Company description

Seed is part of our common cultural heritage – a living, natural resource that demands careful management to meet food needs now and into the future. Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances ethical seed solutions to meet food and farming needs in a changing world.

To encourage a food system that puts people and planet first, OSA's programs engage farmers in growing the supply and biodiversity of regional seed; equip farmers to breed, produce and sell seed; and promote policies that support sustainable agriculture and farmers’ rights to save seed, a living, natural resource that belongs to the people, not the patent holder.

Each year we educate thousands of farmers and other agricultural community members, conduct organic plant breeding and seed production research, and advocate for national policies that strengthen organic seed systems. Our most recent State of Organic Seed report is part of an ongoing project to monitor the status of organic seed nationally and provides a roadmap for increasing the diversity, quality, and integrity of organic seed available to US farmers.

OSA has a seventeen-year track record as the leading organic seed institution in the US.

CONFRONTING SEED CONSOLIDATION

Over the last four decades, the seed industry has consolidated, and much of our commercial seed is now owned and managed in the hands of a few transnational firms. Intellectual property practices (e.g., utility patents on seed) stand out as a major cause. This control has stifled innovation in plant breeding, and creates barriers to improving the availability and integrity of organic seed.

OSA works to address consolidation through regional seed networks that result in transformative change at the national level. Our collaborative research projects emphasize diversity, ecology, and shared benefits. Our educational efforts build the base of knowledge necessary for stewarding seed and enhancing diversity through on-farm plant breeding and seed production. And our advocacy work promotes the benefits of organic seed while simultaneously confronting threats.

OSA has been named to FoodTank's list of organizations shaking up the food system each year since 2018.

Job description

OSA needs team members like you

As Information and Events Coordinator, you will play a vital role in OSA’s work to grow organic seed systems that are democratic and just, support human and environmental health, and deliver genetically diverse and regionally adapted seed to farmers everywhere. As we work with farmers and program partners from across the country and the globe, our online platforms, information systems and events continue to grow, and these tools are proving crucial to supporting the community we engage in the co-creation of organic seed systems and resources.

You will put your information technology (IT), project management, event coordination and problem-solving skills to work for a nonprofit organization cultivating transformative change in our food system. You will play a critical role in the day-to-day functioning of OSA within a mutually supportive and dedicated team, including a clear reporting relationship with the Outreach Director. Your management of our online platforms will facilitate the delivery of organic research, farmer education and policy advocacy, our primary program areas. As new constituents reach out to OSA through email and online platforms, you will support their initial contact and deliver a rewarding experience. By providing logistical coordination of regional and national events, including the largest national conference focused on organic seed, you will play a pivotal role in programs that set the direction of the organic seed movement.

To invite inclusivity and cultivate equity in our mission work, we are seeking diverse candidates that possess strong organizational, technology, and reporting skills, and take pride in being professional, detail-oriented, and reliable. If you have those skills, read on.

This job might be for you, if you can:

Manage administrative and constituent communication systems

• Serve as primary administrator and provide team IT and training support for: Microsoft Suite (including Teams and Outlook calendars), EveryAction constituent relationship management (CRM) platform, and future platforms. Includes contact and digital data management and developing best practices for use.
• Manage info@seedalliance.org email
• Develop and maintain organizational file management and archiving systems

Manage online program delivery and networking systems

• Serve as primary administrator and provide team IT and training support for Mighty Networks platform for course delivery and online community development. Includes management of social networking functions (communities of practice, interest groups), integration with curriculum delivery, analytics reporting, monitoring of activities for compliance with community standards, and development of best practices for use.
• Manage online program registration, survey and evaluation systems as requested by program directors and develop reporting systems to track engagement and feedback.

Provide administrative and logistical support for events

• Coordinate logistics for online, regional, and national events, including webinars, field days, and listening sessions developed by program directors
• Coordinate logistics of the national biennial Organic Seed Growers Conference and serve as liaison for speakers/presenters, sponsors, event locations, caterers, travel logistic details, scholarship applications, event materials, on-site logistics/run-of-show, and evaluations.

We offer:

• Values-based work culture, dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Flexible schedule, work-from-home option, ¾-time exempt position
• Medical contributions and employer match of retirement savings

OSA’s commitment to diversity in hiring

Our organization is anchored by values that guide our efforts to enhance the diversity, equity and inclusivity of our programs and organization. As we work toward our vision of ethical seed systems, we renew our commitment to grow a diverse and inclusive team of staff, board, contractors and partners. As we celebrate the life-sustaining diversity of seed crops in our research fields, we also honor the many individual and intersectional differences that enrich our myriad seed community.

Specifically, we are committed to

• Recruiting and retention practices that add to the diversity and culture of our team
• Maintaining an equitable pay structure and cultivating a workplace that encourages shared decision-making and a healthy work/life balance
• Taking intentional actions to dismantle racism perpetuated in policies, institutions, cultural norms, and personal behaviors, to create space for justice, reconciliation, and visionary leadership.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $35,000 - $50,000

Location

job can be done remotely

Application instructions

Deadline

March 19, 2021