Advocacy & Justice Program Director

Organization and Program Description:

Wasatch Community Gardens (WCG) is a community-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people to grow and eat healthy, organic, local food. Since 1989, we have provided children, adults, and families in Salt Lake County with access to land and education for growing and eating fresh produce, while building and nurturing community connections through gardening and healthy food. We accomplish this through six main programs: Advocacy & Justice, Community Garden, Community Education, Youth and School Gardens, Job Training, and Volunteers.

Overview:

Wasatch Community Gardens’ newly created Advocacy & Justice Program (AJP) supports the organization’s efforts to improve accessibility and equity in everything we do. As a food justice organization that participates in many aspects of the local food system, we feel it is our responsibility to advocate for our community’s needs, both internally and externally, while offering guidance and resources for our staff as they execute programming and operations within the context of our community. 

The Advocacy & Justice Program Director reports to the Director of Programs who they will work closely with to further develop the Program over the first two years in the role. The AJP Director is responsible for understanding the needs of the many communities we serve and supporting WCG staff and programming to adapt to those changing needs. This position will also lead external advocacy efforts that build support for our mission throughout the community. This position requires substantial interpersonal relationship and communication skills, a commitment to continuous learning about intersectional justice principles/movements, bringing others along on the learning journey, and strong community connections in Salt Lake County. 

The Director will work in three key areas:

- Program Development: setting clear goals and structure for the program.

- Organizational Capacity: embedding AJP principles further into WCG practices, programs, training, and systems.

- External Advocacy & Partnerships: laying groundwork for long-term advocacy while centering community power.

Primary Responsibilities:

Program Development (30%, ~12 hours/week)

As a first priority, the AJP Director will work closely with the Director of Programs to establish internal program structure, evaluation, and understanding of past and current initiatives.

- Launch AJP with a clear purpose, milestones, and transparent communications utilizing the organization’s program design modules.

- Lead internal audits to identify successes and gaps across WCG programs.

- Establish phased goals with regular progress updates.

- Lead the READI Committee and support its integration into AJP.

Organizational Capacity Building (40%, ~16 hours/week)

To further the organization’s food justice mission, the AJP Director will collaborate with staff in all departments to support existing and future READI-related goals and initiatives.

- Identify challenges in our processes and implement solutions to any program barriers to access.

- Lead READI Committee to co-design integration of equity practices into programming.

- Provide regular, realistic, supportive, and educational trainings and tools to staff on READI principles, organizational goals, and rules of engagement.

- Build transparent systems for cross-department collaboration, capacity check-ins, and realistic timelines for program adjustments and implementations. 

- Meet regularly with WCG programs, departments, committees, and leadership to understand  and support ongoing needs related to:

- Equitable access to ongoing and new programming, information, and events for community members and partners

- Stewardship of relationships with diverse organizations and marginalized community members

- Culturally competent programming development and delivery

- Accountability in decision-making.

- Other strategic goals related to READI (race, equity, access, diversity, inclusion)

- Outreach and engagement opportunities that build trust with the organization and programming

- Lead Sabores de Mi Patria workshop series with the support of other program staff members.

External Advocacy & Partnerships (20%, ~8 hours/week)

As WCG continues to understand the role of the organization within the broader scope of community building, urban agriculture, SLC, and Utah, the AJP Director will play an important role in advancing critical partnerships and formalizing an external advocacy platform to support this work. 

- Work with Marketing & Communications team to establish and maintain language and materials that explore WCG’s historical and current participation in food justice movements.

- Participate in local and state community spaces to understand ongoing grassroots efforts that align with WCG’s mission and how WCG may be able to lend support to these causes through advocacy.

- Where needed, represent WCG in local/state advocacy spaces and grassroots coalitions on food justice, climate, land access, and housing issues.

- Celebrate and elevate authentic relationships with organizers, decision makers, and community leaders.

- Support community-led programming that is food justice centric.

