Company description

The University pursues its vision by creating an academic community that educates the whole person within the Jesuit, Catholic tradition, making student learning our central focus, continuously improving our curriculum and co-curriculum, strengthening our scholarship and creative work, and serving the communities of which we are a part in Silicon Valley and around the world.

Job description

(please note: this is an abbreviated version of Position Description - please see SCU careers website for full Position Description)

1. POSITION PURPOSE

The Sustainable Food Systems Program Manager is the garden manager of the Forge Garden and is responsible for leading the Center for Sustainability’s sustainable food systems programs. The Program Manager leads a team of 5-7 direct reports composed of professional staff and student employees, positively impacting the Center for Sustainability goals through the management of sustainable food systems education, garden operations and outreach programming, and student leadership development.

The ½-acre Forge Garden is a production, teaching, and research garden, Certified Organic by CCOF, and a hub for showcasing and engaging our campus with small-scale sustainable agriculture.

The Sustainable Food Systems Program Manager directly supports Goal 2 of the University’s strategic plan: fashioning a more humane, just, and sustainable world. The position contributes directly to the Center for Sustainability’s goals to develop a culture of sustainability among faculty, staff, students, and guests, to enable faculty and students to use campus as a living laboratory for developing local and global solutions, to engage our community to practice responsible consumerism, and to support SCU’s goals to reach climate neutrality.

This position reports to the Director of the Center for Sustainability.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Manage the ½-acre Forge Garden as an organic production, teaching, and research garden.
2. Lead the apprentice team to coordinate and document all garden activities at the Forge including greenhouse management, planting, cultivation, healthy soil practices, composting, and harvest.
3. Maintain detailed, and organized documentation required to retain CCOF Organic Certification.
4. Oversee harvest for weekly donation based farmstand, pop-up farm stands and student pantry donations.
5. Oversee greenhouse propagation for semi-annual plant sales.
6. Work with faculty to use the garden as laboratory space, support student and faculty garden-based research projects.
7. Manage garden animals (chickens, bees, and fish).
8. Ensure a safe learning and working environment including meeting food safety standards and University Operations safety guidelines.
9. Manage garden-based activities to foster an inclusive and inviting space for faculty, staff, students, and community members (e.g. engaging mission-aligned programs, events, and weekly farm stands).
10. Manage strategic partnerships and cross-campus collaborations to advance sustainability in academics, operations, and campus life through educational academic and co-curricular sustainable food systems programs.
11. Collaborate in partnership with stakeholders across campus and the community to drive sustainable food systems at SCU through inclusive programs aimed at reducing student food insecurity, increasing sustainable food procurement, and reducing food waste. For example, lead SCU’s campus and neighborhood fruit tree gleaning program in collaboration with Facilities and Auxiliary Services.
12. Exercise judgement and discretion and proactively analyze and evaluate existing systems/processes.
13. Work with the Director and student interns to establish goals and metrics for each program and event.
14. These initiatives often happen at times other than 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday-Friday.
15. Provide instruction about sustainable food systems.
16. Develop curriculum and lead lectures and discussions to educate students about sustainable agriculture.
17. Develop a comprehensive garden workshop and training series for University employees, students, and community members.
18. Manage sustainable food systems community programs and foster relationships with community partners.
19. Supervise, mentor, and build a learning-oriented team.
20. Supervise professional staff (1), student Garden Apprentices / Fellows (4-6), and Summer Garden Interns (10).
21. Manage administration of the sustainable food systems program.
22. Other related duties, as assigned.

PROVIDES WORK DIRECTION

○ Garden Educator, Garden Fellows (1-2, currently in development)

○ Garden Apprentices (4,10-hrs/week), Summer Interns (10,10-hrs/week), Food Systems Research Fellows (2,10-hrs/week)

○ Workday and event volunteers (often include students as well as faculty, staff, and community members of all ages).

QUALIFICATIONS

Years of Experience

• 3 years experience in sustainable farming or gardening, and demonstrated skill in tasks described above are preferred.
• Experience of full-season farm or garden management or co-management including crop planning and production, soil and weed management, drip irrigation system use and maintenance, equipment and machinery maintenance, record keeping, orchard management and post-harvest handling preferred .
• Experience working in a Certified Organic operation preferred.
• 2 years experience conducting garden-based education and community outreach preferred.
• At least one year experience supervising staff, student employees, and/or volunteers preferred.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit a cover letter with their application and resume.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline