NOW HIRING
POSITIONTITLE:Local Foods Coordinator
40 hrs/week, health care benefits and mileage reimbursements available
Salary based on experience
Local First Arizona is a statewide organization founded in 2003. We seek to promote, support, and celebrate a sustainable Arizona economy by educating citizens about local business ownership, social equity, cultural diversity, environmental kinship and collaboration.
Our vision is to make Arizona a better place by supporting locally owned businesses and building vibrant communities that residents are proud to call home.
Local First uses a strategy that combines a statewide membership with smart branding and lots of events and digital tools to build healthy food networks and awareness about healthy food access.
The ideal candidate forLocal Foods Coordinatorwill:
Have an understanding of and experience with small and large agricultural businesses, food producers, restaurants, and purveyors of Arizona.
Be familiar with the use of new and emerging digital marketing tools and strategies including social media, blogging, WordPress, database management, and newsletter creation
Havefood-related contacts and connections (growers, ranchers, producers, purveyors, restaurants, wineries, craft breweries, farmer’s markets, CSAs, etc)
Have the ability convene and motivate a variety of people
Have some event management experience, including coordinating volunteers and vendors, as well as marketing and planning for successful food related events
Key skills for a successfulLocal Foods Coordinatorinclude:
·Self-starting
·Solutions-oriented
·Worksindependently
·Project and event management
·Understands Marketing
·Good written and oral communication skills
·Great interpersonal skills
·Public speaking a plus
Comfortable with technology including basic database management and all social media
·Passion for building healthy communities where people are proud to live
Passion for building healthy food systems, understands big picture issues related to food desserts, healthy food access, food distribution obstacles, and farm-to-school challenges
FUNCTIONSANDRESPONSIBILITIES
Report directly to Local Foods Development Director
DailyDuties
-Answers phones and emails related to LFAfood businesses andmembership
-Handles outreach to local food businesses to grow the membershipbase
-Maintains accurate data
-Manages and grows relationships with members of Local First with exceptional customer service skills
-Manages themembershipapplication/qualification process, including background research and vetting applying businesses
-Maintains an above average understanding offood-relatedissues
- Oversees 2 food department interns, including managing schedules, assignments, and event execution.
-Provides content and editing for bi-weekly food e-newsletter, “The Locavore’
MonthlyDuties
-Provides and inputs regular data for website, Good Food Finder AZ
-Attends a bi-monthly staff meeting
- Participate in ‘all hands on deck’ team days that can range from office cleaning to dinner parties
-Coordinates and attends member mixers 6 times per year
oInvites food businesses to attend
oCoordinates set up and take down of event and welcomes all guests
OngoingDuties
Membership
-Replies to member inquiries and requests
-Processes new memberships as needed
-Develops and managesmembershiprecruitment and retention efforts including maintenance of standard letters and schedule for follow-up to prospective members
-Makes contact with new and renewing members, as well as members whose memberships are expiring
-Conducts outreach and site visits for our statewide farm members in order to increase retention and Good Food Finder participation
-Conducts 6 month check-in calls for members who are not participating in any of our events
Community Partnerships
-Attendagriculture/food events for networking/relationship building as appropriate
-Coordinate and oversee outreach events/tabling (attend in person or coordinate volunteers) at Farmer’s Markets or other food related events
-Maintain and grow local food volunteer pool
-Cultivate relationships with businesses, nonprofits, community stakeholders and other prospective partners to develop Good Food Finder’s impact
- Serves on statewide food committees in partnership with other organizations, to represent Local First Arizona Foundation and report back on new developments or opportunities to collaborate
Communications
-Assists in content development for all marketing for food department
-Develops and coordinates original content for blog: coordinating writers, writing, interviews
-Engages local media to grow public awareness of Good Food Finder, and Local First, and increase value ofmembership
- Uses all forms of social media including developing strategies for key projects and regular communication that will grow participation
- Work to establish Local First Arizona Foundation as an authority in the local foods space in Arizona
Events and Marketing
-Coordinates, with a team, Local First annual events such as Farmer and Chef Connection, Food and Farm Finance Forum, and Devoured Culinary Classic
- Coordinates, with a team, planning and execution of all food related events
-Helps with sales, coordination, and database for food event sponsorships
For web:
The Local Foods Coordinator will support a variety of programs for the Local First Arizona Foundation team, including award-winning events, statewide communications about healthy food systems, our Good Food Finder AZ website, and management of food related business memberships.
The coordinator will have a passion for healthy foods from the growers to the restaurants, retailers, and schools, and will be interested in event management, marketing, education, collaboration, and meaningful change.
The ideal candidate forLocal Foods Coordinatorwill:
Have an understanding of and experience with small and large agricultural businesses, food producers, restaurants, and purveyors of Arizona.
Be familiar with the use of emerging digital marketing tools and strategies including social media, blogging, WordPress, database management, and newsletter creation
Havefood-related connections (growers, ranchers, producers, purveyors, restaurants, wineries, craft breweries, farmer’s markets)
Have event management experience, including coordinating volunteers and vendors, as well as marketing and planning for successful food related events
KEY SKILLS Self-starting; Solutions-oriented; Well-organized; Works independently; Project and event management; Understands Marketing; Good written and oral communication skills; Great interpersonal skills; Comfortable with technology including basic database management and all social media as well as WordPress; Passion for building healthy communities