- Work with organization leadership and committees to establish and maintain an advocacy platform that is mission-focused and addresses community-defined priorities.

Additional Responsibilities (10%, ~4 hours/week)

- Oversee all data collection and reporting (CiviCRM, participant feedback surveys, etc.)

- Conduct regular evaluation of programming delivery and effectiveness

- Report on performance, participant numbers and demographics, etc. annually and as needed to support Development team

- Oversee program budget, track expenses and process reimbursement requests

- Participate in program trainings, staff meetings, program meetings, and other committee meetings as needed

- Participate in WCG events and general staff responsibilities

- Take on other program-related duties as needed

Required Qualifications:

Strong candidates will demonstrate the following skills and experience:

- Multilingual - preferably fluent in Spanish and English

- Minimum 3 years of demonstrated experience working in food/environment/social justice, social services, nonprofit, or related field

- Minimum 3 years experience with culturally competent community involvement, organizing, and empowerment

- Minimum 3 years practicing and sharing anti-racism, inclusion, and equity principles in food justice

- Ability to work effectively with diverse community members and staff in individual and group contexts

- Ability to handle conflict professionally and navigate contentious situations using emotional intelligence

- Strong written/verbal communication, data collection, and reporting skills

- Basic computer skills including MS Office, Google suite, and Apple operating systems

Preferred Qualifications:

- Personal lived-experience of systemic hunger, poverty, housing insecurity, or its root causes (such as racism, anti-Blackness, xenophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, sexism, heterosexism, cis-sexism, ableism, ageism, anti-fatness, ethnocentrism, and/or classism or other systems of oppression) - preferably in Salt Lake County

- Bachelor’s or higher degree (or equivalent lived/professional experience) in food/environment/social justice, social services, nonprofit, or related field

- Experience working in local Utah politics

- Existing relationships with local grassroots organizers, community leaders, and justice advocates or commitment to building these relationships

- Existing relationships with lawmakers and elected officials or commitment to building these relationships

- Experience implementing accessibility standards related to physical, mental, visible, and invisible disabilities or desire to learn

- Experience in facilitating discussion and learning around race, equity, access, diversity, and inclusion with peers

- Community organizing and facilitation experience

Hours:

This position is full-time (40 hours per week), and the schedule may vary throughout the season. This position will require some evenings and weekends with advance notice.  

Salary and Benefits:

Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience with a hiring range of $50,000-$55,000, and a salary growth range of $50,000-$60,000. Includes health insurance, 401k, HSA, paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and access to garden produce.

This position is exempt from overtime pay.

To Apply:
Please email the following materials to openings@wasatchgardens.org:

- Resume

- Names, titles, and phone numbers of three professional references

- Short response (one page total) to the following items:

1. Why are you interested in this position?

2. What strengths will you bring to our team and this position?

Please put “Advocacy & Justice Program Director” in the subject line of your email. Applications will be accepted until 5pm, Monday, January 5th, 2026. Applications without references and responses to the questions above will not be considered. 

If you require accommodation during the application process, please contact us at openings@wasatchgardens.org.

Final candidate must submit to and clear a background check in order to work with program participants.

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees, but may not be a complete list of responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. No contract, either express or implied regarding the procedures, terms, conditions or duration of employment is created by this Job Description.

At WCG neither the employee nor the organization is committed to an employment relationship for a fixed period of time. Employment with WCG is at-will. Either the employee or management has the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason. The language used in this job description and any verbal statements by management are not intended to constitute a contract of employment, either express or implied, nor is there a guarantee of employment for any specific duration. The at-will nature of your employment is not affected by any of the guidelines of this job description and cannot be modified by any oral promise from any supervisor or by any other writing, unless duly executed by the employee and the Executive Director.  Except for the at-will nature of the employment, the organization reserves the right to suspend, terminate, interpret, or change any or all of the guidelines mentioned, along with any other procedures, practices, benefits or other programs of WCG. These changes may occur at any time, with or without notice.