Company description

Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people in need and inspiring others to do the same. Fruits and vegetables are collected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from backyard fruit trees, public orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Terminal. This recovered produce is provided, free of charge, to low-income populations across virtually all social service sectors: homeless outreach, food banks, domestic violence shelters, transitional youth homes, veteran services, after-school programs, LGBTQ+ teen/adult/senior services, programs serving people with disabilities, college student assistance programs, and many more. Since Food Forward’s inception, thousands of dedicated volunteers in collaboration with our staff have rescued over 100 million pounds of fruits and vegetables, helping to feed over two million people across eight Southern California counties this year alone.

Job description

Organization: Food Forward, Inc. - a 501(c)(3) non-profit

Position: Agency Relations Partnership Associate

Hours: Part-Time, non-exempt

Location: Ventura, CA with occasional travel (this position is temporarily remote due to COVID-19)

Organizational Overview: Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people in need and inspiring others to do the same. Fruits and vegetables are collected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from backyard fruit trees, public orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Terminal. This recovered produce is provided, free of charge, to low-income populations across virtually all social service sectors: homeless outreach, food banks, domestic violence shelters, transitional youth homes, veteran services, after-school programs, LGBTQ+ teen/adult/senior services, programs serving people with disabilities, college student assistance programs, and many more. Since Food Forward’s inception, thousands of dedicated volunteers in collaboration with our staff have rescued over 100 million pounds of fruits and vegetables, helping to feed over two million people across eight Southern California counties this year alone. *See our core values posted below.

Position Overview: Food Forward is seeking an organized, outgoing, and detail-oriented Agency Relations Partnership Associate to join our team. The Partnership Associate is a part-time position reporting to the Agency Relations Partnership Supervisor and will facilitate the distribution of Food Forward’s recovered produce, primarily focused in Ventura County. The Partnership Associate will achieve this by gaining an intimate knowledge of our receiving agencies and their needs as well as collaborating with Food Forward’s produce recovery programs to understand timing, quantity, quality, and type of produce being donated to Food Forward while supporting in the onboarding and maintenance of receiving agencies and partners. The ideal candidate is passionate about improving food systems, is able to work independently and as a team member in a fast-paced environment, and is a skilled communicator. They will need to be able to think critically and demonstrate strong decision-making and time management skills. Due to COVID-19, this position is a hybrid of remote work with fieldwork days.

Core Responsibilities:

Partnership Maintenance - 50%

• Support in the maintenance of existing relationships through regular outreach.
• Act as liaison between Food Forward and existing produce distribution partnerships in Ventura County.
• Act as staff lead for any regional on-site events requiring staff presence including produce distributions, partnership-building events, and outreach meetings.
• Field inquiries and feedback from partner organizations.
• Engage in resource sharing with partner organizations as available within our network

Agency Relations Logistics & Databasing - 30%

• Support programs in the maintenance of partner data.
• Communicate regularly with existing partner organizations to ensure accurate, up-to-date records.
• Assist in the consolidation of program metrics for external communication purposes.

New Partnerships - 20%

• Assist in the onboarding of new partner organizations seeking to receive produce from Food Forward programs.
• Coordinate with Partnership Supervisor to execute targeted outreach to potential new partners in select geographies.

Minimum Requirements:

• Must be available on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Computer literate and proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Google G-Mail, and Google Sheets.
• Good geographical knowledge of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
• Maintain Valid Class C Driver’s license and clean driving record. The individual will cover Goleta, Ventura, Santa Barbara, West San Fernando Valley and other regions in either a personal vehicle, or a Food Forward vehicle.
• Fluent in English; Spanish proficiency a plus.
• High School Diploma/GED or equivalent work experience.
• Must be willing to work a flexible schedule and early hours.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to lift and carry boxes of produce weighing up to 50 lbs repeatedly.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, climb stairs and ladders, bend, lift, twist, kneel, crouch, crawl, pull, push, carry, grasp, reach and stoop as needed.
• Ability to work both indoors and outdoors.

Application Deadline: May 31, 2021, or until filled

Desired Start Date: ASAP

Hours: Part-Time, non-exempt

Compensation: $15.50 to $16.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Medical, Vision, and Life Insurance coverage
• Generous Sick Days, Paid-Time-Off, and Holiday allocation
• Cell phone allowance
• Telecommuting and Work flexibility

*Food Forward Core Values:

• Creativity – We seek to innovate in all facets of our work.
• Joyfulness – We cultivate a meaningful, fun, positive and spirited work environment.
• Committed to Food Justice – We believe that access to wholesome food, and fresh nutritious produce, is not a privilege, but a right. We work hard to end food inequality and reduce food insecurity.
• Authenticity – We are transparent and honest in our words, deeds, and actions. We act at the highest level of integrity.
• Disciplined – We are reliable, professional, accountable, rigorous and committed to excellence in all areas of our work, both internally and externally.
• Community-minded – We aim to include and connect people in the community, and to remain open, diverse, respectful, and accessible. We take pride in offering people meaningful volunteer and work experiences.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $15-20/hr

Application instructions

Deadline

June 11, 2021