Food Coalition Fellow

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Hours Per Week: 24/Part-time

Met Council is America’s largest Jewish charity dedicated to serving the needy. Met Council’s ten different departments are staffed by experts who helped over 305,000 clients in 2021 and continuously advocate on behalf of all needy New Yorkers. Our holistic programs range from 100% affordable housing at 20 locations to our award-winning family violence program to comprehensive Holocaust survivor assistance to senior programming to crisis intervention to the largest free kosher food distribution program in the world. Our network of 101 food pantries, 20 affordable housing sites, and 15 JCCs provide services directly in neighborhoods across New York.

Position Summary:

The New York State Food Coalition Fellow will report to our Food Policy manager and collaborate regularly with our Food Policy Research Fellow to build a statewide coalition of Jewish and Muslim food insecurity stakeholders. The Fellow will collect original qualitative data throughout New York State and then utilize this data along with additional data from outreach and stakeholder input to assess the need and available resources within the specific geographic locations of these communities. Additionally, the Fellow will work to develop multiple deliverables based on this outreach and analysis, including a formal policy report that includes detailed state and local policy recommendations and a plan for continued outreach and coalition work. In addition to specific outreach and convening, the Food Coalition Fellow will represent Met Council in interviews and meetings focusing on food insecurity and cultural competency and work closely with like-minded organizations throughout New York City and State. This position requires a passionate and thoughtful individual with a background in local and state emergency food programming, NYS food and nutrition policy, and coalition building, along with a strong interest in hunger, nutrition, equity, and cultural competency and the experience and ability to work and communicate with a variety of audiences.
 

Please note: This is a temporary fellowship expected to extend through December 2023. 

Principal Responsibilities: 

Coalition Building

• Partnering with the Food Policy Research Fellow and Met Council’s Agency Relations team and other key stakeholders, utilize various search engines and statewide databases to identify communities of Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers throughout NYS;
• Within these communities, identify key stakeholders, direct service providers, and community organizations that provide or could provide emergency food services or supports and engage them in possible statewide coalition building;
• Conduct regular outreach including interviews, focus groups, and visits.
• Establish and manage a statewide coalition of Jewish and Muslim emergency food providers and stakeholders.
• Build meaningful relationships with key stakeholders, direct service providers, and community organizations.
• Understand and relay the specific and diverse needs of different communities throughout New York State.
• Guide organizations in advocacy and policy work if it is outside of their regular scope.
• Create a meaningful collective of key stakeholders, direct service providers, and community organizations that can live on beyond this specific project.

Reporting

• In collaboration with our Research Fellow and Food Policy Manager, utilize qualitative data collected and coalition feedback to draft a formal report on Jewish and Muslim Food Insecurity and emergency food programming in NYS, including tangible policy recommendations.
• Build an advocacy platform, complete with NYS legislative goals and timelines, based on the report and recommendations and coalition work included in this study.

Policy and Advocacy Support

• Develop briefs, reports, and other materials for target audiences, including elected officials, foundations, corporate and individual donors, and the general public.
• Draft policy messaging, including talking points and other content for advocacy use by Met Council's Food Programs team.
   

Additional Responsibilities: 

• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Competencies: 

• Demonstrated interest in food and poverty policy.
• Familiarity with local, state, and federal nutrition and food systems policies required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience interacting with a diverse set of stakeholders from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
• Experience forging and building relationships with community members, leaders, and stakeholders.
• Excellent administrative and organizational skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work independently and coordinate the work of others.
   

Skill and Education: 

• Current Social Science Masters students or recent Masters recipients preferred (Public Policy, Public Health, Political Science, Etc.); Minimum BA/BS required in Social Science or related field.
• Proficiency with MS Excel (other data analysis tools, including R, Stata, or SPSS, preferred but not required).
• General knowledge of statistics, including the ability to read and understand quantitative and qualitative analysis and to possibly conduct small-scale statistical analysis.
• Proficiency with all MS Office and Office 365 applications.
• Flexibility to work independently, coordinate the work of others, and grow with a small team of researchers exploring a new area of research.
• Hybrid work availability (NYC/NYS).

Special Requirements:

• Possible travel throughout NYC and NYS using either public or personal transportation.

Compensation: $30,000 per year