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West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition
About Us:
The West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition is building the local food and agriculture system in West Virginia in a way that provides viable incomes for farmers and local food businesses and ensures all residents have access to local food. Farmers and local food and agriculture businesses are at the heart and soul of the local food movement; the Coalition seeks to first hear their voices and serve those who are fundamental to building resilient and robust food systems. Special efforts are made to understand their needs and vision for their businesses and communities in order to represent them in our work.
We are a small team with big hearts that work tirelessly with our board of directors, community partners, farmers, and food business owners to advance the goals of the organization. Sometimes we have a lot of fun visiting farms, facilitating community meetings, and speaking to legislators. Other times we’re working hard on proposals and necessary reporting. Our work is time sensitive and we have high-performance expectations and accountability for all of our team members.
The atmosphere of our office is very casual unless we’re meeting with funders or legislators. We enjoy a relaxed and flexible schedule while remaining accountable for our time and deliverables. We often travel as a team or solo for meetings, workshops, and to meet with constituents. The Coalition’s staff and board of directors genuinely care for one another and approach their work with conviction and integrity. We are also a dog-friendly office and have a dog join us daily (more are always welcome).
About You:
This position is ideal for you if you have experience working in the food and farm community, business coaching and development, local food retail, the grocery industry, or a related field. You are good at listening to your team members, stakeholders, and community partners for input and feedback while maintaining the integrity of your work. You take the time to learn the history and context of your work and then you take the proverbial bull by the horns to make things happen. You can understand that the Coalition is a small organization with a big mission and may sometimes need you to pitch in outside of your area of expertise to keep it all moving forward and can do so to support your team with an excellent work ethic. You expect the Coalition to constantly be shifting to meet the needs of the community. You can anticipate and welcome the shifting with flexibility and can re-tool programs based on feedback.
About the Position:
This is a full-time position, preferably from the office in Charleston, WV however, remote working will be considered for the right candidate as long as the candidate resides in West Virginia and understands that the majority of current grocer-based projects are located within a six-county area surrounding Charleston, WV, most importantly, the Coalition is in the process of opening a brand new grocery store in Charleston, WV, which will wrap by November/December, but significant time will need to be spent working on this grocery. This role will, regardless of location in the state require significant travel. Additionally, the candidate would need to make a commitment to meeting in Charleston regularly and attend quarterly staff meetings.
This position coordinates the WV Rural Grocer Network (WVRGN) program which aims to increase the sustainability and viability of independently-owned and operated grocery stores and retailers to strengthen the state’s food economy while increasing healthy food access. This is achieved through 1) tailored technical assistance and business coaching, 2) access to lease vital equipment through access to capital, 3) mentoring and peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and 4) the development of gatherings for grocers.
The right candidate for this position will make relationships easily with rural, local grocers and food retailers in the community. Help them assess the needs of their business and match them with appropriate technical assistance. The Coalition is partnered with a CDFI to provide access to capital via grant/loan combinations for grocers to scale or become more sustainable. The coordinator will search for local grocers in West Virginia and along board counties with OH, KY, PA, and VA. Engage in relationships with grocers and access them for technical assistance needs. The Coordinator will shepherd the grocer through the process of acquiring technical assistance through community partners, and help grocers gain access to capital via grants/loans (for which there is already a pot of funding set aside).
The right candidate for this position will also have a keen interest in learning about providing technical assistance to grocers reducing the Coalition’s reliance on outside technical assistance providers. A successful candidate will manage a budget comprised of multiple streams of funding while also writing grant proposals to develop more program funding, funding for this position has been secured for five years.
Position Responsibilities:
Qualifications:
How to Apply:
Applications should be sent with the following documents combined as a single .pdf file in the following order to Evan Nelson at [email protected]
Selection Schedule:
Compensation: