Operations and Administration Lead

About Project EATSProject EATS occupies a unique space in the urban agricultural landscape of New York City. Founded in 2009 by artist and social activist Linda Goode Bryant, Project EATS is a living installation transforming vacant lots and rooftops into neighborhood-based farms catalyzing creativity and cultivating greater food sovereignty. Project EATS food systems grow, harvest, market, and work to increase the consumption of food that nourishes people in the neighborhoods and communities where they live. Over the past 16+ years, we have operated more than 20 farms across New York, now running soil, hydroponic, and green roof farms across 4 sites throughout the city. We partner with the community through multiple workforce development, community-building activities, and arts engagement work.About the Role- Operations and Administration LeadThe Operations and Administration Lead is the conductor of our internal ecosystem. Succeeding a long-tenured and successful predecessor, you will ensure the seamless harmony of our business functions for our 9 full-time staff, alongside a seasonal surge of part-time team members during the growing season. Your mission is to maintain the high standard of operational excellence we’ve built over the last eight years while refining processes to support our continued growth.This role is a blend of high-level strategy—serving as a thought partner to the leadership team—and hands-on execution across operations, finance, HR, and IT. We seek a professional who can manage the systems that serve as our foundation, ensuring Project EATS has the operational capacity to cultivate greater food sovereignty across NYC.Key Responsibilities

• Financial Oversight & Contracts: Partner with our external bookkeeper to manage day-to-day fiscal activities, including the timely processing of invoices and payment of bills. You will oversee billing, AR/AP, and expenses, while serving as the primary reviewer for organizational contracts.
• Development & Gala Support: Partner with the Development team to provide the operational backbone for fundraising initiatives. This includes managing vendor contracts, logistics, and volunteer coordination to ensure the successful execution of our annual Gala.
• HR & Talent Liaison: Serve as the primary point of contact for our outsourced HR leadership and benefits brokers. You will ensure HR compliance, manage benefits administration, and keep our internal policies competitive, up-to-date, and clearly communicated.
• Culture & People: Proactively evaluate staff engagement and recruitment processes to nurture a healthy, inclusive, and balanced office culture. You will serve as the internal bridge for HR concerns, ensuring they are addressed professionally.
• Systems & IT Management: Monitor IT vendor relationships and identify opportunities for infrastructure improvements to keep our multi-site farm operations connected and efficient.
• Special Projects: Lead cross-functional projects that address organizational design, legal compliance, and operational scaling as we expand our footprint.

Who You Are

• Effective Collaborator: You have successfully worked across cultural lines on a diverse team. You easily gain trust and are known for supporting your colleagues to ensure they are set up for success.
• Solutions-Oriented "Do-er": You don’t wait for a manual. You proactively look for ways to offer support, anticipate needs before they arise, and find the best solution to any challenge.
• High Integrity & Discretion: You are a guardian of sensitive information. You are known for your sound judgment and for choosing the right decision over the easy one.
• Emotionally Intelligent: You are a self-aware communicator who builds trust easily. You are empathetic, curious, and able to navigate stressful situations—like gala season or harvest surges—with professional grace.
• Abundant Thinker: You believe that the right team of partners can make incredible things happen. You bring relentless curiosity and creativity to every task and project.
• Mission-Aligned: You have a genuine love for (or knowledge of) farming, gardening, or urban agriculture. You understand that the "paperwork" exists to support the "plant work," and you find joy in the mission of food sovereignty.

What You’ll Need

• Proven Experience: 4–6 years of professional experience in operations, HR, or finance. We are "background agnostic" and value candidates with non-traditional paths who have proven they can run a tight ship.
• Analytical Fluency: You must be comfortable and fluent with Excel and numbers. A genuine interest in data and financial accuracy is vital for success in this role.
• Project Leadership: A track record of handling multiple deadlines and completing complex assignments with minimal supervision.
• Impeccable Organization: You are highly detail-oriented and get genuine satisfaction from creating orderly, polished processes.
• Operational Versatility: The ability and willingness to pivot from partnering with leadership on gala logistics to tactical tasks like managing insurance renewals or booking team travel.
• Commitment to Equity: Experience working with diverse teams and a deep commitment to creating a workplace that supports and values difference.

Compensation and LocationProject EATS provides a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Employer-covered medical insurance, commuter benefits, FSA, (optional) employee-paid dental + vision
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year, plus the week between 12/25-1/1 and the employee’s birthday
• 15 Vacation days + 5 Sick days
• 50% off Project EATS produce and Prepared EATS

The starting compensation for this position is a non-negotiable annual salary of $75,000. We are not able to negotiate salary with anyone in order for us to ensure equity across all candidates.This position is full-time, and you must already be based in the New York metro area. This role is expected to be in the office (Lower East Side, Manhattan) three days a week. You are free to work from home during our regular office hours the rest of the week, but you may be required to come into the office on additional days, or work evenings as events arise.The Application ProcessProject EATS has engaged Equitable Hiring Group to support this hiring process. To apply, please complete the short form to the right. Please submit your application by Thursday, March 12th. Our simple process makes it easy to apply early!To ensure an equitable review, we ask that you remove the names of the schools you attended (both undergraduate and graduate) from your resume. Please retain the degree itself. For example, instead of "Greendale Community College- B.A. Economics," simply list "B.A. Economics."This evaluation process will follow practices shown to reduce bias in decision-making and may be different from other application processes you have experienced.The overall evaluation process will look to follow this anticipated timeline:

• Mid-March: Selected candidates will be asked to complete a short-answer questionnaire. 
• Mid-March: Selected candidates will participate in a video interview with PE staff. 
• Late March: Selected candidates will be asked to complete a paid, timed trial project. 
• Early April: Selected candidates will participate in an in-person panel interview with multiple team members. 
• Mid-April: Offer extended.
• May 11th, 2026: Anticipated Start Date

If you have any questions about the opportunity, please email abe@equitablehiringgroup.com.

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