Managing Director, Growing Justice Fund

Remote

Full Time

Executive

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

The deadline for applications is Monday, May 18, 2026. To protect the integrity of our candidacy process, we kindly ask that applicants to not call, email, or message any member of the Growing Justice Fund or Assets Under Movement team. This is a remote, U.S. based position.

About the Growing Justice Fund

The Growing Justice Fund (GJF) is a practitioner-led philanthropic fund dedicated to transforming how institutions purchase food — making large-scale procurement a vehicle for racial equity, food sovereignty, and economic justice rather than a driver of harm. Born from the 2019 Power of Procurement Summit, GJF was built on an urgent and foundational insight: the people most affected by inequities in our food system — Tribal, Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, and immigrant producers and communities — have historically had the least power to shape the solutions. GJF was deliberately designed to change that.

What makes GJF distinctive is its governance model. Rather than being guided by a conventional philanthropic board detached from on-the-ground realities, the Fund is governed by an Advisory Committee of frontline leaders — producers, food workers, organizers, and systems builders who are embedded in the communities this work is meant to serve. Decisions are made through participatory processes that center lived experience, collective wisdom, and accountability to community.

Since 2023, GJF has awarded over $13.7 million to 92 grantee partners across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, reaching more than 58 million people, in 3 rounds of funding to date.

The Fund’s three strategic priorities — Traditional Food Pathways, Building Infrastructure, and Building Policy Action — together constitute a comprehensive national strategy for shifting who controls food, who benefits from it, and how institutions can become instruments of justice. GJF is fiscally sponsored by and formally housed within Assets Under Movement (AUM+).

Role Summary

The Managing Director (Director) serves as the senior leader of the Growing Justice Fund, responsible for stewarding the Fund’s vision, mission, and long-term sustainability. The Director translates movement-grounded values into durable institutional practices, governance structures, and funding strategies.

This role anchors the Fund’s growth, funder stewardship, operational infrastructure, and field positioning. The Director works closely with the Advisory Committee Co-Chairs to ensure strong governance, accountability, and alignment as the Fund continues to mature as a nationally recognized platform for equitable food systems investment.

Core Responsibilities

1. Strategic Vision and Governance

Lead and facilitate long-range planning, strategic visioning, and alignment with input from the Advisory Committee. Implement Advisory Committee-approved strategy, in alignment with organizational values or consensus process.
Work closely with the Advisory Committee to follow appropriate operating processes and procedures that advance decision-making frameworks and norms, derived from community and movement-rooter values Support and document Advisory Committee working groups in strategy development, policy review, and major decisions.
Ensure governance frameworks remain current, transparent, and responsive to the Fund’s scale and complexity, along with the requirements of the Fund’s fiscal agent.

2. Funder Engagement and Capital Strategy

Work with the Advisory Committee to identify and engage potential funders that have values alignment and interest in supporting constituent communities.
Serve as the primary point of contact for philanthropic funders, institutional partners, and aligned investors.
Develop and execute multi-year fundraising strategies aligned with programmatic priorities and organizational growth, with a target of raising a minimum of $4 million annually.
Cultivate long-term funder relationships grounded in trust, transparency, and shared learning.
Design and initiate capital formation strategies, including reserve policies, pooled funding mechanisms, and long-term sustainability planning. Coordinate shared fundraising responsibilities with AC members and staff where appropriate.

3. Organizational Leadership and Infrastructure

Provide direct management of operations and ensure effective execution of operational systems, including grants management, compliance, communications, and board administration.
Manage all internal staff and oversee the engagement and coordination of key consultants and vendors, including financial, legal, evaluation, and communications partners.
Build internal capacity to support grantmaking, funder reporting, learning, and impact evaluation.
Ensure organizational systems are well-documented, scalable, and aligned with best practices in philanthropy.
Clarify and build the staffing structure needed to support the Fund's growth
Ensure compliance with AUM+ policies, procedures, and requirements.

4. Public Representation and Field Leadership

Represent the Growing Justice Fund in public forums, conferences, funder convenings, and sector leadership spaces while coordinating and leveraging the Advisory Committee representation in alignment with AUM+ guidelines.
Articulate the Fund’s mission, values, and strategy to external stakeholders.
Position the Fund as a national anchor for equity-based food systems funding and practitioner-led philanthropic models.

5. Leadership and Accountability

Closely collaborate with the Growing Justice Fund Advisory Committee and Co-Chairs, while maintaining compliance with the Fund’s fiscal agent, AUM+.
Participates in the AUM + performance review and evaluation processes informed by the Fund’s governance framework.
Upholds the Fund’s commitments to racial equity, community leadership, transparency, and shared accountability.

Qualifications

At least ten years of demonstrated experience in philanthropic leadership, fund development, systems change, or movement-aligned institutions.
Demonstrated leadership and deep experience in the food movement, with strong knowledge of and relationships within BIPOC, Tribal, Indigenous, and worker justice communities central to GJF’s work.
A proven track record of raising a minimum of $5 million or more annually through institutional philanthropy, major gifts, and multi-year grant cultivation.
Experience in grant distribution and grantee portfolio management.
Demonstrated philanthropic relationships in food systems, Native communities, labor rights, and allied movements.
Strong governance literacy and experience working with nonprofit advisory boards or committees, particularly participatory or practitioner-led models.
Proven ability to build and manage complex, multi-sector partnerships.
Deep commitment to racial equity, community-centered leadership, and values-aligned institutional design.
Excellent communication, facilitation, and strategic thinking skills.
Comfort with significant travel to meet with funders, Advisory Committee members, grantees, and national conference audiences.

Salary & Benefits

The starting salary for this position is $144,000 commiserate with experience.
The Managing Director, Growing Justice is a full-time, remote, at-will, and Exempt position.
Benefits, including 100% employer paid medical, dental, and vision plans, generous paid time off, remote work stipend, and matching retirement benefit.
This position is housed within Assets Under Movement, the fiscal sponsor to Growing Justice.

Travel Requirements
This role requires domestic travel (approximately one to two trips per month) to support funder meetings, Advisory Committee convenings, grantee site visits, national conferences and other events as needed.

At Assets Under Movement, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce, and we provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. We welcome applicants with a range of experiences and encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet all qualifications listed.  

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Cover Letter*

Please share an example of your work product that demonstrates your leadership approach, strategic thinking, and impact. This may include writing samples, fundraising materials, strategy documents, public presentations, campaign materials, or other artifacts that reflect experience advancing community‑rooted, equity‑driven work.*

Do you have a demonstrated track record of personally raising a minimum of $5 million or more annually through institutional philanthropy, major gifts, or multi-year grant cultivation?*

Do you have established relationships and at least five years of direct experience working within food systems, food sovereignty, or food justice movements — specifically with Tribal, Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, or immigrant producer and farming communities?*

Have you worked with or within a nonprofit advisory board, governing committee, or decision-making body that used participatory, consensus-based, or community-led governance models?*

Have you directly led the building or strengthening of operational infrastructure (such as grants management, compliance, or reporting systems) within a philanthropy, fund, or movement-aligned organization?*

Can you provide specific examples from your career where racial equity principles directly shaped organizational design, resource deployment, or key institutional decisions you were responsible for?*

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