Co-Director

Background on the Food as Medicine Collaborative: The Food as Medicine Collaborative (FAMC), a fiscally-sponsored project of Community Initiatives, is a multi-sector coalition bridging healthcare and food systems to advance nutrition security and health equity. FAMC grew out of the shared commitment of San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) administration, clinic staff, and patient leaders to address food insecurity as a driver of negative health outcomes and health disparities. They envisioned, piloted, and scaled a program called Food Pharmacy at SFDPH-run primary care clinics beginning in 2015. In the following years this effort expanded to include the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium, UCSF, and Clinic by the Bay.

In 2019 FAMC convened partners to advocate for a range of food as medicine programs to be reimbursable through Medi-Cal, which led to an early policy success of the inclusion of these services in California’s Medicaid waiver, CalAIM. As a strategy to promote the successful implementation of CalAIM, FAMC has designed and facilitated a variety of local and statewide capacity building initiatives for nonprofit organizations. In 2023 FAMC was invited by the Hellman Foundation to act as the convener to a 5-year initiative focused on the integration of food as medicine programs in San Francisco’s healthcare systems. Simultaneously FAMC has worked to transition Food Pharmacy from a philanthropically funded program to a reimbursable CalAIM service.

The coming years are a critical time for FAMC and the food as medicine movement in California. We are finalizing contracts through a nonprofit hub to reimburse for Food Pharmacy services in order to support our long-term financial sustainability. We are also working closely with partners to strategize for the future of this work in San Francisco and statewide.

Background on the position: FAMC is transitioning its leadership model from a single director to two co-directors. The current director was the first full-time staff member of FAMC hired in 2018, and has served as the director since 2022. As part of the shift to a co-director model she plans to reduce her hours to part-time. We’re looking for someone who complements the skills of our current director, is mission-aligned and equity-centered, and shares qualities like an ability to quickly absorb information, motivate others, and connect the dots across our team. While there are clear areas of responsibility FAMC seeks to fulfill with this position, we anticipate this role evolving alongside organizational needs, and certain responsibilities being determined based on the chosen candidate’s background and interests.

Position overview: In partnership with the FAMC Advisory Committee and FAMC’s current Director, the new Co-Director will be primarily responsible for operations and administration, resource development and management, and supervision of the backbone staff team. In close collaboration with the current Director, they will also share responsibility for the development and implementation of the Food as Medicine Collaborative’s overall strategy, partnership cultivation, and programmatic quality and sustainability. They will uphold FAMC's core values of equity, healing, partnership, and humility in all aspects of their work.

Primary Responsibilities

• Operations: Manage FAMC’s overall operations, including our relationship with our fiscal sponsor, Community Initiatives. Ensure a strong organizational foundation to support all our work.
• Finance & Development: Lead annual budget planning, financial management, grant and contract compliance, and development activities such as grant prospecting, writing, and reporting to funders. Oversee the financial health and wellbeing of the organization while supporting partner organizations, particularly clinics, to lead and own the work through increased capacity and resource investment.
• People Management & Team Development: Recruit, train, mentor, and supervise FAMC staff, including supporting their ongoing professional development. Cultivate a collaborative team culture grounded in FAMC’s values. Manage the overall staff team to align with FAMC’s vision and funding.

Shared Responsibilities between Co-Directors

• Strategic Leadership & Planning: Co-lead strategic planning activities with FAMC staff, FAMC Advisory Committee members, partners, and patient leaders. Facilitate the development of annual goals and support all FAMC staff and partners in executing plans. Manage the FAMC Advisory Committee.
• Partnership Management: Cultivate and strengthen relationships with all partners—including healthcare systems, nonprofit organizations, food providers, managed care plans, government agencies, policymakers, policy advocates, and funders—to advance food as medicine initiatives locally and statewide. Seek new strategic partnerships.
• Food Pharmacy: In partnership with health systems leadership and other FAMC staff, guide the ongoing implementation of Food Pharmacy—including standardizing and embedding operations into clinic systems, sustaining the focus on health equity, and ensuring long-term sustainability through reimbursement from Medi-Cal. Encourage continued commitment to and secure resources for clinic-based food programming in San Francisco’s safety net healthcare systems.

Required Qualifications

1. Five years of leadership experience in nonprofit organizations or public health agencies, including responsibility for financial management and supervision of full-time staff; AND
2. Possession of a master’s degree from an accredited institution Substitution: 2+ years of additional experience as described above may be substituted for the degree

Desired Qualifications

• Deep commitment to health equity, racial justice, and addressing structural factors driving health disparities in historically under-resourced communities
• Experience directing or working in a leadership capacity at nonprofit organizations, particularly as they adjust operations and seek new revenue sources
• Demonstrated success in nonprofit financial management and fundraising, including budget development ($500k+), grant seeking, and reporting
• Track record of building organizational capacity by recruiting, mentoring, and retaining high-performing staff and cultivating high-performing teams
• Experience leading strategic planning processes and guiding organizations through phases of growth, transition, or complex organizational change
• Enthusiasm for working on a small, dynamic team with a commitment to shared leadership and decision-making
• Experience convening or facilitating cross-sector initiatives, with proven ability to mobilize diverse partners around a shared vision and goals
• Proven ability to lead complex projects independently and collaboratively, balancing specific goals and timelines with long-term relationship building and organizational priorities
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to adapt messaging for audiences ranging from community members to executives and policymakers

Additional Skills and Experience

There are a range of experiences that would make you a great candidate for this role, including:

• Experience co-designing and implementing social needs interventions in clinical settings, working in close partnership with healthcare providers, operational leaders, patient advisors, and city departments
• Background in trauma-informed nutrition security and/or licensure as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
• Experience managing fee-for-service operations in a nonprofit setting
• Understanding of the California healthcare landscape, including knowledge of Medi-Cal, CalAIM, and managed care plans
• Experience leading state-level policy advocacy campaigns and supporting policy implementation
• Experience with fiscal sponsorship
• Familiarity with the San Francisco Department of Public Health

We know that people who are underrepresented in leadership roles often undervalue their skills and contributions. If you are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply.

Reports to: Food as Medicine Collaborative Advisory Committee

Supervises: Staff (currently two Associate Directors and two Program Managers), as well as Consultants, Interns, and Volunteers as needed

Hours of Work: 1 FTE/40 hours per week

Work Location: Hybrid. While some of the work can be done remotely, this is a local position. It requires frequent site visits to clinics and partner meetings in San Francisco (2-3 times/week), and regular in-person working meetings with other FAMC staff. We intend to secure office space in the coming months. Once that happens, this role will transition to include specific in-office days.

COVID-19 Requirements: Due to periodic onsite work in primary care clinics, full COVID vaccination is required.

Community Initiatives is an equal opportunity employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to age, race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, disability or protected veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We value a diverse and inclusive workplace.