A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability (OOS) works with partners around the City to improve quality of life in all Philadelphia neighborhoods, reduce the City’s carbon emissions, and prepare Philadelphia for a hotter, wetter future. OOS works to implement Greenworks, the City’s comprehensive sustainability plan. OOS visions a city in which all Philadelphians have access to a life-sustaining environment free from harmful pollution and where residents have the power and resources to thrive, to determine the outcomes of their community development, and to respond to climate stressors when they occur.

Housed within OOS, the Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council (FPAC) convenes resident stakeholders from across Philadelphia’s food system to advise the City of Philadelphia on food policy. Working with municipal agencies, local food justice leaders, and community organizations, FPAC advises the City on how to create a just food system—where all people have the power to access, own and control our food, land and labor. FPAC sees racism and other forms of oppression as the root causes of injustices in our food system. As such FPAC works to affect policy change that addresses root causes and shifts power. FPAC is led by the wisdom and power of those most impacted by injustices in the food system –Black, Brown, Indigenous, poor, and marginalized people.

Over the past two years, the Food Policy Advisory Council (FPAC) has been growing its membership, infrastructure, organization systems, and policy processes so Philadelphians who are most impacted by and organizing against injustices in our food system, e.g., people who are experiencing food insecurity, working in the food industry, relying on school/prison food, struggling to own land and grow one’s cultural foods, feeding neighbors, and running neighborhood-based food businesses, can lead food policy and increase their political power in our city. 

The FPAC Manager is responsible for continuing this growth. They are the point person for membership, community members, and partner organizations and the staff lead for FPAC’s governance, leadership development, political education, and strategic planning. Specifically, they are responsible for advancing the following objectives

• Strengthening the capacity of FPAC to identify policies and practices that address root causes of food injustices and centralize the leadership of those most impacted
• Managing the implementation of FPAC’s three-year strategic plan focused on 1) building FPAC for the long haul 2) growing membership around justice and joy 3) tearing down barriers to access and influence 4) changing policy 5) sustaining power
• Convening and connecting community members, community-based and non-profit organizations, businesses and institutions, and local food justice and sovereignty movements to advance a holistic and coordinated approach to food justice that moves impacted communities from surviving to thriving

This is a full-time position that reports to the Director of the Office of Sustainability and works closely with a team of City staff working on food issues and policy in the following departments–Parks & Recreation, Public Health, Office of Children and Families, Office of Homeless Services, Procurement, and the Mayor’s Policy Office. In addition, this position works closely with and/or convenes the following FPAC member working groups–Membership and Governance, Facilitation Cohort, and the Strategic Planning Working Group.

Essential Functions

Membership and Governance

• Develop membership and governance processes that increase voting power and membership of poor and working class BIPOC Philadelphians and engage them in participatory processes aimed at crafting equitable food policy.
• Recruit, train, and support FPAC’s appointed membership–Philadelphians who have suffered and are organizing against the brunt of food injustices–to lead food policy efforts and build political power and FPAC’s representative membership–Philadelphians who have positional power in non-profits and institutions across the food system–to use their power and shift resources towards a just food system.
• Foster a leader-full and collaborative coalition, where members work together across race, class, and other power lines towards a shared vision, with distinguished roles and responsibilities based on power, position, and capacity.

Political, popular, and food systems education

• Lead FPAC’s efforts to train members and the public in policy making, grassroots campaigns, and oppression and resistance in the food system.
• Support members to use equitable engagement processes and participatory action research to develop strategy, action plans, and policy recommendations that
  • meet the coexisting needs of people who grow food, work in restaurants, experience hunger, and provide food for communities, and
  • address racism and transfer power and resources to historically disinvested communities.
• Center community knowledge, wisdom, and experience and consider all participants as teachers and learners.

Strategic planning and implementation

• Work with FPAC’s membership to finalize and begin implementation of FPAC’s three-year strategic plan.
• Connect FPAC’s day-to-day work and operations with its long-term vision and most aspirational values.
• Map, build, and strengthen relationships with community members, partner organizations, and local food justice and sovereignty movements.

