Food Policy Council Coordinator

Position: Coordinator, Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council

Date Posted: February 15, 2021

Application Deadline: March 21, 2021

Organization Description

The Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council (ABFPC) was formed in October of 2011 out of a recognition by local advocates and policymakers that food insecurity is an urgent problem in Asheville and Buncombe County that has profound effects on the health and wellbeing of city and county residents. Our mission is to identify, propose and advocate for policies, financial appropriations, and innovative solutions to improve and protect our local food system in order to advance economic development, social justice, environmental sustainability, and community resiliency.

The ABFPC is a community-based coalition and is governed by a General Council with policy and advocacy work directed through our Policy Mobilization Hub and working groups. The council employs a consent-based decision making process.

Position Description:

The Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council (ABFPC) is seeking a part-time Coordinator (20 hour/week) to advocate and organize for city and county-wide policy implementation around food justice and manage the day-to-day operations of the ABFPC, including working group organization, community engagement, communications, fundraising, and overall strategic direction and planning.

The primary activities are:

Collaborate with The City of Asheville’s Office of Sustainability to carry out contract deliverables for implementation of the City’s Food Policy Action Plan.

Research, recommend and collaborate with ABFPC Working Groups and local, state, and regional partners to develop food-related policy recommendations, coordinate advocacy efforts, and identify collaborative initiatives.

Fundraise to secure the funds necessary to support the work of the ABFPC according to the annually developed budget and fundraising goals co-determined with the ABFPC General Council.

Engage advocacy strategies to ensure that food system policies are adopted, implemented, reviewed and revised that identify and address Asheville and Buncombe County food system improvements.

Engage a diverse, representative group of Asheville/Buncombe County residents, community groups and decision makers in the work of the ABFPC including as members of the ABFPC working groups and committees.

Represent the ABFPC in meetings of collaborative stakeholders to improve food justice of the residents of Asheville and Buncombe County.

Support residents in the development of a strong conceptual framework of knowledge in advocacy and policy related to food security, food justice and food sovereignty to actively support the development of a healthy, just, and sustainable local food system.

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will be experienced working with urban and rural food systems, poverty, food security, health and food justice issues. They will possess excellent networking, community relations, conflict resolution, strong interpersonal skills, and oral and written communications as well as demonstrate leadership, self-motivation and ability to coordinate work with collaboratives, neighborhood groups, and government officials. The successful candidate should work well independently with minimal supervision. Prior work experience, or an equivalent combination of education and work/volunteer experience will include a minimum of two years working in the food system in a public, non-profit and /or for-profit environment; policy or advocacy development and analysis, community development (food, health, youth, housing, etc.), and fundraising.

Additional Qualifications:

Required:

-Experience working with community volunteers, farmers, diverse communities and groups, and/or policymakers

-Experience coordinating diverse stakeholder groups

-Program or project management

-Grant-writing, development and fundraising

-Demonstrated professional writing skills (including social media)

-Fluency with Google Drive, Microsoft office suite, social media, and WordPress

-Availability to work occasional evenings and weekends including some overnights for professional development or industry conferences

-Reliable vehicle and willingness to travel locally and regionally as appropriate

Preferred:

-Familiarity with food policy issues in Asheville, Buncombe County, and WNC

-Bachelor’s degree in public policy or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience

-Bilingual - English and Spanish

-Management of networks or coalitions

-Familiarity with basic web content management

-Familiarity with donor development systems

-Event and conference organizing

Duties and Responsibilities:

Coordinate and participate in monthly ABFPC General Council and ABFPC Policy Mobilization Hub meetings including crafting monthly agendas, communicating the agenda item requests and finalized agendas, and providing Coordinator Report at every meeting.

Maintain regular communications with ABFPC council members pertaining to emergent or ongoing opportunities, activities, questions, and requests.

Lead the process of raising continuous funds for the ABFPC, through identifying funding opportunities and funded collaborations, and applying for funds as appropriate.

Maintain communications tools including website, email, and social media, with some technical support if needed from interns and volunteers.

Identify and manage potential interns and volunteers to work in support of the ABFPC.

Work with ABFPC committees and volunteers to plan and implement one internal and one external “Meetings of the Whole” per year and other events and projects of the ABFPC.

Serve as the point of contact and delegate for other area community groups and advisory councils on a local, regional, and state level.

Work closely with City of Asheville’s Office of Sustainability to implement the City’s Food Action Plan, including contractually agreed upon annual deliverables and outcomes.

Fulfill all reporting, invoicing, and communications related to contracts and grant funding.

Maintain regular communications and attend as applicable with all ABFPC Working Groups to stay up to speed with ongoing work for the purpose of organizing efficiently across Working Groups, communicating to the public.

Maintain weekly communications and meet at least monthly with ABFPC Coordinator Supervisor.

Attend and assume a leadership role as necessary or appropriate in collaborative meetings and initiatives aimed at increasing food security in Asheville/Buncombe County.

Compensation:

As the ABFPC is a grassroots, community-based organization, the Coordinator’s salary will be paid and coordinated through our fiscal sponsor organization Bountiful Cities. This PT employee position is funded at 20/hrs per week at $18-$25/hr DOE. There are no formal benefits associated with this position other than paid federal holidays and the use of shared office space.

Application Process

To apply for this position please send the following items via email to Diana Manee-Buskirk (see elsewhere) no later than March 21st, 2021. Please include “ABFPC Coordinator Application” in the subject line and combine your resume and cover letter into one pdf file which is titled: Last NameFirst nameABFPC Coordinator Application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Include (in one combined pdf file):

An updated resume highlighting your relevant experience

A cover letter addressing your experience with the following:

-Policy work - food systems or otherwise

-Working in a self motivated, limited-supervision capacity

-Community Engagement

-Three professional references with contact information

For more information about the Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council, please visit: www.abfoodpolicy.org.

The Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer. People of color and LGBTQI individuals are encouraged to apply.