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Hiring: Food Access Manager – Grow Food Northampton

Job Type and Schedule: Full-time; 40 hours per week

Compensation and Benefits: Salaried, with a pay range of $43,000 to $52,000; benefits include three weeks paid vacation; 401(k) matched up to 4%; and local food, technology, and professional development stipends.

To apply: Please send an email with title “Food Access Manager Position” with a résumé and cover letter to Michael Skillicorn, Associate Director, to: michael@growfoodnorthampton.org

Deadline: Please apply by 5:00 p.m. on September 10, 2021.

About Grow Food Northampton

Grow Food Northampton is a food justice organization providing food and land access to all members of our community in Northampton, MA. Grow Food Northampton owns a 121-acre Community Farm that leases land to six farmers and two farming cooperatives that practice sustainable agriculture; manages a 330-plot organic community garden; operates a vibrant downtown farmers market; grows 9,000 pounds of produce annually that is donated to people in need; educates over 1,200 students a year about local food, gardening, and farming through farm field trips and classroom workshops; and manages food access initiatives that invite people of all incomes into the local food movement. Founded in 2010, Grow Food Northampton is rooted in values of racial and environmental justice, and serves the city of Northampton and nearby communities with five full-time and six part-time staff members, Terracorps service members, interns, and volunteers.

About our Food Access Program

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, our food access programming provided healthy and locally-grown food to approximately 350 households on a weekly basis during the growing season. This was done through our Neighborhood Markets, a mobile  farmers’ market selling subsidized produce at 11 locations throughout Northampton; subsidized farm shares at Crimson & Clover Farm; a SNAP Match program at our Tuesday Market farmers market; and our Giving Garden, which grows food for donation to meals sites and pantries.

In response to the pandemic, Grow Food Northampton began the Community Food Distribution Project (CFDP) in partnership with the Northampton Survival Center. The CFDP provides access year-round to local produce and shelf-stable food for community residents experiencing food insecurity. For the CFDP, Grow Food Northampton supports local farms by purchasing their produce and other products and conducts no-cost ‘mobile markets’ and doorstep delivery to subsidized housing communities. On a weekly basis, we are delivering thousands of pounds of food to hundreds of households. We also coordinate and work closely with a Food Access Advisory Committee of participants in the CFDP, and will be launching additional programming to engage and shift power to community members experiencing food insecurity.

Position Description

The Food Access Manager will provide leadership for our food access programming by directly managing individual programs, seeking ways to integrate and deepen them, and working closely with community members to shift decision-making and agency to those experiencing food insecurity.

Responsibilities

  • Manage and staff the Community Food Distribution Project. This includespurchasing food from local farms; coordinating transport and distribution at subsidized housing communities and other locations; and coordinating participants, volunteers, staff, and partners
  • Coordinate and staff the Food Access Advisory Committee that liaises with the community and generates ideas and proposals to ensure the agency of food access program participants. This includes working closely with Committee members to set meeting agendas, recruit new members, facilitate meetings, and enact proposals
  • Hire, train, and oversee “Participant-Staffers” who will serve as additional liaisons to their communities and assist with CFDP food distribution and delivery
  • Manage the SNAP Share program at Crimson & Clover Farm
  • Work collaboratively with the Giving Garden Manager and Tuesday Market Manager to support produce donation and SNAP Match programs
  • Track and report program outcomes and impacts
  • Provide food access thought leadership and build partnerships locally and regionally
  • Become an integral member of the Grow Food Northampton team
  • Assist Executive Director in seeking sources of funding for food access programming
  • Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

  • Commitment to and experience with working in diverse communities and shifting decision-making and agency to community members
  • Commitment to and experience with addressing food insecurity and building a sustainable local food system
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, sound judgment, and professionalism
  • Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues
  • Patience, enthusiasm, creativity, and a positive attitude
  • Operational and logistical aptitude
  • Basic computer skills including the use of spreadsheets
  • Strong written communication skills
  • Experience working with and managing volunteers
  • Minimum experience of 2 years coordinating projects

Requirements

  • Hold a valid driver’s license and comfort driving a 12-passenger van
  • Meet the physical requirements of food delivery, including but not limited to,repeatedly lifting 40 pounds and walking on uneven terrain
  • This position requires a physical presence and interaction with volunteers and program participants. Following safety protocols defined by Grow Food Northampton is required.

Grow Food Northampton is an equal opportunity provider and employer. People of all races, colors, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, national origins, and ability, are encouraged to apply. We embrace diversity and equal opportunity and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

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