Material Institute
//24 Carrot Garden Director

General Description

Material Institute seeks a full time Program Director of our 24 Carrot Garden to re-establish the program in its new location and lead and manage all program operations including garden planning, educational programming, campus sustainability practices, community meals, staff management, partnerships and outreach.

The Program Director is responsible for the implementation and oversight of all program components. Internally, the Program Director oversees providing healthy food to Material Institute participants, ensures strong sustainability practices, and supervises future 24 Carrot Garden staff. Externally, the Director establishes and expands community partnerships, recruits new students and volunteers, and directly engages participants and their families. The position also assures compliance with any potential grant funding requirements, maintains data, and prepares program reports.

We are a growing organization and currently have a small, very hands-on staff. We are looking to add another team member to enthusiastically do the same. We seek to develop as an anti-racist, multicultural institution with a a non-hierarchical structure. Personal and peer-to-peer accountability is desired and expected.

Qualifications

Prior experience and proven success working in a gardening, educational, and leadership role, with relevant formal qualifications being desirable. Experience with and deep understanding of the challenges experienced by underserved youth and families is necessary. Excellent engagement skills.  Market garden experience is a plus. Experience with facilitating budgets and creating reports to track program outcomes. Highly organized with ability to manage and prioritize multiple responsibilities. Exceptional communication skills (written, verbal, and interpersonal) to encourage participant learning and engagement.

Anti-racist training by the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond is required after hire unless previous workshop attendance is proven.

About Material Institute and 24 Carrot Garden

Material Institute is a progressive arts center in New Orleans’ 9th Ward providing resources to a new generation of New Orleans’ artists. It is a project of the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). We are a learning environment that serves as a space for community, creative experimentation, and expression.

Material Institute operates three programs – a Fashion and Textile Design program, a recording arts residency (The Embassy), and an urban food garden (24 Carrot Garden). Our vision for the near future is to include photography, video, dance, and ceramics with interdepartmental collaboration.

24 Carrot Garden is a sister garden to MONA’s 24 Carrot Garden project in Tasmania, Australia. It was established in the Saint Roch neighborhood in Fall 2014. Youth from the Saint Roch community learned every element of food production and service – from seed, to market, to plate – and botanical inspired learnings (eg. growing and dyeing with native indigo). The garden was relocated to its current home to join the Embassy and Fashion and Textile Design department in 2019 with the intention of making health, well being and sustainability a central theme of all programming.

How To Apply

Interested candidates, please submit résumé, three references and responses to the following questions here. If not able to complete the online form, please send all documents in pdf format to jobs@materialinstitute.org with 24 Carrot Program Director Position in the subject line. Responses to questions are required for consideration. Deadline for applications is December 30.

What is your experience working in gardens and harvesting food for market?
Describe your experience working with youth. Please share how you plan to engage with and excite youth about gardening?
How are you locally involved in the community?
What sustainability practices have you incorporated into your life, both personally and professionally?
Who is your favorite foodie hero or garden guru and why?

Education

Successful candidates will have:
High school degree or equivalent
Relevant professional training

Benefits

Health insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Paid time off
Parental Leave
Professional Development Assistance

Leadership

Refine, expand, and implement the garden based educational program, workshops and events. Implement sustainable practices across the campus, including a ‘no waste’ policy with a focus on waste management, composting systems and reducing energy consumption etc. Oversee providing garden meals to Material Institute, including artist and staff lunch and a monthly neighborhood dinner. Oversee a dye plant garden. Develop a social enterprise element. Identify potential donors.

Strategy

Ensure involvement of youth, staff, and kitchen experts in garden planning. Engage immediate neighbors to learn their desired outcome for the garden. Collaborate with staff to develop curriculum to enhance youth learning outcomes. Ensure that the mission, vision, and programs are represented to parents, community organizations, partners, and public. Develop and maintain the organic food garden through educational gardening activities, staff, and volunteer assistance. Collaborate with other departments to organize cross-disciplinary workshops. Liaise with the wider community and nurture relationships and partnerships with those contributing to the garden including local businesses, other gardens, and relevant organizations. Collaborate with the Sites Director on garden architecture and infrastructure.

Management

Facilitate, attend, and contribute to regular meetings with staff to guide the operation of the 24 Carrot Garden. Responsible for the health and safety of youth. Develop an annual operating budget. Deliver monthly expense reconciliation to Operations Coordinator. Maintain sound financial practices and ethical use of funds and resources. Recruit, hire, and supervise all future staff positions. Partner with each staff member to create goals for their respective roles, a plan to meet goals, and performance measures. Ensure documentation of the program through photography and video, progress reports, goal tracking, attendance, market sales, etc.