Other duties

• Coordinate monthly FPAC meetings of up to 100 stakeholders, including City staff, appointed members and the public.
• Collaborate and strategize within OOS and across City departments on food and environmental justice initiatives.
• May include facilitating meetings, participating in grant writing and reporting, drafting testimony, planning outreach events, and other tasks and responsibilities as assigned.

Philadelphia still suffers from the effects of deeply racist policies and practices that began centuries ago with the land theft and genocide of indigenous people and the enslavement of African people. This history and more recent practices of redlining and mass incarceration of poor and working-class communities of color, still determines which communities are more likely to experience hunger, suffer from diet-related diseases, labor in our region’s kitchens, own land, and have a voice in political processes. FPAC aims to make amends for historically racist and unjust policies by advocating for policy change that addresses the root causes of inequities and injustices in our food system.

For generations, Philadelphia’s immigrants, refugees, working people, and people of color have worked to preserve their culture, heal their people, and feed their communities. From growing nourishing foods in backyard gardens and community farms to serving up free breakfasts through faith-based and neighborhood centers, Philadelphia’s most marginalized communities have provided innovative solutions to our city's food problems.

FPAC believes that Black, Brown, Indigenous, poor, and marginalized people with wisdom from experiencing food injustices and enacting community-based solutions must lead and influence our city’s food policy work in order to build a racially and economically just food system. The FPAC Manager is critical to assuring that FPAC’s culture, trainings, and governance align with and work towards this goal.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Food justice expertise - Lived experience navigating food injustices, e.g., experiencing hunger, relying on school/prison food, working in the food industry, etc. and organizing community solutions, e.g., feeding neighbors, running a food business, growing food, etc. Familiarity with food sovereignty and justice movements and grassroots initiatives in Philadelphia. Understanding of the root causes of all people not being able to access and control our food, land, and labor.
• Community organizing and coalition building – Effective track record of coalition building, grassroots political campaign strategy, and community organizing processes that build poor and working-class leadership.
• Strategic planning and project management - Experience leading processes that move multi-racial and cross-class groups forward towards a shared purpose. Well-practiced in connecting day-to-day work with long-term goals and finding balance between responding to immediate community needs and addressing root causes.
• Facilitation - Practice facilitating conversations and meetings in ways that support leadership development, full participation, principled disagreement, collective and democratic decision making, and prioritize those most impacted by systemic oppression.
• Relationship cultivation and management - Relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences; Demonstrated experience (professional or non-professional) building and maintaining relationships with low-wealth and community of color communities and executing projects involving multiple constituencies.

• Deep connection and lived experience with the Philadelphia food system, food injustice, and/or movements for change
• Commitment to building relationships from the perspective of the Jemez and Environmental Justice Principles
• At least five (5) years of demonstrated experience (professional or non-professional) in building multi-racial and cross class coalitions, affecting grassroots policy change, and/or community organizing that builds the leadership of poor and working class BIPOC communities
• Bachelor’s Degree, or a combination of 4 years of education and/or relevant experience.

Salary- $65,000-$75,000

Job Training & Professional Development Statement

• OOS is committed to building the capacity of staff members. In addition to access to external trainings, certifications or other professional development opportunities, learning also occurs in a shared setting. All team members jointly participate in exploring new concepts, resources, and skills. The entire OOS team convenes regularly to strengthen skills and competencies through knowledge exchange, resource sharing, and peer-to-peer support.
• Staff further build skills and knowledge through mentoring with members of the senior leadership team and peer-to-peer mentoring. Staff receive guidance and coaching from other OOS staff as well as other partners based on professional growth interests.

Vaccination status

As a condition of employment with the City of Philadelphia, employees starting employment on or after September 1, 2021 must be vaccinated.

Did you know?

• We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
• 25% tuition discount program for City employees (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670

 For more information, go to the Human Relations website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx