Careers at Farm Aid

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Overview and Organizational Summary
Farm Aid is a non-profit whose mission is to cultivate a vibrant and just, family farm-centered system of agriculture in the United States. With a social change orientation, conviction about the importance of family farmers, and a broad cultural platform, Farm Aid catalyzes and offers creative ways to champion farmers, inspire civic engagement and leverage our position to influence positive change in our agricultural and cultural landscape. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price host an annual food and farm festival to raise funds to support Farm Aid’s year-round work. Since 1985, through the generosity of the artists who contribute their performances each year, Farm Aid has raised more than $70 million to support our programs that help farmers thrive, grow the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.

Farm Aid leverages diverse expertise, assets and activities spanning entertainment and music, food business, grant making, direct service to farmers, grassroots movement building, and serving as a convener and coalition partner with aligned organizations for raising public awareness and influencing public policy. Farm Aid achieves its mission by:

• Amplifying the voices of family farmers to bring attention to the challenges they face and the benefits they bring to all of us;
• Connecting farmers to resources and opportunities;
• championing and Celebrating family farmers, good food and the culture of agriculture, in which we all can participate;
• Inspiring and empowering farmers and nonfarmers to participate in a democratic, just and sustainable farm and food system; and
• Investing talent, time and money in efforts that affect positive change in the farm and food system, especially the cultivation of collective power among agricultural and cultural communities.

Farm Aid’s vision—of a transformed America in which family farmers and eaters are partners in a thriving farm and food system that benefits all—is not possible without actively being part of the struggle for racial equity and justice. We are on an active journey of taking stronger action to end racism in our society and in our farm and food system.

Deeply rooted and at a time of exciting growth and transition, Farm Aid seeks a Business & Marketing Director to lead entrepreneurial and ongoing enterprises for earned revenue as well as experiential marketing to promote the cultures of agriculture through music, food and agrarian experiences.

Job Summary & Purpose
The Business & Marketing Director is responsible for advancing and supporting our mission by maximizing brand impact and earned revenue through creative and effective brand stewardship, experiential marketing, and food and culture programming. The Business & Marketing Director’s work has strong emphasis on successful execution of Farm Aid’s annual music and food festival, which is our greatest opportunity for revenue generation and audience engagement. This role serves on the Leadership Team, with the following key areas of responsibility:

1. Create and implement strategy for earned revenue, including music and food business, sponsorship, merchandise and cause marketing initiatives.
2. Champion the Farm Aid brand, ensuring it is strong and resonant, and that brand strategy supports Farm Aid’s strategic goals.
3. Oversee food and culture programming, including curation of HOMEGROWN brand experiences.
4. Serve as leadership team member, which has collective responsibility and accountability for stewarding Farm Aid’s vision and mission, building alignment and commitment to that vision and ensuring that the appropriate resources, structures and systems are available to empower staff to bring their individual skills and knowledge forward to achieve the greatest organizational impact.
5. Supervise contractors and staff whose roles advance and support earned revenue generation and food & culture programming.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities

Revenue Strategy and Operations (~50%):

• Serve as co-producer of annual festival and other music events; negotiate and manage venue contracts, artist waivers, television, streaming and radio licensing agreements.
• Serve as liaison to legal expertise.
• Lead and engage staff in the design of Farm Aid festival front-of-house experiences, including HOMEGROWN Village, HOMEGROWN Concessions®, HOMEGROWN Youthmarket and HOMEGROWN Catering, working with venue, Farm Aid staff and event producer to express hospitality, sustainability and brand values.
• Direct, execute and expand Farm Aid’s trademarked foodservice, HOMEGROWN Concessions, partnering with contract Culinary Director.
• Direct sponsorship program by engaging and partnering with contract Sponsorship Director; build on our ethos of principled sponsorship criteria and mutually beneficial brand alignments to further the mission with revenue and marketing reach. Ensure effective solicitation, fulfillment and evaluation of sponsorship agreements.
• Direct Farm Aid’s merchandise operation including both event and evergreen merchandise to enhance the mission via design, fair labor considerations and sustainable and organic materials. Lead the design and sales execution of merchandise, engaging designers, screenprinting and fulfilment contractor and venue merchandiser for efficient and profitable sales; ensure evaluation of impact and profitability; ensure merchandise operation is in compliance with relevant regulations.
• Engage internal and external stakeholders in development and promotion of profitable experiential and cause marketing initiatives.
• Support the Development team by creating marketing opportunities for contributed revenue.
• Ensure timely and accurate record keeping / data management, effectively coordinating with accounting and operations staff.
• Work collaboratively to assess and disseminate findings for revenue activities.

