Job Title: Policy Director
Reports To: Executive Director
FLSA Status: Exempt
Hours: Full time – 40-45 hours/week, including occasional evenings/weekends
Salary Range: $55,000 – $75,000, plus a benefits package that includes health, dental, and life insurance as well as vacation and sick and safe time.
Location: Flexible – remote, or out of one of the offices (Minneapolis, Lewiston, Montevideo)
Summary and Organization Description: LSP is an organization grounded in its mission and its membership. It seeks to do work that ensures that the health of the land is enhanced, small- and mid-sized farms thrive, communities are prosperous, and true democracy flourishes. The mission of the Land Stewardship Project is to foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, to promote sustainable agriculture, and to develop healthy communities.
The position of Policy Director is an organizing, management, and leadership position that will set goals and lead the department across all facets of its work. The Policy Director will lead the Policy Department’s strategic planning, directly manage and support the Department staff, provide broader leadership to drive the Department’s organizing and policy advocacy work, engage with and train members to lead the work, fundraise, and manage the Department budget. Experience with organizing, as well as with the legislative process or lobbying is required. As a people’s organization, we are looking for someone with a dedication to building local leadership and power, including guiding the development of staff and member leaders. Strong candidates will also bring experience with staff management, organizing principles, and short and long-term issue campaign, advocacy, and department planning.
Essential Functions:
Strategic and Program Planning
- Lead and assist with the strategic development, planning, and performance of LSP’s Policy work – building power through:
o Effective issue campaigns that win structural reforms in communities and in law.
o Expanding and deepening LSP’s support base.
o Shifting the dominant narrative and advancing LSP’s transformative narrative.
o Building ongoing strategic alliances with other organizations and movement groups.
o Equipping members to be LSP leaders in their communities.
o Overseeing the Organizing and Social Change Cohort and other member leadership building opportunities.
o Guiding staff in building plans, meeting goals and deadlines
o Collaborating with the Land Stewardship Action Fund.
Department Fundraising, Budget, and Base-building
- Craft annual department plans and budgets in collaboration with department staff.
- Balance department revenue and expenses during each fiscal year.
- Ensure department budget is raised each year by leading prospecting, proposal development, applications and reporting on grants for the department.
- Work with department staff to set membership recruitment and base-building goals for each year, assure there is a plan to achieve it, and monitor progress.
Department Staff Hiring, Development, and Supervision
- Supervise department staff with regular check-ins, one-to-one meetings, and annual reviews.
- Evaluate staff to support professional development and improvement plans.
- Ensure regular department meetings and org-wide collaboration.
- Allocate staffing to align with department, campaign, and LSP’s strategic priorities.
- Plan for and support hiring of staff and ensure mentoring and onboarding for new employees.
- Prioritize, plan, and support staff development to further LSP’s organizing capacity, power, and strategic priorities.
Organizational and Coalition Work
- Play a lead role in forging, developing, and deepening strategic alliances and strong relationships with:
o Other base-building organizations in the multi-sector movement for major progressive change in Minnesota and nationally.
o Other progressive family farm and sustainable agricultural/environmental organizations in Minnesota and nationally.
o Decision-makers to support our co-governing effort. - Represent LSP on key coalitions and ally tables.
- Serve as a member of LSP’s Management Team.
- Take on organizational tasks as requested/approved by the Executive Director (e.g. planning for all-staff meetings; selected major donor visits).
- Assist, support, and recognize contributions of staff and leadership in other LSP programs and operational areas.
- Engage in internal and external gender, racial, and economic justice work.
Supervisory Responsibilities: Supervises the staff of the Policy Department.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Ability to express a commitment to and passion for building long-term progressive power in rural communities, stewardship of the land, and democracy.
- Possession of leadership and management experience that would be a good fit for the team and organization.
- Proficient in strategic short and long-term planning and budget development.
- Strength in relationship and coalition building.
- Ability to work effectively as part of a close-knit team, one-on-one, and individually to drive the program.
- Demonstrated experience in community organizing, member development, and issue campaigns.
- Experience with the legislative process and lobbying.
- Demonstrated commitment to learning and engaging in discussions around policies that impact rural communities.
- Effective verbal, visual, and written communication across various types of media.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, reach goals, and meet deadlines.
- Comfort and skill in fundraising and new membership and supporter recruitment.
- Experience in managing grant proposals and reports.
- Supervisory experience to empower member leaders and staff, such that they become effective recruiters, power-builders, and narrative shifters.
- Self-motivated with close attention to detail.
- Strength and confidence in using technology to advance work.
- Excellent organizational skills.
Work Environment: We prioritize our shared values and your strength in successful supervision over your ability to work in our office(s). We have always had staff across the state, as well as in our offices in Lewiston, Minneapolis, and Montevideo, MN. There is no residency requirement for this position, so individuals based in other areas of Minnesota are encouraged to apply. You will engage with other staff, members, and public figures regularly throughout the workday. Currently, due to COVID, most of your time will be spent on a computer and will be split between computer and in-person following the pandemic. This is currently a remote work position, so your work environment is up to you, but having a dedicated workspace and maintaining working hours reflective of office hours (M-F 9-5) is preferable, so you can effectively collaborate with other team members. We will provide you with the support and technology that will be necessary to complete your job duties. When safe, the work environment will include farms, businesses and other public spaces.
Physical Demands: This is a computer/office work-based role which requires extended periods of stationary positions such as sitting or standing. This job also requires public speaking and communication with the public, members, and other staff frequently, both verbally and in written form.
How to Apply: Please submit one pdf containing cover letter, resume, relevant writing sample of no more than 2 pages, and 3 references to Amelia Shoptaugh, HR & Operations Director at jobs@landstewardshipproject.org. Include the position title in the subject line. This position will remain open until filled, but for earliest consideration please submit your application by January 15, 2021.