CalFresh at Farmers’ Markets Program Coordinator – Full-Time
(Sacramento, CA)
Expected Hourly Commitment: Full time, 40 hours/week , non-exempt.
Compensation: $23/hour, non-negotiable.
Benefits:
- 3 weeks’ vacation/PTO annual accrual (accrual rate increases with length of service)
- 100% company paid “Silver Level” Dental, Vision and Health insurance
- 10 paid holidays annually
- Minimum 1 day paid volunteering time off
- 5 sick days accrued annually (up to 120 hour accrual limit)
- Professional development opportunities and growth/advancement potential
Schedule: Wednesday – Sunday. Protected days off are Monday and Tuesday.
Location: Telecommute possible at least one day/week. At least 50% of work will take place at various farmers’ market and community sites in Sacramento County. Much of the work takes place outdoors in varying weather conditions year-round. Office location is 4625 44th Street, Sacramento, CA 95820 (Oak Park.)
Start Date: Position is open until filled, but we are hoping to fill this position quickly and so urgency in applying is encouraged. Job re-posted on January 16, 2024.
About the Role:
Do you have a passion for fighting food insecurity and supporting local agriculture? Would you be energized by working in different environments throughout the week? Do you enjoy working as a key member of a larger team? This might be the role for you! The CalFresh at Farmers’ Markets Program Coordinator role brings together various skill sets to help make a big impact in the community. This program simultaneously builds the Sacramento region into more resilient communities, helps low-income households to access delicious and nutritious fresh foods, and provides critical revenue to small and midsize local farms.
About Us:
Alchemist CDC is a 501c3 non-profit serving the Sacramento Region. Our mission is to connect the community to land, food and opportunity. Our four program areas include CalFresh access at farmers’ markets, a food business training and incubator program, community garden/green space development, and a Community Food Connections program to assist food-insecure families in partnership with local elementary schools. The CalFresh at Farmers’ Markets Program is our longest operating program and strives to make locally grown and produced foods accessible and affordable to food insecure households. Farmers’ Markets are a great asset to communities, and can lead to improved health for area residents. By making it easier for lower-income populations to purchase food at farmers’ markets, these community assets will become more equitable and accessible to all individuals.
We deliver this program at 8 farmers’ markets and partner with other market operators in the region to implement food benefit access and nutrition incentive programs. This program’s team is comprised of: 3 Program Associates, 1 Program Assistant, 2 Program Coordinators, and 1 Program Manager. We also rely on volunteers to support our small but mighty team.
Job Responsibilities:
The Program Coordinator collaborates on program logistics, team management and planning with the fellow Program Coordinator and Program Manager. Program Coordinators assist in the implementation of CalFresh/Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) payment processing and distribution of Market Match Incentive vouchers at the farmers’ market. CalFresh/EBT offers qualifying lower income individuals financial assistance in purchasing food for themselves and their families. This position provides an opportunity to learn more about food access and nutrition issues, engage directly with low-income individuals and small to mid-sized California farmers. Note: this description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.
Major Tasks:
- Manage logistics and staff/volunteer coordination for CalFresh booth operations at ~9 farmers’ markets, coordinating with 4 different market operators and different partner agencies.
- Develop and maintain professional relationships with farmers’ market vendors, market managers, program associates, volunteers, and seasonal interns to ensure on-site compliance with program procedures and regulations.
- Maintain successful volunteer programming including recruitment, training and retention.
- Ensure staff and volunteer compliance with program guidelines and data reporting requirements in a tactful and productive manner.
- Assist with CalFresh and Market Match incentive grant reporting in an accurate and timely manner.
- Community outreach (e.g., connecting with social service agencies, drafting press releases, coordinating printing/mailings, designing outreach materials, attend outreach events, social media, etc.)
- Provide resources and information for CalFresh benefit applications and conduct eligibility screenings.
- Attend CalFresh community meetings, educational workshops, etc.
- Represent Alchemist CDC and promote our mission and organization at events and meetings.
Requirements:
- Must have prior experience in customer service, community engagement and/or event planning/coordination.
- Experience coordinating logistics and schedules for multiple sites and/or staff
- Experience training staff or volunteers
- Experience working with diverse communities
- Must be willing to work weekends and occasional holidays.
- Must have reliable transportation for staffing markets, transporting booth equipment and visiting community sites (travel reimbursement provided per organization travel policies)
- Must be willing to work early mornings (for farmers’ markets) and occasionally fill in on short notice (in the event of staff or volunteer cancellations/illness).
- Must be detail oriented with a high level of accuracy, self-motivated and able to stay on task with minimal supervision
- Must be flexible in your work schedule and able to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines. Time management skills are essential.
- Must be outgoing, level-headed and patient, demonstrating “grace under pressure”
- Must be able to load/unload and setup/take down booth equipment, which can weigh up to 35 lbs.
- Proficient with Microsoft Excel and Word
- Must be fluent in spoken and written English.
- Bi-lingual a plus (especially Cantonese, Vietnamese, Dari/Farsi, Pashto, Spanish, Russian or Arabic)
- Familiarity with local community, its geography, demographics and community resources.
To Apply:
Fill out the application form and upload resume and cover letter at the bottom of this page.
**Alchemist CDC has a COVID-19 vaccine mandate policy in place. The selected applicant will be required to show proof of full vaccination (first course + 1 booster) – (or valid verifiable exemption) before their employment begins. Additionally, work at some work sites may require staff and volunteers to occasionally wear a mask.
Alchemist CDC is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion among its workforce and is an equal opportunity employer:
Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, reproductive choices, national origin, disability, age, and/or status as a protected veteran. Alchemist CDC anonymizes all resumes and Application form responses before making the first level decisions of which applicants to invite to interview, in order to mitigate any implicit/subconscious bias. Alchemist CDC provides reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Please notify us if you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process.
**You will be required to complete a criminal background check after a conditional job offer is made. Alchemist CDC will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Alchemist CDC is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the Civil Rights Department Fair Chance Act webpage.