Job description

The City of San Francisco is hiring a coordinator for its new urban agriculture program.

ABOUT URBAN AGRICULTURE

Urban Agriculture provides multiple benefits to San Franciscans including connecting City residents to the broader food system, providing green space and recreation, saving public agencies money, providing ecological benefits and green infrastructure, building community, and offering food access, public health, and economic development potential. At least seven City agencies currently provide funding for urban agriculture activities, and there has been no formal coordination among all of these agencies. The project objective is to provide a point person to coordinate work among city agencies and to meet clear and concrete goals in a one-year Urban Agriculture Program work plan, which will be finalized in fall 2013 and which will build upon the work done by an interagency working group in fall 2012. Funding has been allocated for one (1) fulltime permanent exempt (from Civil Service) position and we anticipate that the funding for the position will be renewed. The continuation of the position will be contingent on the success of the position and the program. The Urban Agriculture Program Coordinator, with the guidance of the supervisor, Community Gardens Program Manager, and working group, will work toward meeting metrics for success for goals such as establishing a clear point of contact and website for a one-stop shop/Urban Agriculture Program “front door,” establishing urban agriculture resource centers, streamlining application and wait list processes for urban agriculture sites, etc.

The Board of Supervisors has requested that the Recreation and Park Department submit within six weeks of hiring: (a) a first year work plan for the new Urban Agriculture Program coordinator with measurable goals, timelines, and evaluation metrics, and (b) an organizational chart or description detailing the reporting structure for the new position, including how the Urban Agriculture Program will interact within the Recreation and Park Department, alongside the Community Gardens Program, and with other agencies. The Recreation and Park Department is also required to submit a report to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors no later than January 1, 2014. The report should include (a) a summary of key urban agriculture achievements, challenges, and indicators from the previous year, including an official accounting of all City funding for Urban Agriculture and an inventory of local resources and programs relevant to Urban Agriculture in San Francisco, and (b) data on the progress the City made in the prior year towards meeting each of the Urban Agriculture Program goals.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Coordinate with other department representatives, with non-profit/community-serving agencies and with private entities on several of the one-year work plan goals where they impact and overlap with such groups
• Convene and facilitate regular informal working group meetings with other city departments and stakeholders from the public to finalize and implement the one-year Urban Agriculture Program work plan
• Coordinate with RPD’s Community Gardens Program Manager on several of the one-year work plan goals where they impact existing and potential RPD community garden sites
• Set up first point of contact (name, e-mail, phone #, website with up to date information and links to other departments’ relevant initiatives or programs) for the new Urban Agriculture Program
• Coordinate and/or oversee the order and distribution of supplies, tools and equipment for program when necessary
• Receive and respond to urban agriculture-related requests and determine how they fit into the one-year work plan
• Advocate for and support policies that support urban agriculture
• Work with RPD’s Partnerships Division to pursue additional funding to support San Francisco’s Urban Agriculture Program
• Provide quarterly reports to the Recreation and Park Commission on progress of the one-year Urban Agriculture Program work plan implementation
• Provide mid-term and annual reports to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors on progress of the one-year Urban Agriculture Program work plan implementation

MINUMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND
• One year (2000 hours) of experience supervising, coordinating or directing volunteer services and/or community outreach services in an organization which provides services to the public.
• Substitution: Additional experience supervising, coordinating or directing volunteer and/or community relations services, as described above, may be substituted for up to two years of the required baccalaureate degree on a year-for-year basis.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Two - three years of relevant work experience
• Knowledge of urban agriculture and community gardening, including the technical aspects of the gardening/farming itself as well as the social/community/organizationalaspects
• One year of experience supervising, coordinating or directing outreach services in an organization which provides services to the public
• Organized, strategic, systems thinker
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communications, including public speaking
• Relationship building and networking
• Experience managing interagency groups/collaborations
• Problem-solving and conflict resolution skills
• Successful experience meeting goals while working with city government(s)
• Familiarity with San Francisco’s socioeconomic issues and their relationship to urban agriculture
• Grant-writing, fundraising and development experience and success

COMPENSATION

The position pays between $60,000 - $72,000 per year, plus benefits.

Compensation

this position is:

Application instructions

Deadline

October 11, 2013