Hiring: Mobile Market Operator – Live Well Springfield

The Go Fresh! Mobile Farmer’s Market is a mobile farmer’s market serving Springfield residents from July through October.  The market uses a retro-fitted mini-bus (or rental van if the bus is not available) to deliver fresh, locally grown, affordable produce to sites around the city.  The project is a partnership between the City of Springfield, community-based organizations, farmers, housing developments, and a Public Health Institute.  The Mobile Market project is governed by a Leadership Team that includes representation from these groups and Springfield residents.  The Mobile Market operator reports to the Leadership Team.  The 2016 season will be the 6th season of the market.

The Go Fresh! Mobile Market  was created with the explicit goal of opening up affordable, healthy, culturally appropriate food access to Springfield residents, with a focus on those most in need — low income families and individuals living in “food deserts” or areas of the city lacking easy access to a full service grocery store or to other farmer’s markets.  The project is designed to support the local food economy by buying seasonal produce grown by local farms as close to Springfield as possible.  We have developed intentional partnerships with farms which share a similar food justice orientation (such as Gardening the Community and New Lands Farm).  We purchase pesticide-free, sustainably grown produce whenever possible.  In addition, the Leadership Team is committed to building the capacity of Springfield residents of color from the communities served by the market to staff and manage the market, so that it becomes a truly community-based and community-run project on every level.

We are looking for a mobile market operator who will bring these commitments into every level of the market’s operation.

The Mobile Market has been funded by grants in addition to revenue from produce sales.  These grants have supported our outreach efforts to low income elders in the city.  Continuing this commitment is a priority for the leadership team.  The Mobile Market operator may be asked to work with the Leadership Team in its efforts to seek out additional grant funding and sponsorships to support market operations.  We have secured grant funding for the 2016 season, which includes retrofitting the Mobile Market vehicle.

It has become clear that, because of our commitment to equitable, affordable pricing, it will be hard for the Mobile Market to become economically self sufficient. We seek a Mobile Market operator with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to social and racial justice who understands and believes in social ventures and can identify and develop creative strategies that will move the enterprise towards higher levels of self-sufficiency.

Goals for the 2016 season include:

• Successfully provide access to fresh, affordable, and local produce at 10-12 stops across Springfield
• Increase sales by 20%
• Develop a plan to extend the market season and strategies for making the market more sustainable over time
• Strengthen the leadership of Springfield residents, particularly people of color, in market management and operations

Operator Duties:

• Order produce and manage all deliveries, communications and payments with growers; ensure quality of produce sold
• Keep track of inventory including what is ordered, sold, donated, and composted
• Purchase needed equipment and supplies and keep track of inventory
• Track sales with point of sales software and prepare monthly and seasonal reports for Leadership Team
• Attend monthly Leadership Team meetings
• Manage all levels of fiscal accounting for market including making timely deposits and payments to vendors
• Provide a monthly budget report to Leadership Team
• Hire, train, manage, and pay a staffing team (Market Manager and Market Associate); engage and manage community liaisons and volunteers
• Manage all communications with market stop liaisons; establish schedule working with Leadership Team
• Set up educational events working with market partners
• Coordinate bus maintenance and upkeep
• Manage all equipment associated with the market
• Manage all forms of sales, including cash and electronic sales:  Credit, Debit, EBT and vouchers WIC/Elder Coupons
• Assist with marketing the market (in coordination with Leadership Team)
• Perform end of season assessment of vehicle, equipment and supplies and required reporting documents

Qualifications:

• Management experience
• Capacity to conduct sound fiscal accounting practices; experience with QuickBooks
• Experience with Point of Sales software, specifically Square, or ability to learn it quickly
• Strong customer service practices, including ability to relate respectfully and in a culturally competent manner with families and individuals served by the project
• Has capacity and knowledge necessary to accept all forms of electronic payment, including SNAP
• Entrepreneurial spirit; commitment to social and racial justice

Other:

• Schedule of payments from grant sources to operator will be finalized in the contract between the operator and the Leadership Team

Letter of Interest Due March 18, 2016 – Please include

• Brief description of the organization
• Why you are interested in managing the Go Fresh Mobile Market Operations for 2016
• Description of your qualifications to manage the operations of the Go Fresh Mobile Market

Submissions will be reviewed by the Go Fresh Mobile Market Leadership Team and Stakeholders.  If selected, a representative from the project will contact you for an interview.

Please submit your letter of interest to Kathy Wicks.