Company description

The South Seattle Community Food Hub (SSCFH) is a community-driven initiative designed to address systemic gaps in the local food system and food insecurity. A core element of the SSCFH is the development of a multi-use shared food facility that can provide much needed cold storage, aggregation, processing, and distribution infrastructure to regional food system stakeholders, with an emphasis on advancing racial equity and development of community-led solutions that prioritize the needs and assets of local growers and hunger relief organizations. The SSCFH facility, which is slated for development to begin in early 2025, is located at 915 S 96th Street in a warehouse adjacent to Food Lifeline’s headquarters.

Community stakeholders advising the development of the SSCFH have identified three goals: 1) Increase the capacity, resiliency, and collaboration between hunger relief agencies across the region through shared infrastructure; 2) Expand access to aggregation, packing, storage and processing infrastructure for regional growers to increase the quantity of locally grown food used by the hunger relief sector and to facilitate market access to other institutions and; 3) Support and promote a more local, just and sustainable food economy by prioritizing food hub resources, services and infrastructure to BIPOC, Immigrant and Refugee -led and -serving growers and community-based organizations that have not traditionally had access to such infrastructure.

Job description

As a member of a community-defined and community-led project, the Communications Director holds a personal and professional commitment to and knowledge of racial equity principles and brings this skillset to the South Seattle Community Food Hub, its Advisory Committee, and project stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of a strategic communications plan that includes messaging policies and strategies; plans for and the creation of materials for ongoing community engagement; creation and maintenance of social media presence; management of the website; etc.
• Carry out the strategic communications plan in partnership with the Communications Subcommittee and with a strong equity framework
• Handle ongoing communications to stakeholders and funders via email newsletters, social media, other communications mediums/materials, etc.
• Lead community engagement work, including creation and utilization of display materials, publications, slideshows, PDFs, etc.
• Build the project’s photography library and handle related administrative work (media releases, file storage, etc.)
• Develop communications policies for the project (i.e. regarding media releases, compensation for partners, etc.)
• Manage the project’s website and create website content
• Partner effectively with committees operating on a consensus basis

Desired Qualifications

• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and in person
• Knowledge of accessibility needs for effective communication across ability and cultural differences
• Ability to take strong photographs and utilize them to tell the SSCFH’s story
• Ability to manage, maintain, and create new content for a WordPress website
• Ability to prioritize workload
• Ability to design communications materials for print and digital use
• Demonstrated commitment to equity as a path towards collective liberation, i.e. a future in which racism and other axes of oppression do not exist
• Experience and commitment to racial justice and the intersections of hunger
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Familiarity with local hunger relief, food system, and agriculture communities

Decision-Making Responsibilities

This position works in partnership with the project’s Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee and its six specialized subcommittees are the decision-making bodies for the developing SSCFH and all utilize consensus decision-making, with an emphasis on maximizing member participation. Each subcommittee has its own roles and responsibilities and unique decision-making authority. This position works with both the Advisory Committee and the Communications Committee. It is responsible for scheduling, planning, and facilitating the meetings for the Communications Committee and for collaborating in the planning and execution of the Advisory Committee meetings. The Communications Committee has unique roles and responsibilities. The Communications Director has authority over communications materials with the Communications Committee available as a resource to the Director.

Decisions are made during meetings and via email polls.

This position is in horizontal, peer partnership with the Project Development Director and the Project Manager. This position is a content expert on the matters of communications and guides the project in communications work per the values and norms identified by the Advisory and Communications Committees.

Supervisory responsibilities

No supervisory responsibilities.

Salary and position details

This is a $75/hour, part-time (15 hours/week), time-limited position that is subject to grant funding. The employee is being hired only for the duration of the grant for which they work, are subject to the regulations of those externally sponsored programs, and shall be employed for periods concurrent with the grant award and any extension of such grant award.

The position utilizes a hybrid remote/onsite model with great flexibility. Schedule is flexible to the needs of the Advisory Committee and subcommittees. Evening and weekend hours may be required. Some local travel required.

Physical Demands

Position requires continuous talking and listening, in person and by video. Position requires prolonged periods of sitting with frequent use of keyboard, using repetitive hand and wrist movement.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

August 02, 2024