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Director of Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA)

FirstLine Schools

United States

  • Full Time
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About the role



FirstLine Schools: Director of Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA)
Reports to: Chief Experiences Officer
FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Type: Full-Time

Position Summary:
The Director of Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA), an experienced educator, horticulturist, and leader, serves as the strategic and operational lead for garden and culinary education and experiences across all FirstLine Schools. This role is responsible for defining the long-term vision, maintaining program integrity, managing multi-site garden and kitchen spaces, and leading a team including the ESY Program Manager and Network Garden staff. The Director bridges the network strategic goals with ESY program specific implementation, ensuring curriculum quality, program evaluation, budget management, and engagement of community partners and donors.

The Director supports curriculum and teacher development, working with the ESY Program Manager to create effective professional development sessions for staff. This position works closely with the ESYNOLA Program Manager to build a team community and partners with garden and culinary educators to support the creation of family and student-centered ESYNOLA events. They also manage the ESYNOLA operations and facilities in collaboration with the FLS Operations team, the Network Garden team including garden production and health. They partner with the FirstLine Director of Development to oversee production of ESYNOLA’s annual An Edible Evening fundraiser, helping to guide a contracted event planner who handles logistics and manages vendors. This role is also responsible for data collection on ESY outputs and outcomes, and producing ESY’s annual evaluation and impact report.

About ESYNOLA:
Founded in 2006, Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA) envisions generations of New Orleans children who have healthy relationships with food, the natural world, themselves, and their community. ESYNOLA’s mission is to teach children to make healthy connections through food and the natural world.

We believe that:
  • Food education should be taught in conjunction with core academics
  • Children learn by doing
  • Health and wellness contribute to the success of the whole child
  • Beauty is the language of caring
  • Local farms and sustainable farming practices are vital
  • Families and communities are integral to our success

Position Responsibilities:
Strategic Vision, Alignment and Collaboration with FLS Goals and Priorities
  • Oversees and fosters ESYNOLA growth, maintaining program integrity and rigor across sites; leads the creation of annual strategic plan setting the vision, goals, strategy, and metrics of success for the ESYNOLA team and program
  • Builds and fosters relationships with School Directors and school leaders at each school site and the network to ådevelop and maintain sustainable, high-quality ESYNOLA programming and events
  • Attends all FirstLine Leadership Retreats and training and commits to communicating this information and network direction to the ESYNOLA team
  • Collaborates regularly with key members of the FirstLine network team, Network Directors, C-Team, and Academic team, Family Engagement team, and the Development and Communications team
ESYNOLA Program Oversight
  • Supervises the ESY Program Manager and Network Gardeners
  • Works with Program Manager and school leaders to hire new teaching staff
  • Ensures all classes and experiences are relevant to FLS students and families, and are balanced with both experiential and core content-driven instruction
  • Supports the Program Manager in planning and facilitating monthly professional development for teaching staff
  • Onboards and mentors all new staff on evaluation protocol. Gathers and compiles data on ESYNOLA outputs and outcomes, serves as liaison with any evaluation partners, supports the evaluation plan tools, data collection, and drafts findings, and works with Communication team to produce Impact document and disseminate results
  • Acts as a representative for ESYNOLA’s work throughout the FirstLine network and with external partners and donors
Operations & Facilities Oversight
  • Ensures gardens are maintained to the ESYNOLA standards:
    • Prioritizing production of seasonal fruits and vegetables throughout the year and cultivating Louisiana native plant habitats utilizing natural and organic methods that are safe for our students
    • Fostering the use of our produce in classes and distribution to our school families
  • Ensures kitchens are maintained to the ESYNOLA standards:
    • Majority of recipes include fruit and vegetables and promote moderation and balance while representing a diversity of cultures
    • Food and nutrition are taught through a food neutral lens
  • Supervises and develops the Garden Team
    • Garden Team includes Garden, Volunteer and Greenhouse Associate, Network Gardener, and AmeriCorps Gardener when applicable
    • Hires and onboards garden staff, including job description revision, recruitment, interviewing, facilitating applicant review of candidates by site-based staff, and onboarding of new staff
    • Supervises network garden team, including setting up team meetings, individual check-ins, providing feedback, setting goals, and conducting annual performance maps
    • Oversees garden skills professional development
  • Manages vendors and contracts; works closely with School Operation Managers and Garden Teachers on facilities changes and needs
  • Creates systems for effective ESYNOLA operations and project management, including tools on ESYNOLA staff portal, event planning templates, volunteer recruitment and management
  • Builds the budget with the Chief Experiences Officer and Program Manager. Oversees teachers’ management of class budgets, manages purchasing for Network Gardeners, and facilitates delivery of garden supplies
Special Events Coordination
  • Supports Program Manager on leading Sweet Potato Fest at Ashe
  • Supports teachers and Program Manager with school and network based special events including execution of Watermelon Day, Iron Chef, Market to Table, Family Food and Garden Nights and Network events like High School Fair
  • Oversees operations aspects of An Edible Evening, collaborating with Director of Development, who supervises contract event planner
    • Supports event planner on purchasing supplies, teacher communications, event volunteer management and other parts of the event as needed

Education & Experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree in education, horticulture, environmental science or related field required; Master’s preferred
  • At least five (5) years of experience working in a school environment and/or sizeable institution required
  • At least two years of experience in teacher leadership (coaching/mentoring, curriculum development, training, department lead, etc.) preferred
  • Teaching experience and/or small group facilitation with successful classroom management strongly preferred
  • Experience with hands on/outdoor education and/or leadership experience in these areas required
  • Demonstrated success managing and inspiring a diverse team required
  • Experience working with a high poverty community of children and families especially in an urban public school or urban public charter school environment
  • Demonstrated knowledge and passion for food access, local food systems, urban gardening/farming, food education, and quality educational instruction required
  • Demonstrated ability to manage program evaluation
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, applicable to a variety of stakeholders
  • Proactive, problem-solving approach to complex challenges
  • Commitment to FirstLine and ESYNOLA’s mission and vision
  • Initiative and drive for continuous improvement
  • Proficient with information technology, specifically Google Drive
  • Ability to represent the organization to a variety of audiences
  • Ability to work with frequent interruption and to manage several work streams simultaneously
  • Ability to work weekend and evening events required

Desired Qualities & Characteristics:
  • Believe in every student’s ability to achieve in a rigorous college or career prep curriculum
  • Achieve results based on agreed-upon expectations
  • Take personal responsibility
  • Highly detail-oriented
  • Open to learning and evolving with AI as a tool at work
  • Collaborate effectively with a range of stakeholders
  • Share a commitment to creating great schools in New Orleans
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to embed and model the FirstLine Commitments: We Keep Learning, We Work Together, We Are Helpful, We Are the Safekeepers of our Community, We Share Joy, We Show Results!

Physical Requirements:
The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Physical exertion is required, including lifting, pushing, and/or pulling objects of up to approximately 50 pounds. This role also requires working outdoors in heat, cold, and light rain. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to sit, walk, stand, talk, and hear.

Supervises:
Yes, ESY Program Manager and Garden Team

About FirstLine Schools:
In 1998, FirstLine Schools started the first charter school in New Orleans. FirstLine now operates several (Pre)K-8th grade schools. Our mission is to create and inspire great, open-admissions public schools in New Orleans. Our staff is a diverse and talented group dedicated to our students’ success and to their own growth. Our schools are led by leaders who hold themselves accountable for student achievement and teacher development.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. FirstLine Schools offers a comprehensive benefits package including a 403b plan.

FirstLine Schools is an equal employment opportunities (EEO) organization.