Marketing Strategy & Brand Stewardship (~20%):

• Promote and ensure brand clarity, focusing on continuous expression and assessment of our brand impact for impact and reach.
• With Communications and Development teams, assure brand guidelines for design and execution of Farm Aid communications and fundraising.
• Design and execute post-festival event evaluation with impact reporting, including surveys of eventgoers, vendors and other participants, ensuring that learnings inform future activities.
• Support staff across the organization with market research for various Farm Aid constituencies.
• Create marketing materials for the festival and other in-person events, social media, advertising, retail and more. Engage and serve as liaison for external marketing firm, helping to coordinate projects and ensuring adherence to brand guidelines.
• Develop and expand opportunities for cause marketing partnerships, working with Development team and staff members as applicable.

Food & Culture Programming (~10%):

• Champion and lead food and culture programming, promote food from family farms and serve as the HOMEGROWN brand experience curator. Create experiences to promote diverse foodways and cultures, centering family farmers as the source.
• Nurture and extend relationships with natural and organic food businesses, understanding trends and the complex implications of food businesses for farmers, their production practices and livelihoods.

Organizational & Staff Leadership (~20%):

• Participate as an active Leadership Team member, responsible for strategic vision, staff alignment, empowerment and accountability, resource development and financial oversight and for communications with the board of directors.
• Lead the Revenue team—a cross-functional team that comprises earned revenue, development, cause marketing, finance and operations, programming, communications and marketing—in development, implementation and monitoring of the annual revenue budget and related activities.
• Participate in staff meetings, grant reviews, planning retreats and other related activities in support of organizational goals.
• Lead other cross-functional or ad-hoc teams as needed.
• Other duties as desired and time allows.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in business, events and /or social enterprises with skills in brand strategy and marketing, with demonstrated success in generating and expanding revenue programs.
• 5+ years of experience in sustainable food, agriculture or cultural enterprise.
• Demonstrated commitment to economic justice. Must understand impact of corporate concentration in farming and food systems and champion the economic potential of independent family farmers and regional, regenerative, organic food systems.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity and building relationships with BIPOC communities. Must understand structural racism and how it impacts agriculture and the food system.
• Excellent relationship-building and negotiating skills for effective business partnerships and community engagement.
• Capacity for market and brand analysis to set direction for values-led business and nonprofit collaboration in social enterprises for a complex, high-profile organization.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Organized and detail-oriented, with a creative, design-oriented mindset.
• Experience with and excitement for event planning and implementation, particularly as it relates to our annual festival.
• Willingness to travel up to 15-20% of time, including for annual festival.
• Enthusiasm for working in a small team environment and taking on both strategic and tactical responsibilities.
• Skills in using, managing, and understanding various computer programs, including Google Suite, Microsoft Office Suite. Experience and/or aptitude for learning and effectively leveraging tech platforms for effective coordination and impact assessment.

Pay & Benefits
The salary range for this position is $92,000 – 102,000.

Benefits include 100% health insurance premium coverage (for up to full family coverage, ranging in value of up to $30K+ annually depending on family size); 20 days (4 weeks) of paid vacation; 10 days paid sick and excused time; 2 civic engagement days; 11 holidays & general office closure from December 24 through January 1; option to participate in company IRA, FSA and Employee Assistance plans; longevity bonus program rewarding each year of service and a paid, twelve-week sabbatical after seven years of service; as well as an exciting work environment with smart, passionate people seeking to make change in our food and farm system.

How To Apply:

If you are passionate about our mission and believe that you have the skills and valuable perspective to contribute to the growth of our organization, we’d love to hear from you!

Submit your complete application to hiring@farmaid.org with “Business & Marketing Director” in the subject line. In the email, please include your personal pronouns for how you like to be addressed and attach the enclosures listed below. Note that incomplete applications may not be reviewed. Enclosures include:

• a cover letter indicating where you learned of this opportunity and highlighting your experience, skills and interests relevant to the position and listed qualifications
• a current resume, and
• a writing sample or example of relevant work

We will accept and consider applications on a rolling basis and seek to make a hire in fall 2023.
Farm Aid will confirm receipt of your application within a few days of submission. We will reach out further only if you are being considered as a candidate for the position.