Community Development Manager jobs in Vermont

Description

Position Purpose:

The Manager Community Health Programs Development will work primarily on Vermont Foodbank (VF) community impact programs including VT Fresh, Community Kitchen Academy (CKA), and Vermonters Feeding Vermonters (VFV). This position will work closely with the Director Community Health Programs and VF network partners to meet the needs of these community-based programs to promote community wellness and dignity as it relates to access to fresh produce, nutrition, education, and food security. This position has responsibility for direct service education, community engagement and partner capacity building, in addition to project and grants management, planning, evaluation, reporting, and program development of the VT Fresh, CKA and VFV teams and programs. 

Building equity and racial justice into Vermont Foodbank’s organizational practices is everyone’s responsibility, and it requires the commitment and collaboration of every employee and team. Therefore, everyone is expected to honor diversity, contribute to an inclusive organizational culture, and leverage their own personal agency and scope of influence to center equity.

Location / Schedule:

The majority of this position’s workload can be handled remotely; however the ideal candidate will be based within driving distance of the northwestern part of the state, with occasional travel to the Vermont Foodbank office in Barre and produce cooler in Burlington to access food and materials for direct service education and outreach activities. This position will require frequent travel to different communities in Chittenden, Grand Isle, Franklin, Lamoille and some Central Vermont counties, with approximately 2 hours (round-trip) of driving time for each event, approximately 1-2 days each week. On occasion, nights and weekends and additional statewide travel may be required. Mileage reimbursement will be provided when utilizing a personal vehicle. Note: There are responsibilities for this position that require completion of physical labor across different environments.

Requirements

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

VT Fresh

• Manage the VT Fresh mini grants to network partners in order to accomplish goals around increasing food access and utilization of fresh produce through policy, system and environmental strategies.
• Implement VT Fresh cooking demonstrations/taste test activities at partnering sites including food shelves, meal sites, and VeggieVanGo locations. Prioritize direct education and engaging in community events in Chittenden, Grand Isle, Franklin, Lamoille and some Central Vermont counties, 
• Work closely with and support partnering organizations to improve the policies, systems, and food environments of locations where produce is distributed. Provide on-going technical assistance, community engagement and capacity building to support community partners to implement food access projects.
• Manage additional program evaluation and reporting, including administering evaluations, tracking implementation, documenting and recording impacts, data-entry, spreadsheet management and writing of program reports and correspondence.
• Assist with representing the program in external meetings with community organizations, stakeholders and partners.
• Work collaboratively with the VF Operations and Community Impact teams to help meet the fresh produce needs of VT Fresh partners through recipe kits and other outlets. 
• Help monitor and track progress in meeting the requirements and deliverables of partnership agreements. 
• Assist with expanding the VT Fresh Internship and volunteer program to strengthen VF outreach, capacity, and community engagement opportunities; train, supervise, and cultivate strong relationships with program interns and volunteers.

Community Kitchen Academy

• Manage program evaluation and reporting; including updating evaluation systems, tracking implementation, documenting, and recording impacts, data-entry, spread sheet management and writing of program reports and correspondence.
• Take lead on administering and standardizing procedures and tracking systems for accessing state/federal funding for CKA through REACHUP, Hireability, WIOA, ICAN and VSAC. 
• Support partners to implement program activities related to recruitment, job placement and retention tracking, graduations, case management, etc. 
• Coordinate with the VF Marketing and Communication team and the CKA team, including facilitating cross-campus communication and collaboration. 
• Assist with representing the program in external meetings with state agencies, community organizations, stakeholders and partners.

Vermonters Feeding Vermonters

• Manage the VFV mini grants to network partners to accomplish goals around increasing local purchasing of fresh produce, meat, dairy and eggs from Vermont farmers.
• Monitor and track progress in meeting the requirements and deliverables of partnership agreements. 
• Assist with program development, evaluation, and reporting. 
• Support advocacy related activities that pertain to VFV and other emerging projects as needed.

Network Partner Support and Services

• Work closely with VF Network Partners, the VF Network Partner team, including Director Network Relations and Capacity, Senior Manager Network Relations, and Chief Community Impact Officer in assisting with capacity building, outreach efforts and conducting annual visits as assigned in and around the assigned region. 

Other Functions:

• Support Community Impact team and general Foodbank work on new community health initiatives, administrative tasks and emergent working groups and tasks as needed. 
• Adhere to all safety issues affecting the movement and handling of food.
• Act as a representative of VF. Be able to answer questions about the organization, promote and advocate for VF’s work. This position may include spoken or written press opportunities, as assigned. 
• Other duties as assigned by the Director Community Health including but not limited to presentations, special events, writing, research, communications, coordination, and administrative tasks. 
• Works cooperatively and be able to communicate with staff and volunteers to support the mission of the Foodbank to meet and sustain Foodbank goals.
• Positively contribute to an organizational culture of safe and secure food handling, warehousing, and distribution.
• The Foodbank relies on volunteers every day to fulfill our mission. All Foodbank employees must support our culture of philanthropy by treating every volunteer with appreciation and respect. 
• This position will occasionally be required to travel to other Foodbank locations and to attend required meetings, trainings, etc. Some out-of-area and overnight travel may be expected. 
• In instances of a federal, state or locally declared emergency, Vermont Foodbank is typically considered an essential service and emergency responder; all employees may be called in to perform regular or emergent duties.

Skills/Qualifications:

The requirements listed below are representative of the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and/or abilities an individual needs in order to perform this job successfully. 

Education and/or Experience:

• 3-4 years related work experience in: 
• Program management, implementation, and evaluation, preferably in a human services environment, community outreach, non-profit social service agencies, programs required.
• And, customer-facing roles, education, outreach and working in communities required.
• Bachelor’s Degree or comparable work experience.
• Experience with cooking, and food safety required. 
• Experience managing multiple projects at a time with exceptional administrative skills required, including creating standard operating procedures and systems, multi-tasking, attention to detail, time management, written communication, and problem solving.
• Experience with grants management including database and budget management, grant review process, partner communication, data analysis, reporting and evaluation preferred.
• Experience with issues related to community development, hunger, food insecurity and poverty preferred.

Other Skills and Abilities:

• The individual must understand and agree with the vision and mission of VF and be committed to providing services to people facing situations of hunger and poverty. 
• Comfortable working with community members in a friendly and engaging manner. Patience and non-judgmental customer relations skills. Commitment to and experience in cultural competency and working with diverse populations. Be trauma informed.
• Strong interpersonal skills to successfully communicate with donors, co-workers, volunteers, and the public. 
• Experience working with and/or managing volunteers.
• Strong commitment to quality service, collaborative decision-making, teamwork, and communication is essential. Must be self-motivated; and committed and experienced at working in partnership, collaboratively and as part of a larger team.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with diverse groups of people including other staff, donors, volunteers, interns, the public, and leaders. 
• Ability to meet travel requirements, access to personal transportation, excellent driving history, and current insurance card.
• Passionate about food, nutrition, and cooking with fresh local ingredients.
• Must be able to lift 40-50 pounds. 

Language Skills:

• Excellent communication, writing, email, phone, and public relations skills.  

Technical/Computer Skills:

• Computer proficiency in the MS Office Suite and the ability to learn emerging technologies quickly is required. 
• High level of proficiency and experience with Microsoft Excel required. 
• Excellent record-keeping, managing files, and data entry skills. 
• Experience and comfort with frequent zoom and/or other video-based meetings. 

Certifications/Licenses/Registrations:

• A valid Vermont Driver’s License.
• 3-year motor vehicle report (MVR) showing a clean driving record. 
• ServSafe Certification or the ability to acquire this.