Director, Food Programs & Volunteering

Director, Food Programs & Volunteering

Full-time, Regular

This posting is open to internal and external candidates.

The North Grove strives for a staff composition that is diverse and reflective of the community of Dartmouth North. Individuals who identify as Indigenous, African Nova Scotian, Black and/or from another group that is under-represented in workplaces are encouraged to apply and self-identify.

Priority will be given to applicants from these equity-deserving groups.

About The North Grove:

The North Grove (www.thenorthgrove.ca) is a dynamic community hub, situated in the diverse community of Dartmouth North. We offer services, programs, and space for people to learn and connect through family support, food, and friendship. We also partner with more than 25 organizations to help improve health, reduce social isolation and strengthen connections in this community.

The North Grove team is made up of 35 staff. We work with a dedicated Board of Directors, and more than 170 community volunteers. Collaboration, creativity, and community-centered decision making are important to us.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are central to our work and as a team we have committed to a DEIB framework that includes ongoing learning opportunities, policy development, and partnership work.

Learn more about our DEIB commitment here: https://www.thenorthgrove.ca/deib

Our approach is rooted in strengths-based practice. This practice sees all members of the community as having resourceful and resilient qualities and strives to support individual self-determination. We seek applicants who share our commitment to working within this model.

The Opportunity:

As a Right to Food Partner and the first Community Food Centre in Atlantic Canada, we have spent the last eleven years growing the roots of our food programming and creating opportunities for people of all ages to come together around food. From our flourishing community farm to our lively community meals, cooking classes, and subsidized market, we are committed to dignified access to food. And we believe in the power of facing life's challenges together - that's why 170+ volunteers, many of whom are program participants, share their time with us every week to drive change in this community.

We are now excited to be embarking on a search for a Director, Food Programs & Volunteering to join our leadership team and guide the next stage of our work in Dartmouth North.

This role oversees program design, delivery, and evaluation across all our Community Food Center programming: community meals, food skills, farm, market, and volunteering programs, ensuring alignment with the organization's mission and strategic plan. The Director builds and fosters strong partnerships and positive participant experiences, supports staff development, and ensures programs meet the objectives of the strategic plan and the evolving needs of the community.

If you thrive in roles that connect big picture strategy with operational details, have experience leading teams, and love working in community, we want to hear from you!

Hours: 37.5 hours per week Monday to Friday, with some evenings and weekends as required
Reporting structure: This position reports to the Executive Director
Works closely with: Director, Family Programs & Community Navigation; Director, Strategic Initiatives & Engagement; Manager, Operations

The Director, Food Programs & Volunteering will:

• Provide strategic leadership for programs in the following areas: Volunteering, Community Meals, Food Skills, Farm, Market, aligning initiatives with the organization's mission, vision, and strategic plan.
• Supervise and mentor program coordinators offering coaching, professional development, and performance communication to ensure strong collaboration, growth and success.
• Collaborate closely with the Director, Family Programs & Navigation to lead organization-wide initiatives including annual program planning, program evaluation, and staff development.
• Design strategies and provide leadership in supporting volunteers, with a focus on engaging community members, providing an inclusive, strengths-based experience, and mentoring staff to maximize the impact of volunteers.
• Work with the leadership team to ensure implementation of The North Grove's DEIB strategy, and model the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all aspects of their work.
• Work with the Executive Director and program coordinators to develop and oversee program budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility, alignment with funding requirements, and efficient use of resources.
• Develop, oversee and maintain community partnerships with organizations including Right to Food, Feed Nova Scotia, and others, to strengthen collaboration with other food security and volunteer-based organizations.
• Ensure program compliance and reporting, including funder deliverables, outcome tracking, and evaluation metrics.
• Support a culture of continuous learning, embedding staff feedback, participant perspectives, and best practices into program improvement.
• Act as a senior leader within the organization and external spokesperson, supporting organization-wide planning, decision-making, and representing food & volunteering program staff on the leadership team
• Monitor and support day-to-day operations to ensure staff and participants are well-supported and that responses to emerging needs are timely and appropriate.

What you will bring:
The North Grove is seeking to build a diverse team and values lived experience and non-traditional ways of learning. If you don't meet all the criteria below but you are excited about the job description and believe you bring unique experience and perspective, please apply!

• Post-secondary education in social work, public administration, nutrition, food systems, community development, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training and demonstrated experience.
• Demonstrated progressive experience supervising managers and staff, acting as a role model and providing mentorship, coaching, and performance management to grow and develop staff.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in program design, delivery, and evaluation, preferably within a non-profit, community-based or food-related setting.
• Experience leading a team in a food-based setting (restaurant, kitchen, farm, food bank, youth cooking, etc.) is strongly preferred.
• Proven track record of developing and managing budgets, ensuring financial accountability and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Experience building and maintaining partnerships with funders, government agencies, and community organizations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing reports, funding proposals, and presentations.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to give and receive constructive feedback, navigate nuanced and difficult conversations with objectivity and sensitivity, and address challenges with clarity, fairness and respect.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate equity, diversity, and inclusion principles into program design and organizational leadership.
• Strategic thinking skills, with the ability to identify opportunities, anticipate challenges, and drive innovation.
• Experience working with people who face significant barriers, with an understanding of root causes of community issues, particularly those affecting equity-deserving communities.
• Excellent organizational skills and proven experience managing complex projects and balancing multiple priorities effectively.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and comfort with database or program evaluation tools.
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings or weekends to attend community events or represent the organization.
• Ability to work collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team environment
• A sense of fun and a commitment to kindness and empathy

What We Offer:
The North Grove is a caring and high-energy work environment. Staff wellbeing is prioritized, and we provide training opportunities, employer-paid medical/dental benefits from day one, 4% employer-paid RRSP contribution after probation, 4 weeks of paid vacation, all statutory holidays, paid sick time and 4 personal days. A computer is provided as well as a telephone stipend.

Salary hiring range: $72,100-$80,000 annually*

*Compensation will be determined based on candidate skills, experience, and internal equity.
Future earning potential for this role is currently $92,700

The Selection Process:

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a short initial phone screening call to go over the basics of the position, get a high-level understanding of your experience, and answer any questions you may have.

Following the phone screening calls, a handful of candidates will be invited to an in-person interview at The North Grove, followed by a second interview if required. Candidates are encouraged to submit any accommodation requests to the email below.

Everyone who applies for this position will receive an email update from The North Grove within one month of the application deadline.

How to Apply:

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume in one document by email to Naomi Samela, Operations Manager, at [email protected] under the subject line: Application for Director, Food Programs & Volunteering, by Monday, November 2nd at 9am.