The Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) is a multi-stakeholder training, certification and verification program designed to help workers, growers and major food buyers collaborate to produce safer, healthier food. As farms comply with the EFI standard for working conditions, pesticide management and food safety, the initiative creates additional value and quality throughout the food system, with benefits extending all the way to consumers. EFI has been co-chaired and incubated in Oxfam America since 2008 and now plans to become an independent stand-alone organization by April 2015.
This consultancy with Oxfam America is grant-funded through March 2015, and will become a full-time role with an independent EFI, subject to funding availability. In coordination with members of the EFI network, the Marketing Director will support all aspects of EFI’s public messaging and outreach, all relationships with media, donors and social media networks, and will represent EFI in public events as appropriate.
COORDINATES WITH: EFI program staff (outreach, training, and certification); EFI Communications Working Group; media partners; Oxfam program and fundraising staff.
1. Develop an overarching marketing strategy and communications plan for EFI
- Work with EFI staff and board to enhance and coordinate targeted messaging to key constituencies (major produce buyers; growers; advocacy groups; consumers; policy makers; donors; media outlets).
- Review and update all aspects of the current EFI branded materials (grower and retail engagement documents; training materials; certification scheme documents; fundraising materials) and website, and link them to EFI’s consumer-facing label due to launch in late 2014; liaise with colleagues responsible for outreach, training and certification to ensure a coherent and compelling EFI brand identity.
- Coordinate with EFI Communications Working Group and Participant Media to implement a media engagement plan linked to key program milestones.
- Manage, leverage and grow EFI’s presence in social media: coordinate blog activities, FaceBook/Twitter posts, outreach to signers of Participant Media’s TakePart Pledge; develop messaging and action plans to grow and sustain a public support base, including crowd-funding options.
- Develop and manage a marketing budget and growth projections consistent with overall EFI program development.
2. Support all aspects of EFI fundraising
- Revise and update boilerplate language for funding proposals; work with the Director to adapt these to specific funding opportunities and donor requirements.
- Support outreach and donor engagement. Primary donor contact is the Executive Director, but consultant will assume responsibility for donor research, cultivation and stewardship, as well as grant management and reporting, in close coordination with Oxfam fundraising team.
- Integrate internet and social media outreach into a comprehensive crowd-sourcing plan to drive online unrestricted donations.
3. Support EFI Director in planning and implementation of activities related to EFI’s spin-off and launch as an independent non-profit farm certification agency
- Work with Executive Director and other directors to develop comprehensive plan for EFI spin-off from Oxfam, with particular attention to messaging and media aspects.
- Contribute to development of a strong organizational culture and systems for an independent EFI, by participating actively in senior management team.
- Represent EFI as appropriate in public settings and with partners and stakeholders, and serve as subject matter expert to leadership on issues relating to effective marketing.
- Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree preferred.
- At least seven years direct experience with marketing, branding and communications, in either a private sector or non-profit setting, with capacity to articulate EFI’s business case.
- At least five years of related program management experience.
- Experience managing social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, etc.); creating and evaluating social media strategies; monitoring, responding, and communicating on social platforms in a consistent, on-brand voice.
- Experience using social media analytics tools and tweaking strategies based on data.
- Experience with media outreach, writing press releases, pitching reporters.
- Some basic design skills using tools like Microsoft Office, Adobe, Photoshop, and InDesign.
- Strong verbal, public speaking, writing and editing skills, and ability to manage, process and organize data.
- Knowledge of fundraising, donor engagement, proposal development and report writing.
- Ability to think and manage strategically within a complex start-up environment, and to improvise in systems development.
- Proven ability to facilitate group process and move swiftly to consensus outcomes.
- Proven ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people and institutions in a multi-stakeholder environment: willingness to bridge the business/non- profit divide.
