programming
- advisory and consultative groups such as the compensation committee, affinity groups, Equity Ambassadors, Equity Think Tank meetings, among others
- lan and engage in professional development activities that strengthen your capacity for your specific role as well as your capacity to contribute and advance organizational goals, OFB’s vision and mission.
- Other duties as assigned.
Skills and Experience:
- At least 3 years of experience developing and executing racial justice and equity training programs.
- At least 3 years of management or program management experience, including directing the work of staff or volunteers and establishing and managing performance outcomes and expenses.
- Proven ability to build and maintain strong relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
- Proven ability to lead through change; confident initiating and engaging in difficult conversations, ability to navigate, mediate, and lead through conflict.
- Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication and presentation skills – ability to adapt communication style and content to a variety of audiences.
- Collaborative approach and a strong team-oriented style.
- Willingness to innovate, problem solve and seek innovative solutions.
- Experience in modeling intercultural competence and demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion and social justice work.
- Organizational level skills and experience for exempt employees include:
- Disposition and willingness to innovate, problem solve, test, fail and adjust.
- Experience in modeling intercultural competence and demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion and social justice.
- Demonstrated ability to think strategically, take initiative, and to maintain confidentiality.
- Project coordination and organization skills; ability to manage multiple projects with attention to detail; ability to handle interruptions, meet deadlines and complete accurate work.
- Self- directed, meets benchmarks and checks assumptions about the end goal. Clear on personal role in the team, shows willingness to support others to build momentum and share success; comfortable working in an office environment and offsite.
- Ability to thrive in a creative, responsive, and fast-paced culture.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in community organizing or coordinating social justice programs.
- Management or program management experience, including directing the work of staff or volunteers and establishing and managing performance outcomes and expenses.
- Organizational level preferred qualifications of exempt employees include:
- Multilingual skills at a minimum professional level of proficiency or greater in English and any additional language/s, defined as being able to speak the languages with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical and professional topics.
- Multicultural skills of adaptation and integration are strongly preferred.
- Adaptation is defined as the capacity to communicate and interact with people of multiple cultures, backgrounds, and styles by incorporating and adapting to the world view and perspectives of others.
- Integration is defined as being able to “code-switch” or move in and out of one’s worldview and help others understand different cultures, backgrounds, and styles to promote diversity and inclusion.
- Commitment to continued professional development to strengthen capacity to work through an equity lens for equity and racial justice.
- Strong capacity to consider multiple perspectives, to pivot to respond to emerging needs and lead through organizational changes.
- Personal living/lived experience of hunger and/or systemic inequity/oppression.
The Fine Print:
Work environment:
Work is performed in an office environment while sitting in meetings or at a computer screen for extended periods inside and outside of Oregon Food Bank and will use computer and phones extensively.
May work outside of general working hours of 8:00 – 5:00 p.m., such as evenings and weekends, and occasional travel out of town may occur.
This role requires travel/personal vehicle use /work outside normal hours.
Work may require to lift, move and carry objects from 20 to 40 pounds, such as boxes containing office and other supplies. Crouching, bending, kneeling and reaching when filing. Accommodations may be available upon request.