Organization: Food Forward, Inc. - a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Position: Backyard Harvest Program Coordinator - LA County

Hours: Full-time, non-exempt

Location: North Hollywood, CA 

Rate of Pay: $22-24 hr. 

Organizational Overview: Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity and inspiring others to do the same. Fruits and vegetables are collected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from backyard fruit trees, orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market. This recovered produce is provided, free of charge, to hunger relief organizations that serve community members in various ways: food banks, homeless outreach agencies, domestic violence shelters, transitional youth homes, veteran services, family resource centers, LGBTQ+ teen/adult/senior services, college student assistance programs, programs serving people with disabilities, and many more. Since Food Forward’s inception, our staff and thousands of dedicated volunteers have rescued 100’s of million pounds of fruits and vegetables. This produce helps to feed millions of people across twelve Southern California counties and six states and tribal lands. See our core values posted below.

Position Overview: The BYH Coordinator will report to the Director of Community Programs (CP) & Senior Manager of Community Programs and work to improve programmatic efficiency and deepen the program’s impact in Los Angeles County.  Will closely work with other BYH & CP staff in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. This position provides an opportunity to become deeply involved in the Los Angeles food justice community, while working for a prominent and growing nonprofit. We are looking for someone extremely detail-oriented who can work both independently and collaboratively, in-person and remotely, to schedule and coordinate logistics for 25-50+ unique harvest events each month based on the season. They will be responsible for organizing large amounts of data and information, multi-tasking, and communicating clearly with a variety of stakeholders. While the majority of this position will be spent in an office setting, it also requires working occasional weekends and evenings and seasonal work in the field. The ideal candidate for the BYH Coordinator role has experience working with and engaging volunteers, exhibits excellent people, public speaking and customer service skills, and has a strong interest in issues related to food waste and recovery, hunger eradication, and food justice. The BYH Program is constantly evolving, and an ideal candidate will support the growth of the program. The person in this role will have access to a Food Forward vehicle for many work-related tasks but occasional personal vehicle usage will be required. Applicable mileage will be eligible for reimbursement at standard IRS rates.

Core Responsibilities

Event Coordination:             

• Frequent and timely communication via phone, email and text with fruit donors, volunteer event leaders, and hunger relief agencies to build and maintain positive working relationships 
• Lead BYH events, assist with equipment drop offs, harvest pick-ups, and deliveries to hunger relief agencies 

Volunteer Engagement:

• Onboard, train, and oversee 50+ volunteer event leaders who lead harvest events
• Play a key role in managing program assistants and interns
• Assist with the planning and participation in volunteer engagement activities
• Work with the Volunteer team to assist with outreach and Community Ambassador efforts in Los Angeles County

Program Operations:

• Organize & review monthly event data via Food Forward’s data software CITRA & Tableau
• Conduct regular equipment inventory and identify repair needs
• Serve as the point of contact and maintain relationship with regional equipment hubs
• Assist with updating and developing new training materials for event leaders and create and update BYH staff workflows and manuals 
• Assist with creation and organization of program related information within Google Workspace
• Support the Community Programs team in the office and in the field, as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Communication and Community Outreach:

• Serve as the point of contact and maintain relationship with community partners and assist in the prospecting of new community partners  
• Help establish and grow relationships with produce donors of all sizes, including the commercial ag sector
• Draft content for program related and org wide newsletters, blogs, social media, and other external communication
• Represent Food Forward at community events, council meetings, universities, etc.

Minimum Requirements:

• Computer literate and proficiency in Google Workspace & Microsoft Excel
• Must be willing and available to have a flexible schedule and work occasional weekends 
• Ability to drive large utility-style vans and trucks (training is provided) A valid class C driver’s license with clear driving record.

• Bilingual, Spanish and English - strongly preferred

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work both indoors and outdoors
• Ability to lift and move boxes of produce and equipment weighing up to 55 lbs
• Alternate sitting and standing at will, push or pull, grasp, reach above, at or below shoulder level and kneel, crouch and stoop as needed

Benefits: 

• Medical, Dental Vision and Life Insurance Coverage, Retirement with 3% employer matching. Generous Sick Days, Vacation, Personal Days  and Holiday allocation. Cell Phone and WiFi stipend.

Food Forward is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strongly encourages people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with protected class backgrounds to apply. We value the individuals that we hire and look forward to creating a positive work environment for all identities.

CORE VALUES

• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Working together, we inspire and are inspired by the people in the communities we serve.
• EQUITY AND INCLUSION We cultivate a diverse workforce that nurtures equity and inclusion.
• FOOD JUSTICE We share the abundance of fresh produce and prevent food waste because everyone deserves access to fresh and nutritious food.
• INTEGRITY We are honest, accountable and authentic in our words and actions.
• JOYFULNESS We embrace a creative, spirited and fulfilling environment.