The CLHI Garden & Greenspaces Coordinator will develop local gardens by hands-on growing, coordinating community outreach and garden volunteer days, and providing educational programming and technical assistance to residents about gardening and greenspaces. The position requires good interpersonal skills, community organizing experience and a passion for gardening education and food justice.

The anticipated schedule for this position is Tuesday to Saturday during the growing season (March – October). The work week is anticipated to be 24 hours with some overtime as approved. During the off-season, we anticipate planning and other activities up to 20 hours per month. To accommodate community members’ schedules and special events, a typical schedule may include work hours on one or two evenings each week. This is a tremendous opportunity for a team-oriented, creative and detailed person to lead community development and strengthen the capacity of a well-respected, high-impact organization and its partners.

Responsibilities

Provide expertise in planning garden and greenspace activities

Serve as the primary point of contact for and maintain communication with CLHI community garden groups and partners through email, phone, and social media

Coordinate and facilitate planning meetings to design, build, and maintain the gardens

Lead staff and volunteers to build garden infrastructure

Support community garden and greenspace leaders at each site in managing day-to-day gardening activities and challenges

Conduct regular site visits at each garden to assess plant health, deliver materials, etc.

Lead - and facilitate others in leading - regular on-site and online educational opportunities for residents

Represent CLHI at relevant community events

Assist with various fundraising activities for CLHI as directed

Perform other work as assigned by the Program Director or Executive Director

Knowledge & Skills

Make purchases and coordinate deliveries for each project

Develop and manage budgets for each assigned project

Demonstrated experience and ability to develop reports and manage data collection to evaluate programs’ impacts

Document community engagement with photos, quotes, etc.

Assist CLHI team in maintaining social media presence by providing photos and materials for CLHI’s social media and email newsletter

Track hours and mileage for work-related travel

Demonstrate strong time management

Excellent written and verbal communication and relationship-building skills

Enthusiasm and team building spirit

Project management ability to prioritize, be proactive and complete projects efficiently

Qualifications

Significant experience with community organizing and community outreach to many demographics, e.g., youth, elders, people of color, immigrants, economically-diverse

Experience in gardening, food growing

Ability to teach gardening concepts to a variety of learners

Some experience in carpentry and/or landscaping

Strong planning and organizational skills, including events and volunteer management

Ability to manage several task lists at once and adapt to changing conditions

Ability to work outdoors in all weather (heat, humidity, rain and cold) and do manual labor

Willingness to work independently and also cooperate as part of a team

Experience with MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and willingness to learn other computer-based skills

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Regular access to a reliable vehicle – this position may require substantial driving

Positive attitude; engaging personality

An understanding of and commitment to community engagement, food justice and CLHI’s values

Historical understanding of North Camden, Camden, NJ land use planning and social movements is a plus

Ability to speak/write fluent Spanish is a plus