Food and Farm Field Coordinator (Chapel Hill , NC)

This entry/mid-level position is funded through a three-year grant from the Oak Foundation and is subject to funding availability. The Resourceful Communities Food and Farm Field Coordinator will focus the majority of his/ her work on technical assistance to community partners working to promote access to local foods in North Carolina’s Eastern and Sandhills regions. In addition, the trainer will perform outreach to and promote collaboration among a variety of project partners; develop and deliver a variety of trainings; and will review small grant applications.This person must be able to manage their time effectively, complete assignments independently, and communicate with a broad range of individuals.

Special Considerations: *Please note* that travel will be required. A valid driver’s license is required; a driver’s record background check will be conducted.

Key responsibilities include:

Technical Assistance
Community Partners

• Research, assess and support effective models to increase food access in rural areas.
• Support community-based organizations in developing and/or increasing opportunities to access local, healthy food. Support may include: community outreach, project planning, grant writing, access to resources, facilitated introductions to resource organizations, evaluation plan development, etc.
• Facilitate broad stakeholder engagement to ensure community investment in new food access projects.
• Introduce and facilitate collaborative meetings between community partners and resource organizations.
• Support project planning, management and evaluation for potential small-grant applicants.
• Submit trip reports describing site visits with community partners

Local Producers

• Perform outreach to limited-resource producers to ensure engagement in project planning around increasing local food access.
• Facilitate introductions and promote partnerships between limited-resource farmers and resource organizations in project region.
• Submit progress reports describing partnership building and service provision.

Networking/ Partnership Building

• Perform ongoing outreach to community leaders/ organizations working to increase access to local food, limited-resource farmers, and representatives from agriculture/ food system resource organizations.
• Facilitate effective connections between/ awareness of limited-resource producers, low-income communities and agriculture/ food system resource organizations.
• Track advances in partnership building and evaluate effectiveness of new partnerships; recommend tools for networking and evaluation.

Other Program Activities

• Participate as required: development of regional trainings; review of small grant applications; attendance at staff meetings.

Experience / Skills:

• Knowledge of and experience working with rural, low-resource/excluded communities around food system issues.
• Knowledge and experience with existing food system resources (agencies, universities, regional nonprofits, etc.).
• Experience with popular education, experiential training techniques and ability to communicate appropriately with limited-literacy trainees is preferred.
• Understanding of issues affecting low-resource/ excluded communities and limited-resource farmers, including economic development, social justice, limited access to resources.
• Resourceful Communities works with partners of varied race, ethnicity, age, etc.; experience/ comfort working sensitively with diverse groups is essential.
• Bachelor’s level education or higher preferred.
• 3-5 years of experience related to food system projects, focused on in-the-field program delivery preferred.
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills.

Resourceful Communities, a program of The Conservation Fund, was established in 1991 to support a grassroots network that implements the “triple bottom line” in North Carolina communities. The support we provide 300+ community groups results in social, environmental and economic benefits; enables access to otherwise inaccessible resources; and helps move people out of poverty. Because Resourceful Communities works closely with local partners, including nonprofit, private and public concerns, we help ensure local ownership of long-term change. For more information, please visit: www.resourcefulcommunities.org.

Please email a resume and cover letter to Resourceful Communities at mmccann@conservationfund.org and kmarks@conservationfund.org.

The Conservation Fund is an Equal Opportunity Empl

- See more at: http://www.conservationfund.org/who-we-are/employment-opportunities/food-and-farm-field-coordinator/#sthash.zbhnZHLM.dpuf