Background:

Pittsburgh Food Policy Council (PFPC) is an organization that aims to mobilize people through listening, educating, and advocating for policies and programs that shift power, expand access to resources, and strengthen the Greater Pittsburgh Food System. Our vision is a just food system for all people in Greater Pittsburgh.

The PFPC hosts regular meetings to connect the larger community of advocates, entrepreneurs, community members, and policymakers. As a collective impact organization, our members are our most important asset. The Pittsburgh Food Policy Council consists of members from various government, non-profit, co-op, university, and farm entities from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Region who have decided to support each other's missions and goals.

We prioritize individuals with experience working with and within communities of color and strongly encourage applications from Black, Brown, Immigrants, Indigenous, and People of Color.

Available position:

COALITION ORGANIZER

APPLY BY 4/25/25

(Full-time, Exempt Position)
Reports to: Executive Director
Location: Hybrid (Must reside in Allegheny County)
Job Type: Full-Time (37.5 hours/week)
Salary Range: $45,000 – $60,000

Benefits: Health care premium reimbursement, 401K match, short- and long-term disability insurance, upfront medical stipend, monthly bus pass, partial phone bill reimbursement

About the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council (PFPC)

Mission

PFPC mobilizes people through listening, educating, and advocating for policies and programs that shift power, expand access to resources, and strengthen the Greater Pittsburgh food system.

Vision

A just food system for all people in Greater Pittsburgh.

Position Summary

The Coalition Organizer will lead and coordinate locally focused working groups and committees at PFPC, primarily focusing on:

• Urban agriculture and farming

• Reduced transit fares for SNAP users (Fair Fares Coalition)

• The Food Justice Fund (FJF)

This role is integral to strengthening PFPC’s coalition by ensuring diverse stakeholders are engaged in advancing food policy and food justice efforts. The Coalition Organizer recruits and organizes new and existing partners to achieve committee goals, emphasizing advancing PFPC’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Plan, Strategic Plan, and the Greater Pittsburgh Food Action Plan.

NOTE: The focus areas may shift as PFPC continues strategic planning and staff capacity assessment. The position description will be revisited in six months.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Campaign Planning & Execution

• Develop inclusive processes for partner engagement in campaign planning and implementation.

• Plan and execute meetings, events, actions, or strategic activities that further assigned committee goals.

• Meet with Co-Chairs to further work and set committee agendas; meet with Committee Members as needed

• Monitor and participate in government and public meetings related to campaigns, including educating public officials and providing testimony.

• Build relationships with community members, relevant elected officials, ally organizations, and food system leaders.

• Facilitate meetings with the Mayor’s Office and co-chairs.

• Host regular meetings with the Allegheny County Executive’s Office.

Focus Areas

• Food Justice Fund

• City Food Justice Fund

• Facilitate bi-weekly check-ins and group meetings with Co-Chairs.

• Advocate for equitable implementation of the fund.

• Support grassroots groups in accessing funds and organizing testimonials.

• Work with the Executive Director to identify additional funding sources.

• Identify relevant City-level plans, initiatives, and strategies with potential overlap for food system strategies

• Monitor and push for evaluation results of distributed funds.

County Food Justice Fund

• Develop and launch a campaign for a County-level Food Justice Fund, coordinating with efforts around the Greater Pittsburgh Food Action Plan and other county-level PFPC initiatives

• Identify relevant County-level plans, initiatives, and strategies with potential overlap for food system strategies

• Work with identified strategic partners and current committee co-chairs to build support.

Fair Fares Coalition

• Provide backbone support bi-weekly meetings (e.g., agenda creation, Zoom hosting, note-taking).

• Attend monthly DHS Allegheny updates and strategy meetings.

Land Access Subcommittee

• Facilitate monthly check-ins and committee meetings with Co-Chairs.

• Advance Greater Pittsburgh Food Action Plan goals and advocate for relevant policy priorities and programmatic improvements (Eg. Zoning, etc)

• Work with the City and community partners on refining land adoption/purchasing processes.

Compost Subcommittee

• Facilitate regular check-ins and monthly committee meetings with Co-Chairs.

• Monitor and advance the City, municipal, and County composting initiatives.

• Advance the priorities identified by the Community Compost Subcommittee (eg. Model land use policy, monitor and engage with the City on funding allocated to compost research and implementation, build a network of micro-haulers, Identify/recommend central drop-off locations for residential compost, develop a municipal composting audit, etc)

Administrative & Organizational Support

• Manage logistics for in-person and virtual meetings.

• Track attendance and key information in PFPC’s CRM database.

• Represent PFPC at conferences and events

• Volunteer with partner farms, pantries, or service agencies.

• Share updates with the communications team for newsletter content and social media.

• Provide information for grant reports and help develop grant applications.

• Attend weekly staff meetings and organization planning sessions.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Public Policy, Community Organizing, Food Policy, or a related field OR equivalent experience.

• 3-5 years of experience in coalition organizing, campaign planning, advocacy, or public policy.

• Strong communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.

• Demonstrated commitment to racial, social, and economic justice.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Experience engaging diverse stakeholders, including community members, government officials, and nonprofit partners.

• *Knowledge of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania food policy issues.

Preferred Qualifications

• 2-5 years of experience working with diverse populations and communities of color.

• Experience with local and state government functions.

• Budget management and committee-based decision-making experience.

• Research, report-writing, and public speaking skills.

• Work Schedule & Location

• Hybrid work model: Must reside in Allegheny County.

The office is located in a coworking space in East Liberty. For in-office work, choose 2-5 days per week.

Mandatory weekly in-person staff meeting

Typical hours: Monday–Friday, 8 AM–6 PM (flexible within this range).

Some evening meetings and mandatory weekend meetings/events are required.

Occasional travel for conferences, rallies, and events.