Hiring; Conference Coordinator – NOFA MA
Conference Coordinator
Hours: 15-20 hours/week
Application deadline: September 9, 2022
Remote position, but must live in Massachusetts or neighboring states. Some travel within Massachusetts is required.
Opportunity:
The Conference Coordinator is responsible for organizing the NOFA Summer Conference and the NOFA/Mass Winter Conference. The Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Summer Conference is the longest standing NOFA event and serves as its annual flagship event. Both conferences feature keynote speakers, dozens of workshops and activities for adults, children and teens, vendors, and entertainment. The conferences aim to educate on organic agriculture, small-scale farming and homesteading in both rural and urban areas, as well as agricultural justice and food system policy.
Responsibilities
The Conference Coordinator’s responsibilities include: managing conference timelines, budgets, personnel, and conference committees, coordinating with venues, and ensuring that the conferences are successful events for the organization and the greater community.
Program Development & Implementation (30%)
- Develop the overall mission and vision for the conferences
- Oversee selection of keynote speakers, conference themes and NOFA Person of the Year
- Create and maintain conference timelines and meeting agendas
- Collaborate with Communications Director on promotional materials, communication with membership and attendees, and program evaluations
- Ensure equity through 360° BIPOC representation
- Oversee language justice work offering programming in Spanish or other languages
- Coordinate conference materials for program book or program app
- Create pricing structures, including scholarship and other accessibility systems
- Collaborate with Development Department on vendor space/logistics,sponsor deliverables, and fundraising auction, raffle, or dinner
Staff Management & Coordination (40%)
- Organize regular conference committee meetings (typically 10/yr)
- Maintain regular individual or small group meetings with conference staff, Education Director and Executive Director
- Attend meetings to stay current with other NOFA/Mass departments and committees, including regular coordination with Equity & Inclusion Committee
- Attend occasional meetings with the board, Interstate Council other NOFA chapters’ conference staff
- Attend NOFA/Mass staff and board retreats and 3-5 other NOFA Winter Conference
- Oversee conference staff reviews
Event Operations (15%)
- Coordinate relationships, contracts and logistics with conference venues
- Coordinate package deals for conference attendance with outside organizations
- Coordinate and negotiate keynote speaker contracts, travel, accomodation and payments
- Manage and oversee onsite logistics from beginning to end of each conference, including:
- Conference layout
- Registration systems
- Vendor placement
- Housing and Camping (staff and attendees)
- Signage
- Workshop support
- Keynote and Annual Meeting
- Entertainment
- Waste management
- Tech/Audio Visual staff
- Meals and onsite food vendors
Administrative ( 15% )
- Develop conference budgets with NOFA leadership and create events that fit within those parameters
- Keep conference work well-documented and up-to-date in the NOFA/Mass shared drive
- Oversee conference and registration website management
- Oversee hiring of Workshop Coordinator and other conference staff as needed
- Take part in annual review process
Qualifications
The successful candidate will offer:
- A strong commitment to coordinating members of a team
- Experience working with BIPOC communities, integrating racial equity into programming
- Flexibility and ability to work with different work styles and personalities
- Ability to gather and support ideas that enhance the conference experience and represents NOFA
- Ability to maintain ongoing communications with a team of vertical and lateral hierarchy
- A strong commitment to and knowledge of organic farming practices
- Three years of event/conference management experience
- Leadership experience in diverse groups
- Ability to work collegially as a team member as well as independently from home, with minimal supervision
- Basic office management and computer skills and a high level of organization
Ideal candidate may also have:
- Experience managing events of 500+ people
- Experience developing programming for children and teens
Other position information:
- This job can generally be accomplished from home. Employees are expected to provide appropriate basic office equipment to facilitate working remotely. Tech stipends are available.
- Hours are flexible; daytime availability for weekday meetings is crucial; occasional evening and weekend commitments.
- Employees must attend NOFA/Mass retreats and staff meetings, the winter and summer conferences, and virtual department meetings.
- 15-20 hours per week, 780-1,040 hours annually. Exact hours to be determined.
- Paid time off begins with 2 weeks per year; paid sick time and family leave also available.
- Employee must maintain current NOFA/Mass membership.
Compensation
$18-22/hour based on experience. No health insurance available at this time. Monthly stipend for internet & phone. Starting with two weeks of paid vacation time.
About NOFA/Mass:
NOFA/Mass is the Massachusetts state chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association. NOFA/Mass is a non-profit organization with over 1000 members, focusing on education and advocacy around organic agriculture in Massachusetts. Our members include farmers, gardeners, homesteaders, consumers, land care professionals, and food activists.
Our Mission:
Through education and advocacy NOFA/Mass promotes organic agriculture to expand the production and availability of nutritious food from living soil for the health of individuals, communities and the planet.
Our Vision:
NOFA/Mass envisions a commonwealth of people working together to create healthy landscapes that feed our communities and restore our environment.
How to apply
Please complete a job application form here. The application will require you to upload a resume, cover letter and three references as attachments. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.
NOFA/Mass encourages candidates from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds to apply. Please familiarize yourself with our Racial Equity Statement before applying.
All staff members are required to be active members of NOFA/Mass. Become a member here.
Contact Ulum Pixan, Education Director, with questions about this position at ulum@nofamass.org.
NOFA/Mass is an equal opportunity employer who does do not discriminate in employment and contracting practices based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability.
