Executive Director, Food Club Network
Reports To: Food Club Network Executive Committee
Location: Michigan (hybrid or remote, with statewide travel)
Status: Full-time, Exempt
About the Food Club Network
The Food Club Network (FCN) is a newly established statewide initiative dedicated to supporting the development, growth, and long-term sustainability of nonprofit food clubs across Michigan. Grounded in the principles of dignity, access, and local collaboration, the Network connects, supports, and strengthens the work of organizations committed to reimagining food access through member-based, choice-driven grocery models that uplift communities and reduce food insecurity. Learn more at https://foodclubnetwork.org/.
Position Summary
This is a new full time leadership role with a charter to guide the independent launch and growth of the Food Club Network (FCN). Currently incubated as an initiative of the Community Food Club of Grand Rapids, the FCN has multi-year funding to facilitate its separation into an independent entity serving a growing membership base. The Executive Director (ED) will serve as the central connector, strategist, and facilitator for the Network. This position will play a key role in building a strong and cohesive statewide community of practice among food clubs, while accelerating the development of additional food clubs across Michigan, growing the Food Club Network’s membership and statewide impact. With regular site visits and remote communication with current and prospective members, the ED will strengthen communication and alignment across member organizations, coordinate shared resources and learning opportunities, support new food club development, and help guide the strategic growth and sustainability of the Network.
The ideal candidate will be excited by the opportunity to lead a dynamic, growing organization with statewide influence. If you are inspired by our mission and excited by this leadership opportunity, we encourage you to apply.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Advocacy
- Collaborate with Network leadership to develop and implement strategic priorities.
- Support collaborative decision-making processes and foster a sense of shared ownership among members.
- Build and manage the core administrative infrastructure of the organization, balancing hands-on execution with long-term planning for scalable systems and policies.
- Lead coordination among consultants, vendors, and the board to ensure smooth operations, effective communication, and timely execution of organizational priorities.
- Contribute to long-term planning and sustainability strategies for the Network.
- Represent the network in high-level partnership conversations, positioning it as a trusted, scalable platform for community and statewide impact.
- Develop and execute brand awareness strategies to grow visibility, credibility, and engagement across key markets and digital channels.
- Monitor and analyze relevant legislation, regulations, and policy trends to identify potential risks and opportunities for food club members in Michigan.
- Coordinate policy and advocacy efforts that advance dignified, choice-based food access models in Michigan.
Network Coordination and Communication
- Serve as the primary point of contact for Food Club Network members and partners, current and prospective.
- Maintain an up-to-date directory, communication, and knowledge management infrastructure for the Network.
- Facilitate regular membership communications, learning sessions, and working groups (meetings, newsletters, online platforms) to share resources, updates, and best practices.
- Foster greater collaboration and reduced redundancy of effort amongst member organizations.
- Collect and communicate success stories, innovations, and lessons learned across the Network.
- Identify, create, and share tools, templates, and training resources that strengthen food club operations and impact.
Program & Partner Development
- Build a pipeline of potential, emerging, and launched food clubs, growing membership and collective impact across the state.
- Support the launch and technical assistance of new or emerging food clubs across Michigan with guidance, technical assistance, and custom information from more established sites.
- Solicit feedback from current and prospective members and partners to identify tools and supports that can accelerate Food Club network growth and collective impact across the state.
- Develop and implement strategies to attract and steward financial partners that advance the network’s long-term sustainability and shared impact goals.
- Cultivate relationships with statewide-focused foundations, corporate partners, governmental departments, and philanthropic investors to align funding priorities with network initiatives.
- Coordinate cross-member fundraising efforts to present unified opportunities for strategic funders and reduce competition for resources.
Impact Measurement & Grant Management
- Support data collection, impact tracking, and reporting related to statewide food club outcomes.
- Track participation, engagement, and outcomes to measure Network impact.
- Build a compelling case for investment, demonstrating collective value, measurable outcomes, and system-level impact.
- Manage grant deliverables, communications, and shared metrics.
