Director of Community Engagement

Future Chefs (futurechefs.net) prepares Boston high school students to complete high school ready for quality employment and post-secondary education. With a focus on positive youth development, Future Chefs provides paid, project-based learning in a kitchen setting to prepare teens with the basic cooking skills needed to enter the culinary industry and most importantly the job readiness and essential skills to thrive and advance.

Future Chefs believes that every young person is unique and flourishes in respectful, safe, stimulating settings that provide opportunities for growth, and relationships with caring, supportive adults who honor students’ lived experiences. Future Chefs occupies 5770 square feet of meeting, kitchen and office space on the first floor of The Clarion in Roxbury. Our youth-centered programming is enhanced by community-based collaborations that directly and indirectly support our mission. Future Chefs is a fiscally sponsored organization of Third Sector New England (tsne.org).

Essential Functions

The Director of Community Engagement is responsible for overseeing Future Chefs’ community engagement initiatives.  The Director of Community Engagement will help to grow, elevate, and enhance the work and positive impact of FC’s mission by growing community engagement, increasing earned revenue, and creating long-lasting partnerships and relationships. This position will ensure that Future Chefs’ outreach and engagements are aligned with the strategic direction of the organization, position Future Chefs as a sector leader in community-based youth development and food-related efforts and help to grow revenue-generating relationships needed for us to thrive.

The Director of Community Engagement is responsible for setting direction for this area of work and managing the budget and workplan for community engagements at Future Chefs-  They will ensure that community partnership activities enrich neighborhood life,  enhance our youth programming directly or indirectly, and fully activate our facility. The Director of Community Engagement will be a member of the Leadership Team and will collaborate with Program, Data Management, Fundraising, and Communications staff.  

Community Outreach and Engagement:

• Develop and implement strategies for community outreach to increase awareness of Future Chefs' programs and impact.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with schools, community organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders to enhance our reach and effectiveness.
• Seek out and foster partnerships with communities, schools, and community organizations, etc.

Strategic Alignment:

• Work closely with the leadership team to ensure that community engagement initiatives align with the strategic direction of the organization.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration and partnerships that support our mission and goals.

Sector Leadership:

• Represent Future Chefs in relevant community forums, conferences, and events to position the organization as a sector leader in youth development and food-related efforts.
• Stay informed about trends and best practices in community engagement and incorporate innovative approaches into our programs.

Revenue Generation:

• Identify and pursue opportunities for revenue generation through partnerships, sponsorships, and fundraising events.
• Collaborate with the development team to create compelling proposals and presentations for potential donors and sponsors.

Relationship Building:

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, community leaders, and partner organizations.
• Leverage relationships to enhance Future Chefs' visibility and impact within the community.

We will consider exceptional candidates who demonstrate a strong combination of the specific qualifications and skills described below.

• A seasoned professional with experience creating and sustaining partnerships and new business
• A demonstrated passion for community education, engagement and, food-based programming
• Experience in identifying fundraising opportunities and generating revenue
• 5 years’ experience directing and building programs, executing public-facing events, including fundraisers, workshops, and conferences
• Proficiency in Google Suite, Microsoft Office, project management platforms, and experience with a CRM
• Organization and strong work ethic - you work hard, manage your time well, communicate clearly and in a timely fashion, and have excellent follow-through
• Resourcefulness - recognize the wealth of knowledge that exists within yourself and in the field to share with colleagues and are driven to continually expand your knowledge base and connections
• Collaborative - you work well with others, can manage multiple projects with multiple partners, communicate and cooperate with purpose and humor
• Supportive - you are there when you say you will be there and do what you say you will do with energy and empathy
• Demonstrated project management skills and ability to manage multiple concurrent projects simultaneously
• Strong customer experience skills and the ability to build and maintain relationships with team, community, volunteers, and vendors
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and comfort communicating across a diverse range of audiences
• Ability to clearly articulate the mission and programs of Future Chefs and represent the organization publicly
• Ability to effectively present information to small and large groups
• Proficiency in managing administrative functions, including calendar management; scribing meeting minutes/summaries; record keeping; process building and constituent data
• Ability to work and positively function within a team environment
• Bi-lingual in Cape Verdean Creole, Vietnamese, Spanish or Haitian Creole

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those for this position. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Work is performed in an office environment and in close proximity to other workers.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to:

• Handle, or feel objects, tools or controls;
• Reach; traverse; sit (usually for longer periods of time); occasionally ascend/descend; and position self (to) move;
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds;
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate;
• Job is not subject to significant occupational or environmental hazards;
• Likelihood of personal injury would be relatively slight;
• Environmental and work hazards are not present to a measurable degree.

Compensation and Benefits

Location: Onsite – Roxbury, MA

Schedule: 37.5 hours/week, flexible weekday and weekend availability

Compensation: The salary range for this position is $85,000 - $95,000/yr. and is commensurate with experience.

Benefits: This position is eligible for a full benefits package including:

• Generous Paid-Time-Off (PTO): twelve paid holidays, three weeks of vacation, one week of personal holiday, and ability to accrue up to 487.5 hours of health leave time for benefited staff;
• 80% Employer-paid, offering some $0 deductible Health Insurance through Harvard Pilgrim along with several low-deductible plans;
• Low-cost Guardian Dental and Vision;
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Health and Dependent Care;
• Employer-paid Life, Long- and Short-Term Disability Insurance;
• Employer-paid Pension through TIAA;
• ...and more!

TSNE/FC strives to achieve excellence through a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment that embraces all of our individual and collective differences. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Middle Eastern and North African, Bilingual and/or Bicultural candidates, and LGBTQ2SIA+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We value and honor the unique talents, learning styles, and lived experiences of each individual that enrich and strengthen our workplace culture, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

All employment conditions are based on an individual’s performance and job qualifications. TSNE/FC prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, creed, color, religion, native language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, race-based hairstyles, or any other protected characteristic stated by federal and state law. Regardless of any class’ protection under the law or lack thereof, TSNE/FC celebrates diversity and values the strengths that come with having a diverse team of employees. It is represented in our workplace culture, and it is who we are.

TSNE/FC's EEO statement extends to volunteers, interns, contractors, vendors, and clients.