Food Systems Coordinator at City of Flagstaff – Flagstaff, Arizona

The City of Flagstaff is looking for team members who are passionate about community, innovation, and quality of life. Come be a part of this cool community and see why the City of Flagstaff is Northern Arizona's employer of choice!

This role actively supports and upholds the City’s stated mission and values. Under the supervision of the Sustainability Director or the Section Manager (depending on program assignment) this position is responsible for supporting Sustainability Section initiatives identified in the Sustainability Division Strategic Plan, the Carbon Neutrality Plan, the Rethink Waste Plan, and/or Food Action Plan.

• Supervisory: This job does not have formal supervisory responsibilities but does coordinate the work of interns and volunteers.
• Budgetary: This job has partial responsibility for budgeting at the program level (prepares, implements, and manages).
• Strategic Planning: This job has partial responsibility at the program level for strategic planning and assists with developing, implementing and managing short- and long-term goals.
• Policies/Procedures: This job has partial responsibility at the program level for policies and procedures at the program level (assists with developing, implementing, and interpreting).
• Compliance: This job follows and ensures compliance with Federal, State, and Local laws and regulations, and City policies and procedures.
• Council Communications: This job has partial responsibility for council communication at the program level (assist with making recommendations and presentations, writing staff summaries, ensuring performance measures are met, and balancing needs with Council’s adopted priorities and direction.)
• Reporting: This job has partial responsibility for reporting to Federal, State, and Local agencies at the program level (gathers information, completes reports, and addresses discrepancies in reporting).

• Provide excellent customer service to both internal and external customers.
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with community partners, regional municipalities/institutions, and commissions to expand network and increase knowledge in sustainability initiatives.
• Collaborate with educational partners and community groups to develop and promote sustainability practices.
• Works with internal and community partners to advance community programming.
• Conduct research and remain informed of current best practices in communicating sustainability principles.
• Work with the Volunteer and Event Coordinator to create volunteer opportunities for adults and students to participate in sustainability initiatives.
• Coordinate multiple communication campaigns on both individual and collective actions.
• Prepare the annual progress report to the community on the implementation of sustainability initiatives, designing the communication materials, messaging, and distribution.
• Makes recommendations to supervisor regarding operation needs. Prepares, monitors, and makes recommendations on budgetary decisions for the Section budget and expenditures.

• Works with the City, local businesses, schools, and citizens to implement community-wide efforts to promote access to healthy and equitable food, agricultural opportunities, food recovery, and food recycling.
• Serve as a liaison between government and food system partners, including residents, businesses, and non-profit organizations. Works closely with the Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Events Division, Housing Section, external partners, and community organizations to implement food systems initiatives.
• Coordinate external communications (including social media and newsletters), host and attend outreach events.
• Administer survey mechanisms and feedback loops to ensure policy development and implementation is directly informed by the insight and expertise of the community and increase public awareness of available resources.
• Engage with partner agencies in a government planning process to establish long term priorities and strategies for building food system resilience, including increased local food production, greater processing and distribution infrastructure, and enhanced food-based economic opportunity.
• Assist with the development, implementation, and monitoring of a strategic Food System Plan to address sustainability within Flagstaff’s food system, food insecurity, food accessibility, and increasing access to locally produced food.
• Partner with food producers, food suppliers, food retailers, food access organizations, anti-hunger organizations, and academic institutions to advance programs and policy with purview to disproportionately impacted and vulnerable communities.
• Coordinates management of city urban agriculture sites, such as community gardens and Urban Farm Incubator Sites, including strategic planning for current and future sites, facilitation of partnerships, oversight of plot registration, increasing accessibility of the program, and facilitating engagement opportunities that showcase benefits of urban agriculture through volunteer sessions and workshops.
• Manages the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge Initiative through the establishment of pollinator garden spaces throughout City properties and the creation of a Pollinator Stewards program in coordination with other state and city departments.
• Oversees the Backyard Animal Keeping Code permitting process.
• Oversees the management of Section rebates, outreach, and education on agriculture within city limits.
• Track data on programs through monthly and annual reporting to inform and improve offerings and decision-making for the Community Garden, Mayor’s Monarch, and Urban Farm Incubator programs.
• Help to cultivate youth leadership in food systems through engagement with schools, advisory groups, outdoor education coalitions and other collective youth-centered groups.
• Interprets national, state, and local rules, regulations and policies to inform localized efforts.
• Supports the Sustainability Supervisor to expand access to composting infrastructure through the Residential Food Scraps Drop-o? and Compost Hub and programs. Assist with identifying and developing new sites across City properties including parks, community centers, etc.
• Develops and coordinates food systems rebates, including but not limited to designing the initiative, marketing, participant registration, funds distribution, retention schedule, reporting, and customer service.
• Conduct research to remain informed of current best practices in food policy, access, resources, technological innovations, and overall cultural mindfulness.
• Design, implement, track, and update all food systems goals, accomplishments, and outreach activities.
• Prepare annual progress reports to the community on the implementation of food system initiatives.
• Plan and coordinate outreach, volunteer, and educational events in collaboration with internal and external partners.
• Conduct educational seminars using a full systems approach to the importance of localized and equitable food access. Expand community-wide education efforts on available services, incentives, and facilities around food access and distribution.
• Identify and pursue external funding opportunities to advance programming. Apply for and manage grants and other funding opportunities to support community food system activities.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Two years of related college level course work.
• Three years of project coordination experience in resource conservation, food systems, and/or sustainability practices.
• Or any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the above Minimum Requirements.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

• Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science, Building Science, Public Relations or Administration, Climate Science, Community Sustainability, Communications, Community Organizing, Food Systems, or a related field.
• Experience creating outreach materials, public-facing communications and using social media.
• Experience managing projects, volunteers, committees or events.
• Familiarity with climate initiatives, climate planning, greenhouse gas mitigation and climate adaptation.
• Ability to use design principles to create promotional materials and internal reports.
• Knowledgeable of successful social marketing techniques.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Must possess, or obtain upon employment, a valid Arizona driver’s license.
• Regular attendance is an essential function of this job to ensure continuity.
• Must be willing and able to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, as needed.