About Ekar

Ekar Farm and Community Gardens is a communal urban farm, inspired by Jewish values. We work to build community, provide experiential and environmental education, and grow sustainably produced fruits and vegetables, expanding access to those in need. Now in our 14th, Ekar is looking for an Executive Director to lead our organization by overseeing all operational, financial, and outreach aspects of the farm.

Ekar Farm values diverse perspectives and identities of all people and works actively to dismantle systems of oppression in our food system. Currently, the Board of Directors is working on developing a DEI statement. The executive director will play an active role in determining and implementing DEI values commitments in various aspects of our work.

Job Description

This is an extraordinary opportunity to grow as a leader and make a lasting impact in people’s lives through hunger relief, food justice education, garden-based programming, and to act in solidarity with all who uproot systems of oppression that unjustly influence our agricultural, environmental, and social wellbeing. The executive director is the leader of Ekar and is responsible for preparing accurate financial reports, ensuring work is in alignment with Ekar’s mission, building important donor and community relationships, and communicating on behalf of the organization.

This position reports to the board of directors. The program and outreach manager and associate farm manager reports to the executive director.

Program and Outreach Manager is responsible for developing and executing advocacy programs and educational efforts, building and maintaining relationships with community partners, and contributing to grant applications. They also manage interns and the community garden.

Associate Farm Manager: Oversee daily farm operations ensuring production goals for donation and education are achieved, including:

• Irrigation and tool maintenance
• Wash pack/harvest management
• Teaching and leading crew on daily tasks
• Sowing seed, harvesting, implementing weed bed management practices
• Coordinating with distributors for harvest pickups
• Communicating about harvests with distributors
• Utilizing organic and sustainable pest management, building a healthy soil microbiome, and fruit tree care.

Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate has a proven track record of effectively leading and managing the strategic direction of an organization with the disposition to nurture a thriving and inclusive organizational culture. This individual is able to manage multiple projects at once and stay organized, values transparency, integrity, and collaboration, and is passionate and enthusiastic about creating a better food system and relieving hunger. Ekar is a small nonprofit, meaning our ideal candidate must be able to work independently, problem-solve, and provide relevant mentorship opportunities to the program and outreach manager and farm manager. They will also understand and be committed to dismantling racial, economic and other structural inequities within the food system.

Areas of Responsibility

Supervision and Leadership

• Provide leadership to and manage the efforts of staff to ensure appropriate support of the program and outreach manager and the farm manager, including volunteer recruitment
• Cultivate a positive, welcoming, inclusive and motivating culture and workplace environment
• Hire, train, develop, and oversee two full time staff and a part-time contract bookkeeper including career coaching, growth, and personal development
• Actively engage and energize volunteers, board members, committees, partnering organizations, and funders

Planning and Organization

• Ensure effective systems to track scaling progress, and regularly evaluate program components, so as to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents
• Retain diverse and qualified staff and volunteers
• Build and maintain community partnerships
• Produce and manage communications

Fundraising and Financial Management

• Develop and execute on the fundraising strategy to grow the annual budget to support operations
• Steward donor and funder relationships
• Actively engage in fiscal management through hands on budgetary development and oversight; routinely report performance and financial activities to the board
• Maintain accurate monthly financial statements

Board Management

• Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors; seek and build board involvement with strategic direction. In coordination with the Board Chair, plan and prepare meeting structure, board reports, and accurate monthly financial reports
• Serve as the liaison between staff and the board of directors by reporting to the board on staff changes, donor details, fundraising efforts, and areas where the staff feels help is needed

Qualifications

Required

• At least five years of successful leadership experience, preferably in a food/agriculture-related organization, in either the nonprofit or private sector
• Understanding and proven ability to manage operational functions such as preparing a budget, monitoring cash flow, and interpreting financial data and reports
• Strong knowledge of financials and how to build financial forecasting documents for the board of directors
• Experience with marketing and communications that successfully engages stakeholders such as foundations, donors, corporations, and the general public
• Basic knowledge about and a commitment to building sustainable food systems and relieving hunger
• Experience creating and sustaining a collaborative work environment among stakeholders such as staff, the board, and community partners
• Experience in driving organizational change through strategic planning and a vision forward mindset
• Experience running fundraising initiatives; experience with a capital campaign is a plus
• Interpersonal and communication skills that include fostering collaboration, building and maintaining trusted relationships, and productively resolving conflicts
• Sensitivity to and/or interest in Judaism, its values, and culture
• College degree or equivalent work experience related to the areas of responsibility

Preferred

• Demonstrated financial acumen and accounting knowledge: GAAP compliance, budgeting, P&L/balance sheet/cash flow management, financial planning/reporting expertise
• Previous experience working or volunteering with a community, nonprofit, or government organization
• Proven work experience as a nonprofit executive director or similar role
• Knowledge of volunteer recruitment and how to get individuals involved for the organization’s success
• Understanding of Jewish agricultural wisdom and its purpose in creating a more sustainable food system
• Relevant training and/or certifications as a nonprofit executive director
• Experience utilizing a DEI lens in day to day work and/or working with marginalized populations

Working Conditions

The physical demands listed below are representative of those that must be met by an employee in this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with differing abilities:

• Typing, writing, reading, hearing, and speaking
• Standing and walking for several hours inside and outside in the summer, as well as sitting, squatting, crawling, climbing, and lifting up to 30 pounds

Schedule and work from home options

General hours are 9:00 am-5:00 pm Monday-Friday. Occasional evenings and Sundays are expected due to programming, events, and volunteer days on the farm. Demand on your time is heavier during the growing season.

Ability to work from home on a flexible-hybrid schedule depending on partnership and donor meetings, farm responsibilities, and program and outreach support. Ekar’s office is located at DU Hillel.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time benefited position that includes a $150/month healthcare stipend, 18 paid holidays, and paid vacation time of up to 15 days per year. The salary range for this position is $60,000-68,000 per year commensurate on experience, with the potential to increase salary depending on funding.

Interested Candidates

Ekar provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter that describes your interest in and how you are qualified for this position and a resume.

Please email your application to Mackenzie Marcus, Board Chair at mackenzie@ekarfarm.org.