Food Roots is excited to hire a reliable team player with a positive attitude for our Marketplace Associate position. 

Food Roots is a 501c3 non-profit with a mission to grow a robust and equitable food system on the north Oregon coast through community engagement, education, food producer support, and improved access to local food. We receive funding through a mix of grants, state contracts, direct public support, events, and program revenue. Food Roots’ staff is a close-knit team of eight people who are passionate about our mission and committed to supporting each other as well as the community as a whole. 

This position may be part time or full time, depending on the applicant’s interest and availability. One or more positions are available. There are three tiers encompassed within this position: Marketplace Associate I, Marketplace Associate II, and Marketplace Associate III. All three positions require certain basic responsibilities, while Marketplace Associate II and II will take on additional duties.

Key Responsibilities (Applicable to all Marketplace Associate positions)

• Arrive promptly, reliably, and prepared to work at the beginning of each shift. 
• Greet producers, customers, and everyone else in a welcoming manner. Help everyone, irrespective of who they are, feel welcome.
• Develop knowledge of the products sold at Marketplace, including who produces the food and where, and develop positive relationships with the producers. 
• Develop knowledge of Food Roots’ Local Food Equity (LFE) programming, including Bounty Boxes, CSAs, Double Up Food Bucks, SNAP Match, and free delivery. Assist and encourage customers to utilize these programs.
• Process incoming products and update inventory. Ensure items are priced, labeled, stored, and displayed correctly. Immediately address any food safety concerns.
• Facilitate sales, including handling cash and other payments.
• Inform customers about how to shop online at Marketplace. Respond to customer inquiries via email, phone, and social media.
• Maintain the Marketplace, ensure it is clean, sanitary, and inviting.
• Assist the Food Roots team, on an as-needed basis, with organizational support activities.  
• Reliable transportation and ability to work on site (this position is not eligible for Work from Home or a Hybrid schedule and is not accessible by public transport until we move back to downtown Tillamook later this year)

Potential Additional Responsibilities (Marketplace Associate II and III)

• Drive the Food Roots van to pick up or deliver food.
• Assist with Food Roots social media campaigns.
• Supervise volunteers and interns.
• Cross-train to assist with other Food Roots programs.
• Assume responsibility for food safety monitoring procedures.
• Reach out to new local food producers and facilitate their onboarding as Marketplace vendors.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experienced in a public-facing customer service role
• Able to maintain positive, friendly, professional demeanor when interacting with the public, and treat all customers (and others) with kindness and respect
• High-energy individual with a strong work ethic
• Strong organization skills and attention to detail
• Comfortable performing the basic mathematical calculations necessary to process orders and payment methods
• Able to learn new software systems with relative speed and ease
• Team player, able to work with limited supervision, but does not hesitate to ask questions or ask for assistance when needed
• Spanish language skills
• A proven track record of operating a vehicle safely
• Ability to lift and move moderately heavy objects regularly, and heavy objects occasionally

Food Roots is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a diverse staff of motivated, skilled, and creative individuals is necessary to achieve the vision and mission of the organization. Individuals who identify as BIPOC or LGBTQIA, people with disabilities, people who are immigrants, people from poor and working-class backgrounds, veterans, and any other people who are/have been system-impacted are strongly encouraged to apply, even if you don’t have all of our preferred qualifications.

Terms and compensation

This position is available on a part-time or full time basis. 

Starting salaries:

Marketplace Associate I: $20.00 per hour

Marketplace Associate II: $21.00 per hour

Marketplace Associate III: $22.00 per hour

An automatic COLA of 3% will be added annually on 7/1.

Employees scheduled to work at least .5 FTE are entitled to all Food Roots employment benefits, including 100% employer-paid Moda health insurance (including a vision rider), automatic annual cost of living adjustments to your pay, professional development opportunities, reimbursement for non-commute mileage, paid holidays, and PTO. 

Employees scheduled to work less than .5 FTE are not eligible for medical benefits or PTO but receive employment benefits including access to professional development funds, automatic annual cost of living adjustments to pay, reimbursement for non-commute mileage, and paid holidays.

Paid time off is accrued at a rate of 16 hours per month for full time staff, prorated based on FTE for eligible part time staff. We also provide ten paid holidays in regular years. We are also in the process of revising our employee handbook, and anticipate implementing an even better benefits package beginning July 2024.