Reporting to the Engagement & Construction Director (ECD), the Community Engagement Manager is responsible for all new food forest pipeline development. The Manager will help build community relationships across Boston to support neighbors in organizing, designing, and building food forest public parks, thus increasing equitable access to healthy open space across the city. The Manager […]
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Job Title: Community Engagement Manager
Company: Boston Food Forest Coalition
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Job Type: Full-Time
Salary: $70,800
Benefits: Health Insurance, 40 days Personal Time Off annually (includes holidays, sick days, and vacation), Retirement match, Professional development stipend, Cell phone and laptop stipend, Travel stipend
About the Company:
The Boston Food Forest Coalition (BFFC) is an organization focused on increasing equitable access to healthy open spaces across the city by supporting the creation of food forest public parks. BFFC prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion and operates at the forefront of the field, building community relationships and implementing cutting-edge strategies. As an entrepreneurial organization, BFFC encourages creative thinking and collaboration among its staff members.
Job Description:
As the Community Engagement Manager, you will report to the Engagement & Construction Director and play a key role in the development and management of new food forest projects across Boston. Your responsibilities will include building and nurturing community relationships, organizing and engaging stewards and neighbors in the project, creating targeted approaches for community engagement, and developing strategies and systems for the successful building of new food forests. Your work will contribute to increasing equitable access to healthy open spaces in the city.
Responsibilities:
– Create and implement a community engagement strategy for BFFC, including meaningful relationship building with neighborhood stewards, funding partners, grassroots organizations, and elected officials
– Actively manage a pipeline of potential new food forest projects, supporting them from initial contact to grand opening, with a focus on relationship building and community engagement
– Attend community events, such as neighborhood association meetings, to build a pipeline for potential new food forests
– Develop targeted approaches to bolster community engagement and coalition building, with the goal of increasing parkland equity across Boston
– Create and update materials to share the BFFC mission, the process for food forest design and construction, and land trust/ownership information with stakeholders
– Build new stewardship teams with neighbors, requiring persistence and relationship-building skills
– Engage stewards and neighbors in the food forest build process, collaborating with a contractor and ensuring successful completion
– Plan food forest tours and presentations for neighbors to increase their engagement
– Coordinate ground breakings and grand openings in collaboration with BFFC’s Communications and Fundraising team
– Train the internal team on the community engagement plan and approach
– Support research on food forest development, position BFFC on the forefront of climate adaptability, and effectively document and share this knowledge
– Monitor and report regularly on the progress of community engagement and new food forest construction through dashboards and other tools
– Incorporate feedback from stakeholders for learning, inclusion, and improvement
– Create analyses and other presentation materials to share with the board and senior members of the BFFC team for learning, improvement, and future forecasting
– Create a library of sustainable construction materials and a sustainable plant palette for BFFC and advocacy for food forests
– Create tools for effective community engagement and stewardship team building
Qualifications:
– At least 5 years of professional experience with demonstrated success in community organizing
– Tangible experience in guiding community design projects and/or multi-stakeholder construction projects from start to end
– Tangible experience in public speaking and presenting to various audiences
– Exceptional organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage time effectively and pay attention to detail
– Experience in proactively communicating goals and updates and eliciting input from various stakeholders
– Knowledge in the field of permaculture, ecological agriculture, or food forests is ideal
– Willingness to travel across Boston to community meetings and events
– Familiarity with web browsers and Google Suite tools (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets), or similar, with a willingness to learn Google Suite
– Familiarity with using Monday.com is a plus
– Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
– Ability to manage an annual food forest community engagement strategy using an inclusive, multi-stakeholder process
– Ability to assess and package food forest community engagement data and trends for organizational budgeting and decision-making
– Action-oriented with a flexible and adaptable style
– Ability to work independently and as part of a team, engaging productively with others within and outside the organization
– Ability and desire to learn and grow in new situations and from mistakes, actively integrating feedback to improve
To apply for this position, please submit your application through the link provided. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
The Boston Food Forest Coalition is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates for this position.