Statewide Food Safety Coordinator Community Food Systems Academic Coordinator II UC Sustain

The Statewide Food Safety Coordinator for Community Food Systems will coordinate statewide outreach, education, technical assistance, and applied research activities to support the safe preservation, processing, packaging, consumption, handling, and storage of food products for food businesses, food hubs, and other post-harvest supply chain components across UC SAREP programs. This position will collaborate with the UC Master Food Preservers (MFP) to provide content expertise and statewide coordination to promote safe food processing methods, including value-added product development;

recipe development; process control; hazard analysis; risk assessment;
Cottage Foods Operations; and small-scale food processing equipment and methods. This includes statewide leadership for the development and implementation of a UC Master Food Preserver (MFP) public education program to provide training and technical support for cottage food operators throughout California. The Coordinator will also collaborate with UC SAREP’s Food and Society programs to enhance processed food safety for value-added products from niche and emerging crops for California;

small-scale food processing; food hub and aggregation facility food safety regulatory compliance; and sustainable supply chains for value-added products.

The Coordinator will provide content expertise in food preservation and processing methods, build strong partnerships with environmental health departments, and develop resources to assist small- to medium-scale food businesses with food safety best practices and regulatory compliance. This position will interface with food safety research activities conducted by UC campus and external partner institutions and coordinate project oversight and curriculum development for efforts to develop recipes, methods, and hazard control points for small-scale food processing.

The Coordinator will collaborate with multiple UC ANR and UC SAREP programs, including the Small Farms Network and the Organic Agriculture Institute, to support innovation for processed food products and foster economic development and entrepreneurship for small- to medium- scale food businesses.

This is an exciting opportunity to have meaningful impacts in the communities throughout California. The Academic Coordinator joins a team of highly motivated UC ANR colleagues who are passionate about their work and are dedicated to making a difference within their communities and throughout California.

Extension Education and Outreach:

• Coordinate statewide efforts to promote and support food safety for small-to medium-scale food businesses and food hubs, including outreach, extension education, and technical assistance.
• Develop and disseminate statewide extension resources to support safe preservation, processing, packaging, consumption, handling, transportation, and storage of food products.
• Develop and deliver educational programming in a variety of formats across UC SAREP programs for food business operators, nonprofit partners, and extension professionals reaching diverse audiences.
• Provide leadership and content expertise for development of the UC Master Food Preserver Cottage Food Operations public education and volunteer certification program and regulatory compliance training.
• Provide science-based information to small-scale food businesses, food hubs, and Cottage Foods operators through participation in relevant meetings, conferences, and working groups.

Collaboration and Partnerships:

• Coordinate collaborations with UC ANR CE Advisors and Specialists and external academic institutions conducting research to enhance food safety for small-to medium-scale food businesses and food hubs.
• Collaborate with UC SAREP and UC ANR statewide and county-based programs to support innovation and economic development efforts for processed food products, sustainable supply chains, and small business development and entrepreneurship.
• Cultivate and maintain partnerships with environmental health departments, regulatory agencies, advocacy organizations, and local government entities to ensure alignment of UC SAREP programs with local, state,…