Job description
NSNP seeks Garden Director! Norris Square Neighborhood Project is extremely excited to announce our search for our new Garden Director.
After developing a new strategy for our Urban Garden Program through a collaborative, extensive research process, we look forward to a new chapter in our gardens that places community voice and activity at the center. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with our current strategic plan, core values and programming through our website prior to applying.
ABOUT
A little about us... For all of our positions, we are dedicated to hiring those with a passion for our work and dedication to facilitating community leadership. We offer a flexible, fun and familial work environment with a lot of autonomy and look for people able to fit in and contribute new talents and backgrounds.
A little about our hiring process... our staff participates in a collaborative hiring process for new positions. We form search committees that review applications, which consist of program and administrative staff, relevant partners as needed and youth. After reviewing applications, we select candidates for interview by the search committee and then finalists are interviewed by our full staff. Positions are hired through consensus. Through this process, we are able to introduce candidates to our whole staff and vice versa prior to hiring.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Garden Program Director is responsible for overseeing all programming, activities and events within the gardens of NSNP. This position will have a key role in designing new programs and leading the implementation of a new garden strategic plan. As such, the Garden Program Director will facilitate 5 key strategies to be initiated in 2012 and continue subsequently:
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Community Engagement: Develop a hybrid garden management structure of NSNP staff and community members to involve the voice and presence of the community in running the gardens, while ensuring a sufficient workforce.
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Program Development: Utilize the gardens as outdoor classrooms, gathering spaces and income producers through increased educational programming and special events and activities.
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Cultural Preservation: Maintain the current focus on using the gardens to preserve and share Puerto Rican culture, while creating space to explore other cultures that reflect the local community’s changing demographics.
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Sustainability: Increase widespread vested interest in the gardens and provide linkages to funding and partnerships that build resources.
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Remapping and Remodeling: Make short and long term physical changes to the gardens to meet new programming goals, including: expanded programming, broader community use and increased food production.
Although the Garden Program Director will use the garden strategic plan as a roadmap, s/he will also have ample room to bring his or her own ideas and designs to the table. The Garden Program Director will have the opportunity to directly shape the Urban Garden Program and the development of an organized neighborhood group around the gardens.
RESPONSIBILITIES
COMMUNITY GARDEN MEMBERSHIP: Facilitate the creation of a community garden membership structure, recruit and organize founding members, support further recruitment efforts, serve as a support and liaison to the garden membership
EDUCATION PROGRAMMING: Collaborate with NSNP staff to design youth programming and educational opportunities in the gardens, maintain existing and build new partnerships with schools to bring groups of youth into the gardens, develop tools such as lessons plans for teachers to use when bringing groups of students
FEE-FOR SERVICE PROGRAMMING: Maintain and build new partnerships to bring groups that pay a fee for visiting the gardens, design a standardized tour for guests, design and implement workshops for a fee
GROUNDS MAINTENANCE: Supervise all volunteers and paid staff to keep gardens clean, weeded and well-maintained, recruit volunteer groups to help with maintenance, oversee any improvements or repairs made to the property
PARTNERSHIPS: Develop strategic partnerships to support programming and upkeep of the gardens, support development staff by hosting garden site visits and contributing to grant proposals
QUALIFICATIONS
Required Qualifications:
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Dedication to our mission and core values
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Fluency in Spanish and English including the ability to read, write, and give presentations in both languages
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Experience with gardening, preferably in an urban setting and/or with vacant land transformation
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Excellent interpersonal skills and a collaborative nature
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Proven experience in developing and maintaining strategic partnerships
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Minimum experience in education, community development, community organizing or a related field program development, along with education requirements listed below
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Experience working with underserved communities
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Experience facilitating youth and community-based programming
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Experience managing volunteer projects
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Ability to develop programming with autonomy and limited resources
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Experience building a new program is a plus
Required Education:
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No college/no high school diploma: 5 years of relevant experience required
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Bachelor’s degree: 3 years of experience required
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Master’s degree and beyond: 2 years of experience required.
Compensation
this position is:
Application instructions
This job expired on January 19, 2012
Deadline
no deadline