Regional Food Systems Program Coordinator

As Regional Food Systems Program Coordinator you will work directly with the Northwest Food Hub Network to grow our regional food economy and increase institutional sales for small-scale family farms and farmer-owned cooperative food hubs. This role serves as the primary coordinator and facilitator of the Network and works directly with representatives from all of the Network’s core partners to improve the economies of rural communities in the Northwest through the growth of institutional market channels (hospital, university, K12) for small scale producers and cooperative food hubs.

Job Title:              Regional Food Systems Program Coordinator
Reports To:         Center Director, Cooperative Development Center
FLSA Status:        Full Time/Salaried
Location:              Remote, preferably within the Northwest region. Office
space available at Mission West (407 Main Street SW, Ronan, MT)
Funding Condition:    All program-related positions at Mission West Community
Development Partners are to be considered as year-to-year depending upon
available funding for programs and satisfactory job performance

ABOUT US:
Mission West Community Development Partners (missionwestcdp.org) (formerly known as Lake County Community Development) is a non-profit, community economic development organization serving Lake, Sanders, and Mineral Counties, the Flathead Reservation, in Western Montana. We are located close to Flathead Lake and the Mission Mountains, and an hour and half from Glacier National Park, Kalispell, and Missoula.

Join a progressive, dedicated team of community economic development
professionals in advancing our mission to enhance the quality of life and
sustainable economic well-being for all residents of the communities we serve.
As one of the four core pillars of our community development model, the
Cooperative Development Center brings resources, education, and technical
assistance to existing and developing cooperatives with a strong focus on food systems development through growing agricultural and farmer-owned
cooperatives.

The Northwest Food Hub Network (www.nwfoodhubnetwork.com) is a collaboration of three cooperatively-owned food hubs in Washington and Montana with over 200 farms across the Northwest, all with the goal of connecting institutions with locally-grown and values-driven food. Working together, the Network offers the volume, availability, variety, and price point needed by institutional and wholesale customers and provides supply chain transparency to aid customers in meeting their values-based procurement goals.

ABOUT THE POSITION:
As RFPC you will work directly with the Northwest Food Hub Network to grow our regional food economy and increase institutional sales for small-scale family farms and farmer-owned cooperative food hubs. This role serves as the primary coordinator and facilitator of the Network and works directly with representatives from all of the Network’s core partners to improve the economies of rural communities in the Northwest through the growth of institutional market channels (hospital, university, K12) for small scale producers and cooperative food hubs.

IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL:
– Work closely with the Center Director in the implementation and management of the scope of work in MW’s Regional Food Systems Partnership Grant (Scaling the NW Food Hub Network)
– Facilitate weekly meetings of the NWFHN, quarterly meetings with partners and stakeholders, and collaborate with food systems partners and MW staff to organize annual food hub summits
– Plan and coordinate food safety and other trainings
– Assist with developing and publishing resource materials, website updates, social media content, marketing material, etc. relating to the NWFHN and the RFSP grant objectives
– Engage and communicate with local, regional, and national organizations,
partners, and external stakeholders in a variety of sectors
– Work with the diverse staff, boards of directors, and members of producer
cooperatives, including making site visits to food hubs and possibly farms
– Gather and synthesize information and research to advance programs and
projects
– Assist the Center Director in developing funding/investment sources, and
writing grant proposals
– Work with Center Director to evaluate program impact and complete grant
reporting
– Work with Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center staff (a division of Mission West) to develop value-added processing opportunities and products for regional foods
– Learn new skills and complete professional development by attending trainings and conferences and participating in cooperative development networks
– Work on other regional food systems development projects as may be assigned with the opportunity to focus on specific program areas based on skill, experience, and interest

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU IF:
– You are passionate about developing resilient, economically thriving rural
communities and strong food systems.
– You are a self-directed person who can proactively and independently structure and manage projects and are ready to jump quickly into your role working with many partners.
– You have experience in food systems or cooperative development (or a related non-profit role).
– You have some experience in business development, food and ag systems, and/or grant writing and management (bonus if you have experience working on federal grants).
– You’re a confident facilitator with good verbal and written communication
skills and are comfortable interacting with a diverse range of coworkers,
community members, boards of directors, public officials, community and
business leaders among others.
– Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experienced required.
– Supervisory Responsibilities: None

SCHEDULE , WORKPLACE, AND BENEFITS:
– Full-time, remote position (but we also have an office available for you in
downtown Ronan, MT in the beautiful Mission Valley if you prefer to work in-person).
– Normal office hours are Monday through Friday between 8-5pm, but occasional evening and weekend work is required to attend meetings, community events, and conferences. Out of town travel will be required occasionally.
– We encourage employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance, and this
position will have a flexible schedule.
– 100% employer-paid health insurance with optional additions for family, dental and vision (employee paid) effective on the first day of the month following date of hire
– Employer contribution to retirement savings program
– Life insurance
– Two weeks PTO in addition to paid holidays and sick leave
– Salary for Position: $40,000-$42,000

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to the Cooperative Development Center Director, Kaylee Thornley at kaylee.thornley@missionwestcdp.org.
Applications will be accepted through January 31, 2022. Early applications are encouraged, and applications will be considered as they are received. For questions, call 406-676-5919 or learn more at missionwestcdp.org/regional-food-systems-program-manager/