Hiring: Outreach Coordinator – Amherst Food Co-op

Are you passionate about local, wholesome food and about supporting the farmers who produce it? Do you support worker rights, meaningful jobs, and a commitment to investing in our community? Do you want to be the first employee of the Amherst Food Co-op? Read on about the new Outreach Coordinator position!

The Amherst Food Co-op is a start-up, full-service grocery store that will be located close to downtown Amherst, MA. The Co-op will carry a combination of organic and conventional fairly-sourced items, with an emphasis on affordable, local products. Our store will be grounded IN the community, created and owned BY the community, to serve the needs OF the community. Amherst Food Co-op’s mission is to bring people together through our common values of community-building while nourishing our bodies, minds, and spirits.

The Outreach Coordinator position will be a 20-hour per week position reporting to the Amherst Food Co-op Board of Directors. As Outreach Coordinator, your primary responsibility will be to lead AFC’s outreach efforts to get our message out and build the member-owner base. Since this is a part-time position, the Outreach Coordinator will need to make use of the time and skills available from Board members, member-owners, volunteers, and the larger community to achieve the goal of building a strong ownership base on our way to building a full-service cooperative grocery store.

The Outreach Coordinator must be passionate about co-ops and have excellent communication, management, and team-building skills. You will need to work closely with the Board, with the future General Manager, with working committees, as well as with AFC member-owners, prospective owners, stakeholders, and community. You must have the ability to develop new ideas for outreach and to implement those ideas consistently and reliably.

The Outreach Coordinator must have a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends, especially during the summer months. Occasional local travel may be required. The Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for their own transportation.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the Outreach Team and work with Amherst Food Co-op Board members, owners, and volunteers to coordinate the following:
• Actively drive Amherst Food Co-op’s owner recruitment campaign, building ownership to meet co-op milestones, by coordinating the planning and execution of outreach/owner recruitment activities and events.
• Plan and coordinate promotional communications through press releases, social media, targeted advertising, presence at local events, etc.

Additional Responsibilities

• Develop/maintain procedures to ensure the smooth functioning of the Outreach committee.
• Recruit and train outreach volunteers.
• Work with the Board treasurer to create and maintain a budget for Outreach activities and events.
• Attend educational workshops to learn about and implement best practices for co-op development and build relationships with others working in the co-op industry.
• Become familiar with FCI, NFCA, and CDS support and training

Note that this position may evolve in the future as the Co-op grows.

Qualifications:

• Passion for community-building, local food and economy, food accessibility, social justice, healthy eating, and education
• Strong support for the cooperative, community-based business model
• Excellent organizational skills, preferably including experience working with volunteers. (This job will require the ability to lead teams and get things done through others.)
• Exceptional communication and writing skills.
• Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage with different types of people. (Past or current engagement with the Amherst area community is strongly preferred.)
• Creative thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Basic computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Effective usage of social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
• Experience with budgeting, fundraising, and capital development

Terms and Benefits

• 20-hours/week. Candidates must be flexible and available to work weekends and occasional evenings.
• Compensation: $20/hour
• 90-day probationary period: the Outreach Coordinator must achieve numerical targets for member-owner growth, and results will be periodically reviiiiewed by the Board
• Incentive payments will be made upon achieving member-owner growth targets
• As an employee, the Co-op will make appropriate payroll deductions

Send resumes to: amherstfoodcoop@gmail.com

Deadline for resumes: Friday, December 15, 2017