Organization Overview - Southside Community Land Trust builds a fair and accessible local food system in Rhode Island by offering access to land, training, resources and support to community and backyard gardeners, beginning farmers and young people.

SCLT was founded in 1981 when residents of South Providence and newly arrived Hmong refugees worked with three Brown University graduates to grow culturally familiar, nutritious food in the area’s first community garden. Somerset Garden not only improved residents’ diets and economic self-reliance, it stabilized a neighborhood weakened by arson, neglect and crime.

Today, SCLT leases land to 25 farmers who supply fresh fruits and vegetables to 13 farmers markets, roughly 100 food businesses and restaurants and six CSAs. We support a network of 38 community gardens feeding over 3,000 people every year. We operate three production farms in Providence and Pawtucket where we practice, demonstrate and train others in bio-intensive, small-scale agricultural production. We helped found three farmers markets as well as three growers’ collaboratives that enable individual farmers to bring their produce to market. In 2017, we provided training and technical assistance to 119 beginning farmers and provided education and employment to 225 young people in low-income communities.

Position Overview - SCLT is looking for a full-time support professional who can work comfortably in two realms: Youth Education and Garden Facilities Management.

Job Duties

Provide Critical Support for Education Programs

• Oversee youth staff carrying out year-round basic farm maintenance of Galego Community Farm in Pawtucket, RI. Coordinate with four dedicated SCLT staff members to complete current development work and to plan an expansion of Galego Farm.
• Support staffing of summer high school youth employment program in agriculture and food systems. Program runs July through August.
• Support cooking and/or execution of Pilot Summer Fresh Food Prep and Lunch Program for high school youth staff with other staff members.
• Facilitate transportation for Summer Youth Programs - Driving when needed, arranging for vehicles and making sure trips happen on time.
• Build and strengthen relationships between SCLT and the educational communities of Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls.

Maintain SCLT’s Urban Spaces

Work with Community Growers Coordinator and Operations Director on:

Property Maintenance

• Manage contractors, gardeners, and/or volunteers in the execution of year-round trash removal of urban properties.
• Work outside to complete time sensitive tasks regardless of weather. Some weekend availability, especially in April, May, November, and October, will be necessary.
• Manage and/or execute small scale garden infrastructure and development projects - fence and structure repair, perennial weed/brush control, soil building, water conservation systems, bed building and repair.
• Assist with garden record keeping - entering plot registrations into database, maintaining workday attendance lists.

Garden Network Management

• Assist with community organizing for community growers network - scheduling, promoting and attending workdays; managing volunteers as needed.
• Assist with resource distribution - fish emulsion bottling, mulch distribution, compost order organizing.
• Maintain inventory of tools and equipment (garden tools, keys, locks), advise on replacements/additions as needed.

Other Initiatives

• Co-lead the development of SCLT’s workplace safety team and plan.
• Manage SCLT’s aggregation program, collecting wholesale goods from our network of farmers, and marketing and selling them to current and new customers.

Desired Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED or relevant work experience
• Providence area resident
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record
• Skills in any of the following languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, Swahili, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Hmong, Nepali, French

SCLT welcomes your application even if your experience and abilities do not meet all of the above qualifications.

Schedule – 40 hours per week (full time). This position requires occasional weekend and evening availability.

If selected, you will be called on to positively represent SCLT in community and regional collaborations and with many of our constituents and partners. You will be inspired by the work, passionate about serving the public, and respectful of different points of view.
 

SCLT is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to building a team that includes leadership from the communities that we serve and represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Bilingual (Spanish) applicants are strongly encouraged.

Salary is flexible ($15-$20 /hr), commensurate with experience. SCLT offers health and dental benefits, work/life balance, and generous vacation package.