• Organization: Sustainable Connections
  • Job Title: Food & Farming Manager
  • Locations: Primary: Sustainable Connections downtown office, 1701 Ellis St., Bellingham, WA 98225 Secondary: Cloud Mountain Farm Center office, 6906 Goodwin Rd, Everson, WA 98247
  • Term: Full-time, salaried, introductory employee (90 day period before becoming regular employee), FLSA Exempt
  • Physical attendance requirement (% of time on site / in office): 75% (flexible schedule, about 1 day a week in Everson, some days in Bellingham, up to 25% time available for telework)
  • Reports to: Executive Director
  • Application Deadline: 5/19/2021 by 11:59PM Pacific Time (PT)
  • Timeline & process: Applications received afterwards may or may not be considered. Invitations for interview will be extended on 5/21/2021, for 1st round interviews to take place on 5/26 via Zoom. References will not be contacted before 1st round interviews.
  • Desired start date: Upon completion of search process

About us: Do you share our values of sustainability, diversity, innovation, cooperation, positivity, inclusion, creativity, adaptability and resourcefulness? Our mission is to create thriving communities through innovative ideas, collaboration, and action. Our team members and organization are on a journey of learning and unlearning, to foster greater equity, diversity and inclusion in our team work and community impact.

Position Summary: Reporting to the Executive Director, the Food & Farming Manager works to manage and operate the Food & Farming Program. The Food & Farming Manager is responsible for managing the Food & Farming Program budget as well as prospecting and securing new sources of funding. The Food and Farming Manager works closely with many other team members to fulfill program goals, including overseeing the work of two staff, who provide project management for the WA Food & Farm Finder, conduct outreach for the Eat Local First Campaign and the Food to Bank on project, and coordinate annual events & publications.

COVID Impact on this position at present: Due to COVID, our downtown office has been & remains closed with staff working remotely, while our farm office has been operating with modified protocols in place. We have not been hosting in-person events. Before COVID, flexible working schedules & telework have been available to administrative staff & supported by Employee Handbook policy. Supervisors determine work schedule & location with individual staff, dependent on organizational needs. This position in time, should be working about 1 day a week at the farm, other days in the downtown office, with room for schedule flexibility & telework.

Preferred skills, qualifications & experience:

  • Proven track record of securing and retaining diverse sources of funding, for example: Foundations, businesses, government agencies (local, state, federal)
  • Confidence, comfort & enjoyment doing outreach of all kinds, including soliciting gifts from businesses and individuals both in person and via written communications
  • Ability to relate with restaurant owners, chefs, farmers, fishers, grocers and business owners
  • At least 3 years of experience relevant to the responsibilities listed below (this includes relevant paid and unpaid/volunteer/community work)  Desire to actively engage in ongoing learning about anti-racist and anti-oppressive frameworks and incorporate that learning into programmatic and team work
  • Ability to routinely travel to/from Cloud Mountain Farm Center in Everson which is about 4 miles from the nearest bus stop (about 1 day a week) and ability to occasionally travel to meetings throughout the county

Primary Responsibilities:

Eat Local First & Related Work

  • Responsible for oversight of staff and overall outcomes
  • Provide oversight to staff managing an integrated campaign plan to advance Eat Local First business participation, awareness and increase the visibility of the campaign at grocers, restaurants, markets and with farms throughout Whatcom County and beyond.
  • Work with Communications Director to recognize opportunities for growth within campaign, outreach/advertising opportunities, and print and distribute collateral pieces.
  • Meet with business members to gain a higher business uptake and engagement level within campaign
  • Track campaign deliverables and document best practices
  • Connect food producers and buyers with one-on-one consultations, farmer/chef mentorships, and forward contracts
  • Work with Food & Farming Team and Communications Director to implement Community-Wide campaigns, collateral, business resources, and toolkits.
  • Provide oversight to staff engaging with farmers and employers to coordinate Workplace CSA programs (Community Supported Agriculture) including outreach to businesses for drop sites and increasing subscribers. This may include events such as a CSA fair and print or online tools.

Food & Farming Events

  • Work with Food & Farming Team and Events Assistant staff to oversee planning and execution of all Food & Farming program events, such as the Farm-to-Table Trade Meeting, Cascade Cuts Plant Sale, the Whatcom County Farm Tour, Farmstand Loop, Eat Local Month, CSA Fair, chef tours, chef mixers, workshops and agritourism activities
  • Exercise judgment to prioritize additional outreach opportunities and events within the program as they arise
  • Work with community partners on events and cultivate local and regional partnerships within the food system where overlap makes sense.

Cloud Mountain Farm Center

  • Work with the Farm Director on strategic planning for the full program and support integration between locations
  • Work with Cloud Mountain Farm Center Incubator Team in support of the program
  • Support farmer education efforts through the Incubator Program and Perennials Production Training
  • Coordinate with Communications and Food & Farming teams to identify opportunities for shared messaging and leveraging communications and community education

Program Administration

  • Report on monthly program accomplishments to the Board. Track and report on progress in meeting strategic plan goals in quarterly board reports
  • Meet with Executive Director for monthly check-ins and additionally as needed
  • Conduct regular Food and Farming Team meetings

Financial Management

  • Steward existing and grow new community and business partnerships and sponsorships
  • Manage program budget
  • Work with Development Director to write and submit new grant applications as well as ensure grant deliverables, reporting, and deadlines are met
  • Work with Communications Team to ensure sponsors and partners receive recognition and contractual agreements are met

Manage Food & Farming Team

  • Supervise two Food & Farming Team staff, including weekly check-ins, review and approve of timesheets, leave requests and credit card reports, conduct annual and mid-year growth & development review process
  • Support staff in their work on the Food To Bank On program, facilitating business planning workshops, working with mentor farms, coordinating with food banks, and gathering sponsorships
  • Support staff in their work on the Food & Farming newsletter, website content, social media strategy, event outreach, tracking data, annual survey, and other tasks as needed

Compensation:

This is an introductory (90 day waiting period), FLSA Exempt, full-time (40hrs/week) position to be compensated $53,000 – $60,000 annually depending on qualifications and experience. Benefits for first year, regular, full-time employees (working 40hrs/week) include:

  • 16 days per year of paid time off
  • An additional 6 days of paid time off near year end
  • An individual benefit of $350 per month
  • A very flexible work schedule
  • Up to a 3% match SIMPLE IRA non-designated retirement plan
  • Great office space, fun and supportive coworkers, a welcoming & inclusive environment and the opportunity to help lead a nationally recognized organization

To apply:

Email a cover letter and resume with the contact information for three professional references to maryt@sustainableconnections.org by the application deadline listed above.

Sustainable Connections complies with all federal, state, and local laws which prohibit discrimination in employment. Sustainable Connections is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce.

Sustainable Connections is an equal opportunity employer that believes it is the responsibility of the company and all its employees to ensure there is no discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, genetic information, or any other protected status.