Planting Justice – Operations Director

Job Description

Full-time, Monday-Friday with occasional weekends for special events. On-site 4 days/week.

Position Title:

Operations Director

Projected Interview Dates:

February 17th – February 26th

Roles & Responsibilities

Our Mission and Core Values

Planting Justice is a grassroots organization with a mission to empower people impacted by mass incarceration and other social inequities with the skills and resources to cultivate food sovereignty, economic justice, and community healing.

Financial Management

• Collaborate with PJ Co-Directors and PJ’s Chief Finance Officer to develop PJ’s org-wide budget and each program’s budget, alongside pertinent staff and board members 
• Provide budget management training to managerial staff
• Track PJ’s expense and revenue streams, alongside pertinent program staff, and participate in PJ’s Board Finance Committee Meetings as staff liaison.
• Ensure timely and accurate financial record-keeping, with PJ’s Accountant
• Deliver quarterly reports to PJ’s Co-Directors and Operations Team that provide insight into the overall health and needs of each program team’s operations
• Report on PJ’s financial health to staff at staff meetings 
• Become familiar with and utilize PowerBase to support outreach, fundraising, media, events, and volunteer efforts across PJ programs

Program Operations

• Support and manage programs at Planting Justice, including the Mother Farm, Reentry, Communications, Mobile FM Truck/Food Distribution, Farmers Market, Screenprinting, and El Sobrante Nursery Programs, ensuring alignment with organizational mission, values and goals.
• Meet with program leads bi-monthly to receive updates, review progress and identify gaps and areas for improvement and support.
• Develop metrics for evaluating needs/deliverables of each program and improve operations and impact, in collaboration with Co-Directors and program leads
• Visit PJ sites on a weekly basis (Mother Farm, El Sobrante Nursery, Aquaponics farm,  East Oakland Nursery) to build sustainable relationships with program leads/staff and to observe and identify areas of improvement.
• Collaborate with Co-Directors to read and respond to mail, emails, and phone calls, to help maintain relationships with funders, supporters, and collaborators, and to delegate relevant messages to pertinent staff
• Attend weekly Operations and Administrative meetings
• Organize and coordinate annual staff retreat and field trips
• Collaborate with Education Program, reentry team, and staff meeting committee to design and implement bi-annual workplace justice trainings and additional trainings as needed.

HR and Administrative

• Maintain PJ’s insurance needs including workers’ compensation, vehicle insurance, general liability, and special event insurance 
• Collaborate with PJ’s HR Manager to ensure  PJ’s Employee Handbook is reviewed and improved annually to disseminate at an  annual staff training
• Maintain an annual calendar with reminders to staff and track attendance for all staff retreats and trainings including review of the Employee Handbook, workplace justice trainings, preventing harassment and discrimination trainings, and professional development 
• Review job descriptions with each member of their team, annually, to identify changes, and send to HR Manager for review and approval
• Collaborate with PJ’s HR Manager to carry out an annual internal employee review process vis a vis Rippling platform
• Collaborate with Reentry Coordinator and HR Manager to implement and monitor a successful hiring and retention strategy for people in Reentry
• In collaboration with HR Manager, ensure managers and staff are trained on correct accountability mechanisms when performance issues or conflict arise in the workplace 

Movement Building

• Build relationships with mission-aligned organizations and organizers in related social justice movements locally, regionally, nationally and internationally
• Plan collaborations and offer mutual support to aligned organizations and organizers
• Stay informed on local, regional, national and international developments in social justice movements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, nonprofit management, social work, or a related field (Master’s preferred). Equivalent experience will be considered in place of formal education.
• 5+ years of experience in nonprofit operations, program management, or a related leadership role.
• Experience working with formerly incarcerated individuals, workforce development, or social justice programs.
• Knowledge of regenerative agriculture principles, sustainable farming practices, or food systems.
• Proven track record in financial management, budgeting, and financial literacy training for staff.

Desired Skills & Experience

Strong leadership and team management abilities, with experience supervising staff and diverse programs.

Ability to develop and implement operational strategies to support organizational growth.

Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple programs.

Understanding of social enterprise models and revenue-generating programs.

Strong communication and public speaking skills for community engagement and advocacy

• Leadership & Strategic Thinking: Years of proven experience in an operations leadership role, ideally within a nonprofit, agriculture, food justice, or environmental justice organization. Ability to think strategically and implement long-term operational improvements.

• Financial & Budget Management: Strong knowledge of financial tracking, budgeting, and government invoicing. Experience working with accountants and financial reporting.

• Program & Systems Management: Experience developing and evaluating operational systems, setting organizational metrics, and streamlining workflows to improve efficiency.

• Project Management: Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks effectively, and ensure timely completion of deliverables.

• People Management & Supervision: Experience leading, coaching, and supporting teams, with strong skills in staff development and collaboration across different departments.

• Communication & Relationship Management: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience responding to funders, stakeholders, and external partners. Ability to collaborate with Co-Directors and staff across various locations.

• Administrative & Compliance Experience: Familiarity with HR-related processes, audits, and organizational compliance requirements. Ability to assist in maintaining employee records, training calendars, and benefit administration.

• Nonprofit & Social Justice Experience (Preferred): Understanding of nonprofit operations, grassroots organizing, and the intersection of food sovereignty, environmental justice, and economic equity.

• Tech Proficiency: Comfortable with financial tracking software, project management tools, email, and general administrative technology.

Personal Attributes

• Passion for social justice, reentry programs, and sustainable agriculture.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of operations.
• Adaptability and resilience in a dynamic nonprofit environment.
• Ability to build partnerships with community organizations, funders, and government agencies.
  

Compensation

 Minimum salary: $85,000.00, negotiable based on experience, with a 3% annual increase within our transparency pay chart. 

• Benefits: Generous PTO, 7 paid annual holidays, health care, dental, vision, life insurance, and chiropractic coverage beginning 90 days after hire.
• Annual professional development stipend of $500, plus additional paid training opportunities.

Nature of Employment

Planting Justice is an equal opportunity employer and employment is at-will under CA state laws.

Schedule

Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and references to careers@plantingjustice.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Formerly incarcerated, Black and African-American, Latinx, Native and Indigenous, women, and LGBTQIA+ encouraged to apply. Planting Justice is an equal opportunity and at-will employer.

Apply Today!

Please submit your resume and one-page cover letter through the form below or to 319 105th Ave, Oakland, CA 94603Apply Now

Planting Justice is an equal-opportunity employer. Employment with Planting Justice is at-will.