Program Manager, Equitable Food Systems

ABOUT REINVESTMENT FUND:

At Reinvestment Fund, we are dedicated to making a tangible difference in the lives of underserved individuals and communities. Our mission is to create opportunity for underserved people and places through partnerships. We marshal the capital, analytics, and expertise necessary to build strong, healthy, and more equitable communities.

As a federally certified community development financial institution (CDFI), our job is to make finance an agent of positive change and equitable growth. We provide loans, grants and technical assistance to businesses and nonprofits. Our borrowers and grantees educate students, support local economies, and create jobs. They build affordable housing and provide community goods and services that include access to nutritious food, hunger relief, physical and mental health care, and other social services.

In addition to our core lending activities, Reinvestment Fund manages several initiatives with the support of local or national foundations, and state, local and federal public agencies, and governments. A set of these initiatives are focused on strengthening food systems to improve access to healthy food and economic opportunity in the food sector for underserved communities. Chief among them is America's HFFI. Created by the 2014 Farm Bill, America's HFFI is a public-private partnership administered by Reinvestment Fund on behalf of USDA Rural Development to improve access to healthy food in underserved areas. HFFI provides resources, including grants, loans, and technical assistance to support healthy food retail and food retail supply chain projects that will improve access to fresh, healthy foods in underserved rural and urban areas.

ABOUT THE POSITION:
Reinvestment Fund is seeking a Program Manager to join our current team to support the expansion and implementation of America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI). Reporting directly to the Managing Director, Equitable Food Systems, the Program Manager will work with internal and external stakeholders to design and implement the HFFI Partnerships Program and to support successful implementation of the overall HFFI program. The ideal candidate will bring previous lending experience to best support food financing program grantees and the continued evolution of this program. This grant-funded position is an excellent opportunity for a self-motivated individual with both a team approach and systems-oriented thinking skills to help grow, further develop, and implement innovative programs.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Program Management, Leadership, and Communications

• Work with the Managing Director on long- and short-term program planning, design, and implementation of programs and funding cycles, ensuring achievement of milestones and overall program goals within budget and approved timeline.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with external program partners for HFFI – funders, advisors, service providers, program recipients, vendors and consultants. Identify program partners with sector-specific and general expertise. Assess capacity of partners to add capacity to the HFFI program, enhance diversity and equity, and achieve program objectives and equitable outcomes. Manage multiple contractual and informal relationships towards mutual goals and collective impact.
• Analyze and evaluate program outcomes, data, and results, draft grant reports, and lead communication of successes, impact, and learnings related to the HFFI Partnerships Program.
• Represent Reinvestment Fund externally in the healthy food and food system financing industry, including public speaking engagements, written pieces and research overviews, leading webinars, presenting at conferences and participating in other gatherings to do outreach and provide exposure for Reinvestment Fund's food programs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Grants Management

• Support applicants and grantees regarding grant applications, grant documentation, funding disbursements, budget and workplan compliance and reporting, and grant closeout process.
• Ensure all necessary documentation is in hand and coordinate with external vendors and program participants and internal teams to process grant payments.
• Monitor grants during and after grant period, including obtaining and reviewing financial and narrative progress reports, ensure grantee adherence to workplans, track major purchases, and review other project compliance materials as required during and after grant period.
• Manage and monitor vendor contracts with a wide variety of vendors to support program implementation, including