Advocacy Lead

Advocacy Lead
Full time, permanent position – 37.5 hours per week
Anticipated start – June 2025

Who are we?

Food is not the solution to food insecurity, but people need support today. Knowing this, we collect and distribute more than three million kilograms of food annually to 140 member food banks, meal programs, and shelters across the province. This equates to over $1 million worth of food each month. We also support member agencies as they build capacity to serve their communities, and partner with communities across Nova Scotia to explore innovative new solutions to food insecurity. While we help Nova Scotians meet a very basic need, we’re raising awareness of the root causes of food insecurity including systemic racism, low wages, inadequate income support, and unaffordable housing. We believe all Nova Scotians deserve just, dignified, and secure access to food, and no one should have to rely on charity to meet their most basic needs.

What is an Advocacy Lead?

Feed Nova Scotia is committed to advancing systemic change, food justice, and food sovereignty. Reporting to the Director of Community Partnerships, Innovation & Advocacy, the Advocacy Lead will help drive community engaged research, policy analysis, community consultation, and leadership efforts that align with our values. As part of our mission, this position will play a crucial role in supporting advocacy initiatives that challenge the root causes of food insecurity, mobilize community voices, and shape public policy.

The Advocacy Lead will stay up to date on peer-reviewed evidence, best practices, and news related to food insecurity. Learning and staying informed on legislation and statutes that are related to food insecurity will assist in the development of organizational statements and messaging required to support these efforts.

What does the Advocacy Lead do?

• Coordinate development of an organizational advocacy framework to guide annual advocacy plans and actions
• Contribute to the development of evidence-based policy recommendations that advance food justice and sovereignty
• Lead and facilitate community consultations to ensure advocacy efforts reflect lived experience
• Conduct ongoing outreach to build and maintain strong relationships with individuals and organizations advocating for food justice, poverty reduction, and equity
• Identify opportunities and take action to collaborate with or support grassroots mobilization and coalition-building efforts across the province
• Develop advocacy-related materials, including toolkits, reports, fact sheets, and public education resources
• Work with the communications team to amplify key messages through social media, press releases, and public campaigns
• Represent Feed Nova Scotia at events, conferences, and public speaking engagements
• Engage and participate in community coalitions to ensure collective advocacy efforts where possible
• Participate in legislative processes, consultations, and advocacy campaigns to influence policy and funding decisions
• Participate in the organization’s engagement with policymakers, government officials, and advocacy partners to advance Feed Nova Scotia’s priorities
• Train and support to staff, volunteers, and member organizations to enhance advocacy capacity
• Contribute to the development of long-term strategic initiatives to shift public narratives around food security and social justice

Working Conditions

This role requires some flexibility to work evenings and participate in active engagement throughout the community with events and other initiatives. To support a healthy work life balance, flexible and hybrid work options (between in office and work from home) will be available, as per organizational policy and procedures.

What are we looking for?

• Strong background in social justice advocacy, community development, social policy or a related field
• Demonstrated ability to engage communities, build partnerships and mobilize action
• Excellent writing and communication skills, with experience in public campaigns and media engagement
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to inspire and engage diverse audiences
• Centres values of justice, equity, decolonization, diversity, and inclusion (JEDDI) in their work
• Knowledge of food systems, poverty, and social determinants of health
• Collaborative by nature; demonstrated ability to solicit engagement in others by valuing their ideas, experiences, and expertise
• Previous experience in resource development and public awareness campaigns considered an asset
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Individual who has embedded innovation into their overall approach to work; a demonstrated ability to pivot and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances in the political landscape
• Undergraduate or equivalent in Social Work, Sociology, Community Planning or Development, Social Justice, Social Services, Gender and Women’s Studies or similar
• 3-5 years of experience in community engagement, research, consultation and collaborative action; equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered
• Previous experience working in the not-for-profit industry, and specifically, food insecurity preferred

Compensation

The annual salary range for this position is $70,923-$83,439, paid out on a biweekly basis. Our total compensation package includes three weeks of paid vacation, 15 additional days per year of paid time off, an Employee Assistance Program, group insurance (after 3 months) and an employer contributed group RRSP (after 6 months).

Application Instructions

For your application to be considered, please ensure that it includes the following:

• Cover letter introducing yourself, that indicates how you meet the requirements of this position
• Resume focusing on your interest in and alignment with the role, highlighting relevant skills and experience

This position is an opportunity to be part of transformative change, ensuring that food security efforts in Nova Scotia go beyond charity and instead, drive long-term, systemic solutions. If you are passionate about food justice and policy advocacy, we encourage you to apply by submitting your cover letter and resume in one PDF document that clearly indicates how you meet the requirements of this position to: recruitment@feednovascotia.ca by 11:59pm on Sunday, April 6, 2025. Please include “Advocacy Lead” in the subject line to help us action your application more efficiently.

Summary

There is no such thing as the perfect candidate. If you don’t meet all the requirements, we encourage you to apply and share your story with us; what do you bring to the table that positions you for success in this role? We aren’t looking to hire someone who checks all the boxes. We want someone who is passionate about our mission, who has the potential to do great work with the right tools and resources, and who is willing and ready to learn alongside our team as we work towards making positive, sustainable change in our community.

At Feed Nova Scotia, we prioritize cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce, understanding its critical role in driving innovation and fostering a sense of belonging. Our commitment extends to creating a work environment that authentically represents the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from all interested individuals, placing a particular emphasis and priority for candidates from historically excluded groups. We actively encourage submissions from those identifying as African Nova Scotian, Mi’kmaq, Black, racialized, Indigenous/First Nation, a person with disability, 2SLGBTQIA+, and newcomers to Canada. We invite you to share this information in your cover letter or resume, and we invite you to express your pronouns.

If you require any accommodations to submit your application successfully, please contact us via e-mail at recruitment@feednovascotia.ca or by phone at 902-457-1900. Thank you for your interest in working with us at Feed Nova Scotia!