Farmers Market Recovery Program Coordinator

Food Forward Inc. Farmers Market Recovery Program Coordinator Ventura, CA Full time Company website Apply for Farmers Market Recovery Program Coordinator

The Farmers Market Recovery Coordinator will directly report to the Senior Manager of Community Programs (CP) and will play an important role in supporting and expanding the Farmers Market Recovery (FMR) Program. This entry-level position offers an opportunity to become deeply involved in the food justice community while helping grow the program’s presence. We are looking for someone extremely detail-oriented who can work independently and collaboratively, in-person and remotely.

The FMR Coordinator bridges Food Forward's wonderful volunteers, farmers market management & vendors, and hunger relief partners who receive produce donations. They will communicate clearly and regularly with various stakeholders to ensure FMR operations run smoothly and efficiently. This position will work closely with other FMR & CP staff in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. While much of this position will be remote, it also requires working weekdays, weekends, and evenings in the field and out of our offices in North Hollywood and/or Ventura.

The ideal candidate for the FMR Coordinator role has experience working with and engaging volunteers, exhibits excellent people, public speaking, and customer service skills, and a strong interest in issues related to food waste and recovery, hunger eradication, and food justice. The person in this role will have access to a Food Forward vehicle for work-related tasks, but will also need to use a personal vehicle occasionally.

Applicable mileage will be eligible for reimbursement at standard IRS rates.

Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity, and inspiring others to do the same. Fruits and vegetables are collected from backyard fruit trees, farmers markets, growers, and wholesalers and then provided free of charge to people experiencing food insecurity through more than 250 hunger relief partner organizations that serve communities across the region.

CORE VALUES:

- COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Working together, we inspire and are inspired by the people in the communities we serve.

- EQUITY AND INCLUSION We cultivate a diverse workforce that nurtures equity and inclusion.

- FOOD JUSTICE We share the abundance of fresh produce and prevent food waste because everyone deserves access to fresh and nutritious food.

- INTEGRITY We are honest, accountable, and authentic in our words and actions.

- JOYFULNESS We embrace a creative, spirited, and fulfilling environment

Core Responsibilities

Event Coordination:

• Schedule and coordinate logistics for all weekly market gleans (18-25 markets)
• Conduct frequent, timely, and effective phone, email, and text communication with various stakeholders (volunteer event leaders, farmers market vendors & managers, hunger relief organizations, potential partners, etc.) to schedule events, resolve issues, achieve program objectives, and build and maintain relationships.
• Collect and review data from event reports via Excel, Google Workspace, Tableau & CITRA (Food Forward's proprietary database).
• Lead FMR events, and assist with equipment drop-offs, produce pick-ups and deliveries to hunger relief agencies.
• Recruit, onboard, train, schedule, oversee, and build working relationships with 100+ volunteer event leaders who lead market glean events.
• Assist with the planning and participate in volunteer engagement activities.
• Work with the Volunteer team to assist with outreach and Community Ambassador efforts.

Program Operations:

• Facilitate program expansion and growth, including scouting and launching FMR at new markets.
• Organize, review, and maintain monthly event data via Food Forward's data software CITRA & Tableau.
• Conduct regular equipment inventory and identify repair and purchasing needs.
• Procure, secure, maintain, and stock gleaning equipment storage locations; serve as the point of contact and maintain relationships with regional equipment hubs.
• Assist with updating and developing new training materials for event leaders, as well as creating and updating FMR staff workflows and handbooks.
• Assist with the creation and organization of program-related information and resources within Google Workspace.
• Cross-training as a leader in the Backyard Harvest and Community Ambassador programs and support with…