Garden Specialist Part-Time

Description

The Garden Specialist manages all programming associated with NTFB’s onsite learning and donation garden, Jan’s Garden. The position also oversees, supports, and develops an extended network of Partner Gardens within NTFB’s 12-county service area. The Garden Specialist helps advance NTFB’s mission within internal and external NTFB communities, including volunteers, agency partners, constituents and donors.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• Bachelor of Science in Horticulture preferred, or an equivalent combination of training and experience

Special Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Must be self-directed/motivated, detail-oriented and efficiently manage time

• Strong interpersonal communication, public speaking and presentation

• Ability to collaborate and work with diverse groups

• Ability to manage change and adapt to a changing environment

• Ability to lead groups of volunteers for an engaging experience

Experience:

• 3 years of gardening or agriculture; programming experience preferred

PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Jan’s Garden

• Manage an onsite year-round learning, production, and donation garden

• Responsibilities include crop planning, weekly harvest donation delivery to NTFB agencies, garden tours, greenhouse management, pollinator garden care, garden education and training, facilities management, and supporting NTFB special events

• Track all donations from Jan’s Garden’s and partner gardens’ weekly harvests made to NTFB partner agencies

Volunteer Management

• Manage weekly garden volunteer workdays and oversee Garden Kernels and Volunteers; collaborate with internal teams to grow garden volunteers

• Lead special garden volunteer group events, including the annual NTFB kids’ summer camp and corporate/group volunteer events

• Work with the Volunteer Operations team to register and account for volunteers utilizing the NTFB online volunteer management portal/application(s); report of volunteer hours to Programs management upon request

Partner Gardens

• Update and enhance the NTFB Garden Program website regularly; produce a monthly Partner Garden Newsletter and provide content for Spade & Spoon newsletter

• Supply free spring seedlings produced in onsite greenhouse, donated seeds and other requested supplies as available

• Host an annual Partner Garden community event, conduct annual Partner Gardens’ site visits, lead recruitment to grow Partner Garden sites, and execute partner agreements

• Collect and report partner garden food donation data, nutrition and produce card distribution

• Provide support for other stakeholder groups such as Volunteer Operations, Nutrition Education, Community Impact, Donor Relations, Marketing & Communications

Other

• Contribute to the development of annual program budget and multi-year strategic planning; increase the pounds of produce donated from Jan’s & Partner Gardens to NTFB agencies

• Provide various data collection, analysis, and reporting for related strategic projects

• Facilitate both in-person & virtual education workshops and training

• Perform other tasks and duties as assigned

MENTAL DEMANDS:

• The person in this position needs to adapt well in the face of workplace stressors, such as customer complaints, compliance offenses, meeting deadlines, competing priorities, and maintaining the safety of people and property.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop; kneel; crouch or crawl; talk or hear.

• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth vision and the ability to adjust focus.

• Employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS:

• Moderate noise (i.e. business office with open floor plan with computers, phone, printers, and light traffic).

• This person should have the ability to work outdoors in non-hazardous weather conditions, year-round.

• Reliable transportation and a valid DL and insurance is required for some travel within our 12-county service area

• Able to participate in occasional workshops/events on weekends

The mental and physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all skills, duties, responsibilities, efforts, requirements or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, NTFB reserves the right to revise the job or to require other or different tasks be performed as assigned.

The North Texas Food Bank is an equal opportunity employer.

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