Job Title: Farm to Market Tech Hub Specialist
Location: Preferably Northern California, operates statewide
FTE: 0.8 FTE – 1.0 FTE, Starting Salary: $58,000-$61,000
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Reports To: Farm to Market Program Director
Start Date: December 2020
The Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) is a California-based non-profit organization whose mission is to build sustainable food and farming systems through policy advocacy and on-the-ground programs that create more resilient family farms, communities and ecosystems. CAFF is a membership organization guided by a board of directors composed of family farmers and others passionate about food, farming and the environment. CAFF’s programs include Ecological Farming, Farm to Market, and Policy, providing technical assistance to smaller-scale farmers around the state with a commitment to promoting social justice and reaching more farmers from disadvantaged communities. Our goals are to increase the economic viability of California family farmers and to connect communities with their local producers. Learn more about CAFF, including our newly updated values, at caff.org/about
Position Summary:
The Farm to Market Tech Hub is a new project at CAFF, providing free resources and consulting for California family farms–as well as related local food businesses like farmers markets and food hubs–to help them pivot to tech-based sales and marketing tools and strategies better suited to the current COVID-19 crisis and to longer-term consumer purchasing trends. Many farmers, in particular historically disadvantaged farmers, have struggled to adopt web based technologies either because of language, cultural, or technological barriers. This position will help farmers overcome these tech challenges and guide farmers in how to incorporate web based technologies to bolster their business and contribute to long term financial success.
The Tech Hub Specialist, with guidance from other CAFF staff, will be charged with developing and launching this valuable new program, while becoming an expert in small farm ecommerce and online marketing, while promoting more accessible and scale-appropriate technology within the agricultural industry. The Tech Hub Specialist will also explore and promote cooperative solutions to make purchasing local food more convenient, accessible and competitive. Resources developed as part of this program will be shared on CAFF’s website, social media, by webinar and through our many statewide partners, assuring that these tools are accessible to and designed for farmers of all types and from all backgrounds. The Tech Hub Specialist, in addition to at least two contractors, will also provide direct one-on-one consulting to farmers and local food business owners.
A strong grounding in technology for small farmers, a commitment to using technology to advance equity, project management skills, the ability to be part of a dynamic team are all important qualities for succeeding in this unique role.
Major Duties & Responsibilities:
30% | Tech Hub Project Management and Implementation
|
20% | Supervise and Support Farm Tech Consultants
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10% | Events and Conferences
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15% | Ongoing Program Development
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5% | General
|
Qualifications:
Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Communications, Sales, Applied Technology, Food Systems or equivalent preferred
Experience:
- At least 2 years of professional experience in small business marketing and sales, preferably in local food and/or with small farms specifically
- Professional experience managing dynamic projects
- Experience working directly with farmers
- Experience working with nonprofits strongly preferred
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Passion for sustainable agriculture, local food and family farms and a general understanding of related issues.
- Familiarity with–if not expertise in the following technologies:
- WordPress
- Other website builders
- Google Suite: docs, sheets, forms, etc.
- Zoom
- Social media: facebook, instagram, twitter, etc.
- Dropbox
- Other sales, marketing & business software: Salesforce, Square, CRM, analytics, email marketing tools, Slack, CSA management tools, record-keeping, crop planning, etc.
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Basic event planning skills
- Ability to think strategically to develop and implement program goals and objectives
- Strong relationship builder, outgoing and eager to make connections and grow the program
- Ability to work independently, with minimal supervision, as well as collaborate with others in a team setting
- Ability to work on a variety of projects simultaneously with occasional weekend and evening commitments
- Access to transportation to enable occasional travel. Must be able to provide valid driver’s license and valid auto insurance.
- Connections in the tech world and Silicon Valley a plus
- Spanish language skills a plus
Physical Abilities:
- Ability to sit for long periods of time working at a computer.
- Requires a full range of physical mobility, such as bending, stooping, lifting, turning, carrying objects, and grasping.
CAFF’s policy is that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation. We strongly encourage those from diverse backgrounds and from historically underserved communities to apply
To Apply:
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information of three references with the subject line “Farm To Market Tech Hub Specialist” to jobs@caff.org by November 6, 2020. We are reviewing applications immediately with a target start date of early December.