Attention: In light of COVID-19, we have extended our application deadline and start date.

Nourish Anchor Collaborative Program Manager

Title: Anchor Collaborative Program Manager
Supervisor: Co-Directors
Location: Anywhere in Canada with good connectivity (team currently Toronto/Montreal)
Starting date: Spring/Summer 2020
Position Type: Full time, 1-year contract (possibility to renew)
Job Level: Program Manager (starting 60k-70k)

About Nourish

Nourish works with health care to use the power of food to build health for people and the planet. Our mission is to engage health care in the transition to more sustainable, equitable futures, where food and our connection to the land are understood as fundamental to our wellbeing; as the health of people and planet are inextricably linked. We are a growing national community of practice that works across the community, institutional, and policy scales to steward innovation to transition to a more preventative, equitable, sustainable health system. Nourish is a joint initiative of the McConnell Foundation and the Arrell Foundation. Read more here: https://www.nourishhealthcare.ca/

Over the course of the next five years, Nourish will convene 2 two-year cohorts of visionary healthcare-community Anchor Collaboratives to explore the interconnections between food issues that impact the health of people and planet. These place-based collaboratives will co-design solutions that address the underlying problems that make people and planet sick - from community food insecurity to the acceleration of climate change. These two Anchor Collaborative leadership cohorts fit into the broader five-year Nourish Anchor Program strategy (Jan 2020 - Dec 2024) that includes national communications and policy work.

The Opportunity

The Nourish Anchor Collaborative Program Manager will be part of a small and dynamic team dedicated to leveraging food in health care to impact the upstream ecological and social determinants of health. The successful candidate will work closely with the Co-Directors to develop and implement the Anchor Collaborative leadership program strategy, from recruitment through program delivery and evaluation. This includes maintaining key relationships, coordinating with local partners, supporting place and land-based programming, and providing leadership through an array of facilitation, logistical, and administrative activities.

Your secondary responsibilities will be to support national Action Learning and communications efforts through research, writing, and relationship-building efforts related to building a movement of health care organizations taking action through food to advance leadership on climate, equity, and community wellbeing.

The Anchor Collaborative program (https://tinyurl.com/rrmwoqw) is part of the broader Nourish Anchor Leadership Strategy (https://tinyurl.com/vrlkuuv), which builds from and deepens the last three years of work described in our Developmental Evaluation (https://tinyurl.com/uwz3bze).

Why should you apply?

This is an opportunity to join a small, emerging organization working on systems change at scale. We are a small team of a few people that is well-supported by our core partners and broader network. It is an opportunity to become involved with ongoing efforts to address some of Canada’s toughest challenges – such as climate change, inequality, and reconciliation – providing systems leadership to support transition to futures where the wellbeing of people and planet are valued and seen as interdependent. You will gain a pan-Canadian perspective on social and ecological change while having the opportunity to develop meaningful connections across multiple scales of the system, from Indigenous knowledge keepers in the community to policy-makers. You will support efforts for awareness-based systems change and leadership that (re)builds relationships with food, land, and each other.

As a contract position, we will consider a range of applicants for the role, from associates with a few years of project leadership under their belt and a lot of ambition to more seasoned program managers. As the organization grows, so can opportunities for increased roles and responsibilities and for a longer-term position. In your role you will work very closely with the Nourish Directors to provide leadership to a critical program, managing the Anchor Collaborative participant experience, while pivoting frequently from one meeting to the next to support the Directors in a range of activities, from leading meetings, synthesizing information and drafting reports to other administrative duties as required. This position is a good fit for someone who is highly organized and ambitious, solutions-oriented, and self-starting. You love the land but can manage your time and energy well in front of a computer or on video-conference calls.

Main responsibilities include:

Collaborate with the Co-Directors on the design and implementation of the Anchor Collaborative leadership program, including design, logistics, hosting, and supporting pan-Canadian hospital-community teams through virtual programming and retreats;

Develop and maintain key relationship with First Nation, Métis, and Inuit knowledge-keepers and elders to support place and land-based programming;
Effectively collaborate with the Co-Directors to ensure prompt and effective engagement with partners and program participants;
Undertake research and writing activities, including writing content for the web, case studies, campaigns; blogs, and reports;
Support program evaluation and reporting; including ongoing documentation of program impacts;
Undertake general program staff functions, including correspondence, scheduling, and preparing expense reports; and
Contribute to Nourish’s strategic learning and program / operational improvements.

Skills & Attributes:

Superior interpersonal skills with colleagues and partners of diverse backgrounds and sectors. You are a persuasive and empathetic written and verbal communicator who can effectively engage with a CFO, patient, or Elder.
Demonstrated project management abilities, strong multi-tasking, and superior organizational skills; ability to work as a self-sufficient member of a team.
Strong creative problem-solving skills and initiative; you come with solutions to offer.
Demonstrated expertise in working with health care and with institutional food systems or experience working on other systems change projects on a related issue, like Indigenous food sovereignty.
Experience supporting complex, multi-scale projects that work across a range of disciplines and sectors.
Excellent knowledge and understanding of two or more of the following: climate change, Indigenous issues and challenges, the ecological and social determinants of health, and community food security.
Intellectual curiosity and openness to change are essential. Experience with anti-racist, anti-oppressive, trauma-informed approaches to hosting and working an asset.
Self-awareness about strengths and areas for growth are essential, along with a high level of professionalism and integrity.
Fluent in written and spoken English; functional in written and spoken French an asset.
Availability and willingness to travel.

The following knowledge and experience will be considered an asset:

Knowledge of systems change, adult education and social movements, narrative shifting, design thinking, strategic foresight, and/or ecological economics.
Experience living or working with Indigenous knowledge systems.
Experience with facilitation and organization of convenings.

A significant dimension of this position will include stewarding respectful engagement with Indigenous knowledge systems, and we encourage Indigenous candidates to apply.

Attention: In light of COVID-19, we have extended our application deadline by two weeks although we encourage all applicants to submit as soon as they are able.

Application Deadline: EXTENDED TO: Friday, April 17 at 11:59pm. (Previous: March 27, 2020 at 11:59pm.)

Interviews will be conducted in Toronto or virtually.

[Updated March 27, 2020.]