JOB POSTING:

DIRECTOR OF SUPERMARKET ACCESS

Organization: Community Food Advocates
Location: New York City (Hybrid/Primarily Remote)
Reports to: Executive Director
Type: Full-time, Exempt
Salary: $104,000 and comprehensive benefits

ABOUT COMMUNITY FOOD ADVOCATES

Community Food Advocates (CFA) is a New York City–based advocacy organization advancing food equity and access for all NYC and NYS residents through high-impact public policy. We work to ensure that every New Yorker has access to healthy, affordable, and culturally affirming foods within a sustainable and equity-centered food system.

Our approach:

  • Drive policy change that dismantles income, racial, and gender-based barriers

  • Ground our work in rigorous policy and budget analysis

  • Build strategic, high-impact coalitions

  • Center the voices and experiences of directly affected communities

  • Foster a collaborative, proactive, and solutions-oriented work culture

THE ROLE

The Director of Supermarket Access will report to the Executive Director and lead CFA's citywide strategy to expand full-service supermarkets and strengthen local food retail options across New York City. Operating at the intersection of economic development, innovative high-impact public policy, and coalition building, this role requires both strategic vision and hands-on action for policy innovation and change.

The Director will develop and advance policy initiatives that increase affordable, healthy food access in underserved neighborhoods—while managing complex stakeholder relationships across government, community, and industry sectors. The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader and skilled communicator who brings initiative, creativity, and a strong sense of shared purpose to their work.

As a director, responsibilities also include providing solutions to challenges and offering constructive feedback to benefit the organization’s growth, health, well-being, and development. Other responsibilities include participation in fundraising, administrative, and communications activities.

PURPOSE

CFA has identified six policy pillars that are essential to addressing the long-entrenched problem of lack of affordable, quality, neighborhood-based, welcoming supermarkets in low-income and gentrifying communities. The Director of Supermarket Access will develop and drive advocacy strategies to expand supermarket access and strengthen the local food retail infrastructure by building on this framework.:

  • Support alternative ownership models (city-owned and cooperative)

  • Deepen and expand financial tools for supermarket development

  • Build operator capacity

  • Ensure publicly-financed operators meet community needs

  • Leverage city assets

  • Set benchmarks and improve data collection on affordability, quality and proximity.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Lead and facilitate a diverse, highly engaged citywide coalition advancing equitable food retail development

  • Build and maintain partnerships with community organizations, community members, developers, and supermarket operators

  • Shape and advocate for policy agendas in partnership with city and state-level policymakers

  • Develop strategic policymaker engagement plans

  • Build relationships with key policymakers

  • Lead collaborative research, communications, and advocacy initiatives that inform and influence decision-makers

  • Represent CFA in public forums, coalitions, and media opportunities

  • Foster a collaborative, transparent, and supportive team culture

  • Identify opportunities, anticipate challenges, and proactively drive projects forward

QUALIFICATIONS

  • 7+ years of experience in economic development, urban planning, policy advocacy

  • Strong knowledge of NYC economic development processes and experience navigating NYC government structures, policy processes, and political landscape

  • Proven experience leading complex coalitions and managing multi-sector collaborations

  • Strategic thinker who can translate complex multipronged ideas into clear, actionable high impact policy initiatives

  • Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills; adept at facilitating dialogue across diverse groups 

  • Highly organized, with the  ability to manage multiple initiatives and deadlines

  • Demonstrated initiative and ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic team environment

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

  • $104,000 annual salary

  • Health, dental, and vision insurance

  • 4-day work week

  • Flexible spending account

  • Generous paid time off

OUR COMMITMENT

Community Food Advocates (CFA) is actively strengthening our organization’s anti-racist commitments. We are building a team that shares this organizational identity and represents racial diversity and inclusion. Diversity includes race and gender identity, age, disability status, sexual orientation, religion, country of origin, and other aspects of a person’s identity.

CFA believes in the strength of collective power. The best ideas come from a team with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences to solve problems and advance work through a variety of perspectives that maximize our impact. We dedicate space for anti-racist learning, conversations, and furthering initiatives that enrich our organization.

All CFA employees are responsible for creating an environment of inclusion and empowering everyone to be able to do their best work.

Women, people of color, and members of impacted communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

TO APPLY

Please send a cover letter and resume to jobs@foodadvocates.org with "Director of Supermarket Access" in the subject line. Deadline to apply: December 12, 2025.