Assistant Farmers Market Manager at African Community Housing and Developmen – Sea-Tac (In-Person), Washington

We are seeking a dynamic, organized, and community-focused Assistant Farmers Market Manager to assist with overseeing daily operations of our farmers markets, food access programs and administrative duties. The ideal candidate has 3+ years of experience working in nonprofits, customer service, agriculture, sales and marketing, community engagement, or a related field, and is passionate about supporting local farmers, fostering community engagement, and ensuring a positive experience for both vendors and visitors. We are entering the sixth season of the weekly Delridge Farmers Market and the third season of the weekly SeaTac Farmers Market in May of this year. Candidates must be available to work on Saturdays from May through October and Wednesdays from June through October and must have reliable transportation to travel between our SeaTac office and our two farmers' market sites in SeaTac and Delridge.

Our market pillars are grounded in food justice, economic development, and health equity. Our markets are centering culture and cultivating community as we build healthy, fresh food access in food desert, or food apartheid, neighborhoods. We are building a new model that celebrates abundance and offers holistic care, creating a one-stop-shop to address a wide range of health, wellness, and community needs. Our markets prioritize BIPOC vendors offering culturally relevant food and goods, provide weekly free local, organic produce bags with no questions asked, youth bucks so all kids get a chance to practice healthy shopping habits, a full price produce buyback program for our farmers, distributed freely to community to ensure nothing goes to waste, free community programs and resources from partner organizations, and so much more. We are one of the only BIPOC-priority farmers markets in the area, and we take no fees or cut of sales from our vendors, so everyone keeps 100% of their revenues. We also provide one-on-one technical support to our vendors to ensure upward mobility and growth within and beyond the market programs.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Market Co-Management

• Collaborate with Farmers Market Manager to develop and implement strategic plan for future growth and sustainability of market programs.
• Assist with prospecting, recruitment, onboarding, ongoing assistance, and relationship building with local farmers, chefs, artisans, and other market vendors.
• Help manage the setup, breakdown, and overall logistics of the farmers market including co-leading volunteer recruitment and management duties, food access program administration, vendor coordination, and manager booth customer service.
• Collaborate with FMM to create standard procedures and systems that streamline and add efficiencies to market and food access program management.
• Assist in ensuring compliance with all market policies, public health regulations, and safety standards.

2. Marketing & Communications

• Work with FMM and communications teams to plan and implement outreach initiatives and develop marketing strategies to increase community participation and attendance.
• Build relationships with local organizations, businesses, and sponsors to promote our mission and programming and enhance market offerings.
• Take photos and videos during market days to document program offerings and create content for promotional purposes to post on social media, blog sites, news articles, etc.

3. Grant Management: Data Collection & Reporting

• Collect and log market sales reports, produce bags, produce buyback, and other relevant data for reporting purposes.
• Perform weekly attendee surveys and other data collection activities to support market improvement.
• Assist with crafting narrative reports for grant-funded programs.

4. Vendor Incubation & Economic Development Support

• Assist in providing technical support to vendors to ensure upward mobility and success via market programs, including but not limited to assistance in business planning, market strategy, grant applications, computer literacy, etc.
• Other duties as needed to ensure the success and optimal health of market programs as they relate to our market program pillars: food justice, economic development, and health equity.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Previous experience in farmers market management, event planning, non-profit program management, sales and marketing, community outreach, agriculture, or a related field
• A commitment to understanding and fostering equity-centered and anti-racist practices in execution of all job duties.
• Strong organizational and multitasking skills with the ability to stay calm, collected, and customer-focused in high pressure situations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks and demands, establish priorities, manage deadlines, and work effectively in an energetic environment.
• Strong communication and public relations skills, including experience with marketing, social media, and public speaking.
• A track record of success in securing sponsorships, fundraising, or grant writing.
• Team player; comfortable working collaboratively in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to work compassionately and respectfully with a diverse array of community members.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Outlook, Excel, and Word.
• Background check and proof of COVID vaccination will be required.
• Valid driver's license and safe driving record.
• Ability to work Wednesdays and Saturdays from May through October with punctuality -- unexpected absences during market season will not be tolerated.
• The ability to work outdoors in various weather conditions and lift up to 50 lbs.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Networks and relationships in, and knowledge of, the King County nonprofit landscape, local agriculture, food systems issues, and/or community organizations.
• Fluency in a language other than English, especially Somali, Swahili, Oromo, Amharic, Tigrinya, Spanish, or Vietnamese.
• Bachelor's degree in agriculture/food systems, Nonprofit Administration, Hospitality, Business Management, or related field.

Additional Duties & Requirements

• Any other duties needed to help drive our Vision, fulfill our Mission, and abide by our Organization’s Values.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
• Acceptable results of a Motor Vehicle Record report at the time of hire and periodically thereafter, and maintenance of minimum acceptable insurance coverages are requirements of this position.

Equal Opportunity

African Community Housing & Development is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Benefits Package

African Community Housing & Development offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), 401(k) retirement plan with employer contribution, and up to 11 paid holidays, 10 sick days, and 15 vacation days annually.

Note: ACHD emphasizes a highly collaborative approach that is rooted in equity and co-learning. Supervisors are to lead with equity and humbleness, recognizing that each staff member brings a highly valuable and essential background and perspective. Accordingly, supervisors are also accountable to staff members, working to ensure they (supervisors) are meeting the needs of staff and providing a healthy and safe environment where feedback and learning is two-way. In other words, supervisors should work to build a positive environment where staff and supervisors learn together, and mistakes are considered a healthy part of personal and professional growth.