Company description

Founded in 1979, the Washington State Farmers Market Association (WSFMA) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to working with farmers markets so that they can thrive. Farmers markets support family farms, artisans, and other small businesses; showcase local talent and community engagement; and are key players in building local food systems and food security. The WSFMA works statewide, partnering with 105 member farmers markets to support market day operations, organizational development, and independent vendors. The WSFMA also serves non-member markets with educational resources online, food access support, our annual conference, “Boot Camp” for new Managers, data collection, and advocacy. The WSFMA has a 3-person staff with an office at Pike Place Market and a 9-person, voluntary Board of Directors. We work to be efficient, focused, and maximize our impact with limited resources by partnering with farmers markets to take on familiar and new challenges, positively engage in larger trends, and represent the market and vendors in public policy. 

Job description

Full position description available here. 

Objective
The Food Access Coordinator provides programmatic leadership and contract management, technical expertise, and advocacy to support farmers markets that offer SNAP, SNAP Market Match, and/or WIC and Senior FMNP. The WSFMA’s focus is on ensuring that farmers markets have the information, technical support, equipment, and ongoing advocacy they need in order to offer food access programs as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. The Food Access Coordinator serves as a translator and intermediary between the grounded realities of what it takes to run a farmers market and the FNS guidance, WA state agencies, local partners, and emerging EBT technology. The Food Access Coordinator reports to and works closely with the Executive Director.

Responsibilities
1.       Contract Management (17%)

Oversee annual contract with the Department of Social and Human Services (DSHS) for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed), ensuring that all contracted deliverables are fulfilled to the highest professional standards and are in full compliance with WSFMA policies, the WA State SNAP-Ed Plan, and FNS/SNAP-Ed Guidance. Includes monitoring, reporting, compliance with required trainings, budget oversight, evaluation, planning, and excellent communication with all SNAP-Ed partners. 

2.       Contract Delivery (68%)

Work with the Executive Director to oversee the successful execution of the WSFMA’s annual workplan with the Department of Social and Human Services. Includes planning and delivering Food Access Forums; Conference workshops; Boot Camp; informing and developing educational/training materials and presentations as requested; producing, managing orders, printing and delivery of Regional Food Access Directories; managing direct support for farmers markets and distribution of NERI; supporting SNAP-Ed activities at farmers markets, ensuring compliance with eligibility and documentation; and participating with state partners in SNAP-Ed work groups, events, and activities.

 3.       Food Access Subject Matter Expertise and Leadership (5%)

Provide and grow technical expertise on current and emerging policies, funding, technology, and other trends related to food access programs; participate select regional and national forums to keep broader farmers market community informed. Includes supporting WSFMA projects and targeted trainings for new farmers market managers, board members, and market producers.

 4.       Organizational Support and Member Services (10%)

Contribute to WSFMA programs, operations, and organizational growth. This includes office and financial management, organizational planning, training, internal controls, communications, support with annual membership, promotions, fundraising, and board support as needed.

Note. Duties, responsibilities, and tasks may change or be reassigned at any time without notice. This position description is not designed to cover a comprehensive list of responsibilities. Percentages are estimates and may change throughout the year.

Requirements
a.       Ability to work independently while being part of a small team.

b.       Ability to manage multiple projects at one time, follow workplan, and see tasks to completion.

c.       Attention to detail and highly organized. Must be great on follow up, communicating changes, and problem-solving.

d.       Ability to reprioritize quickly when other demands emerge. 

e.       Highly skilled at using and continuing to learn about MS Office 365 (e.g., Teams, Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, MS Forms), Dropbox, Adobe Creative Suite, Zoom, Eventbrite, and other software. 

f.        Ability to facilitate and lead public meetings and workshops for adult learners, both in person and online.

g.       Able to create training materials in plain language for print and online. 

h.       Ability to identify and cultivate strong partnerships across the state with a wide variety of farmers markets, public health partners, and state agencies.

i.         Strong customer-service skills and ability communicate effectively and courteously with a diverse audience in various mediums (in person, Zoom meetings, phone calls). 

j.         Ability to use discretion with confidential information and data; adherence to all privacy policies.

k.       Able and available to travel to our statewide Conference in February and to visit farmers markets.

Desired Skills & Experience
a.       Minimum of 3 years of work experience in small nonprofit organization(s).

b.       Minimum of 1 year experience working in remote or hybrid position. 

c.       Minimum of 3 years of experience working with farmers market organizations and/or operations, preferably in Washington State.

d.       Minimum of 3 years of experience working with state and/or federal contracts, including budgets, work plans, reporting, monitoring and evaluation. 

e.       Detailed and current technical understanding of SNAP and FMNP eligibility, operations, technology, funding, and policy. Includes understanding of technical aspects of EBT and POS technologies, and emerging trends as they relate to food access benefits at farmers markets. 

f.        Detailed and current understanding of FNS guidance, SNAP-Ed eligibility, activities at farmers markets, reporting, and financial management.  

Education or training in adult education, nonprofit development, project management, federal contract and/or grants 

Location
This position is remote or hybrid with our office at Pike Place Market. All candidates should currently be based in Washington State. 

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Location

job can be done remotely

Application instructions

Deadline

November 15, 2024