Skills & Qualifications
This is a highly independent leadership role, reporting to the executive leaders of current Food Club Network member organizations. It is an exceptional opportunity for a leader to grow this work into significant statewide influence. As such, we believe the following skills will be valuable to success:
- Leadership & Strategic Thinking: Align teams and stakeholders around shared goals, set vision, and drive execution.
- Excels in uncertainty and change: Provides clarity, direction, and confident decision-making amid complexity and ambiguity.
- Independent, self-directed leadership: Provides strong, self-directed leadership in a remote-first role—driving progress, decision-making, and team cohesion with limited supervision.
- Relationship Management & Influence: Cultivate trust with funders, policymakers, suppliers, and network members.
- Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Evaluate opportunities, assess risks, and design efficient processes.
- Communication & Marketing Savvy: Craft clear, compelling narratives for diverse audiences—funders, members, media, or public. Manage social and digital channels, measure engagement, and implement growth strategies.
- Project Management & Operational Oversight: Leads initiatives end-to-end, including logistics, implementation, and follow-up.
- Financial Acumen: Understand budgets, ROI, and funding structures to make fiscally sound recommendations.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., nonprofit management, business, public health, community development, or similar) or equivalent experience.
- 5+ years in progressively responsible roles across nonprofit management, business, fundraising/partnership development, or related fields.
- Demonstrated experience in leading cross-organizational initiatives, building collaborative networks, or managing multi-stakeholder projects.
- Strong communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to build trust and collaboration among diverse organizations.
- Track record of growing brand awareness and digital/social channels (startup, nonprofit, or enterprise experience).
- Demonstrated commitment to food access, equity, and community-based solutions.
- Highly organized, self-motivated, and skilled at managing multiple priorities.
- Technology savvy and experienced with collaborative tools and platforms (e.g., Google Workspace, Airtable, Zoom, etc.).
Preferred qualifications:
- Familiarity with food club or pantry operations, or related community-based food systems work.
- Experience researching, negotiating, and implementing shared purchasing or operational efficiencies, ideally in multi-organization contexts.
- Experience with data collection, evaluation, and storytelling.
- Proven ability to secure and manage funding from foundations, corporations, or other institutional partners.
- Exposure to regulatory, legislative, or policy environments, with the ability to translate insights into actionable strategy.
Compensation and Benefits
The anticipated starting salary range for this position is $70,000-80,000. In addition to cost of living adjustments, significant performance based increases are anticipated annually, commensurate with the candidate’s success in growing the FCN’s scope of work and impact.
In addition to competitive compensation, the candidate will receive a generous benefit package including:
- Flexible schedule and hybrid/remote work
- 20 days of annual paid time off, plus 11 paid holidays
- Single and family health care and dental coverage, including employer HSA contribution
- Paid parental leave
- Short-term disability benefits at no cost to the employee
- Matching contributions of up to 3% of the employee’s compensation to a Simple IRA
Physical Requirements
- Frequently required to read and comprehend written materials.
- Frequently required to communicate effectively and understand verbal information.
- Continuously drive a vehicle for work.
- Frequently operate computer, phone, and general office machines.
- Work is typically performed in an office or remote setting with moderate noise levels.
- May occasionally lift or move materials weighing up to 25 pounds.
Other Factors
- Access to consistent and reliable transportation
- Frequently travels within Michigan to visit food clubs, partner organizations, and community sites; occasional evening or weekend meetings may be required. Occasional national travel may be required from time to time.
- Work is performed in a variety of environments, including offices, community centers, and food distribution or retail settings, which may involve standing or walking for extended periods.
- Evening hours occasionally, on a pre-scheduled basis
- Weekend hours occasionally, on a pre-scheduled basis
How to Apply
Please submit your resume and cover letter describing your interest and qualifications to recruiting@foodclubnetwork.org with the subject line “Executive Director Application.” Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Food Club Network is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth), sexual orientation, and gender identity, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, height, weight, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply.
Note: This Job Description is a description of the typical duties of this position, and is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties. Job incumbents may be asked to perform other duties as required.
How to Apply
Please submit your resume and cover letter describing your interest and qualifications to recruiting@foodclubnetwork.org with the subject line “Executive Director Application.” Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.