The Good Acre is a nonprofit food hub in Falcon Heights, MN whose mission is to unlock economic opportunities for farmers in our region through personalized support and market development. We do this by providing one-on-one grower support services to small, local produce farmers, creating wholesale markets that pay an equitable price to farmers. Learn more about The Good Acre by visiting our website www.thegoodacre.org.

The Good Acre is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome all to apply. We are committed to being a diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization.

Summary

The Good Acre (TGA) unlocks economic opportunity for farmers in our region, especially those who historically have been excluded from opportunities to make a viable living. Our unique combination of personalized support and market development promotes both economic well-being and a more sustainable, resilient, and community-centered food system. We approach our work through partnerships that create meaningful, long-lasting market access for farmers and food access for our communities. TGA has seen incredible growth in our wholesale program over the past three years, with over $1.7 million dollars in local procurement through our food hub in 2022.

The Wholesale Partnerships Manager will facilitate the wholesale market access initiatives, including sales, managing partnerships with current wholesale partners, as well as working with the Director of Market Access Programs to develop new wholesale partnerships and securing commitments from values-aligned customers that result in increased wholesale purchasing at community institutions.

Responsibilities

• Manage all aspects of the execution of the wholesale market access program, including partnership development with existing wholesale customers and partners, as well as developing new partnerships, particularly around community anchor institutions and building community demand for local produce and products year-round.
• Develop and execute annual marketing plan that increases overall partner engagement in purchasing, as well as other engagement opportunities with The Good Acre.
• Assist in the design and development of sales collateral and materials to support partners’ buying programs, increase sales of current offerings, assist partners in establishing and/or growing buying programs at their organizations.
• Provide excellent customer service and stewardship of partnerships, including answering calls and emails, taking accurate orders, problem-solving, and responding to customer inquiries.
• Participate in demand/procurement, working with buying partnerships to forecast seasonal needs maintaining awareness of pricing and inventory.
• Participate in the development of yearly/quarterly sales forecasting and budget
• Prepare sales reports, develop data-driven insights from sales data, evaluate sales trends to further strengthen partner engagement, as well as strengthen wholesale program offerings.
• Evaluate the wholesale program annual impact and overall efficacy; partner with the Director of Programs to report program activities .
• Manage program budget and expenditures, including tracking sales and invoices for accounting, program evaluation, and reporting purposes.
• Coordinate with Grower Support team on product availability.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have experience in sales and an interest in supporting the local food system.

• Commitment to The Good Acre’s mission
• Strong interpersonal skills, including partnership development and customer service
• Ability to take initiative in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to remain adaptable in an ever-evolving organization
• Ability to be a collaborative team member, demonstrated ability to work with multiple partners or stakeholders to achieve a goal
• Skill with working with people from different cultures
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Knowledge of local food system and local products including produce, meat, eggs, dairy, and value-added products

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Comfortable working with people from different cultures
• Knowledge of Food Safety practices and the Produce Safety Rule
• Familiarity with Google suite of applications

Compensation – hiring range

$56,000–$66,000 negotiable based on experience