The Happy Kitchen Coordinator, West Texas

SFC is seeking a Coordinator for the West Texas region to provide coordination, implementation, and support for all activities of SFC’s bilingual cooking and nutrition education program, The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre ®.

Organization:

Founded in 1993, with roots dating back to 1975 as Austin Community Gardens, Sustainable Food Center (SFC) is involved in every step of the food system. Our mission is to transform the food system to nourish our health, land and livelihood. In 2019, we began work in Lubbock, TX, supporting the Double Up Food Bucks program in area grocery stores and farmers’ markets.

Why work at SFC?

At SFC, we are passionate about our work and share a commitment to expanding access to locally grown food raised with integrity and care, for all members of our community. Join us if you are driven to build and create lasting change that supports people and the planet.

We’re on a journey

SFC is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity on our staff and in our community. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels comfortable bringing their full, authentic selves to work. To that end, we have organized multiple all-staff trainings, created internal working groups that celebrate our diverse community, and integrated equity principles into every aspect of our work.

We uphold the following Core Values:

Integrity: We take pride in what we do and hold ourselves accountable to one another and the communities we serve by being transparent, following through on commitments, and communicating outcomes to all stakeholders.

Courage: We lead the way in transforming our food system by taking risks and implementing innovative approaches to achieve our vision. We embody a growth mindset and view setbacks as opportunities to learn and deepen our collaboration with others.

Equity: We are working every day to ensure the right of all people to access, grow, and consume nutritious and culturally relevant food. We acknowledge that our food system has been built on systems of oppression and prioritize serving marginalized communities and promoting inclusion through our work.

Community: We center the voices, priorities, and wellbeing of the communities we serve in our work. We elevate community member input by providing open channels for feedback and collaboration.

Job Description:

This is a full-time position at 40 hours per week, based in Lubbock, TX . SFC’s Lubbock office is currently located in the Lubbock Roots Historical Art Council building at 1719 Ave A, Lubbock, TX 79401.

The Happy Kitchen Coordinator for the West Texas region provides coordination, implementation, and support for all activities of SFC’s bilingual cooking and nutrition education program in West Texas. The Coordinator works closely with the Education Manager to plan and execute The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre ® (THK/LCA) classes in the community, including scheduling, preparation of class materials, and on-site coordination as needed. The Coordinator conducts outreach and marketing for classes and assists with management of the facilitator team.

In collaboration with the Food Access Director and the Education Manager, the Coordinator supports the development and maintenance of community partnerships to provide classes throughout the Lubbock area. The Coordinator sets and carries out work plans, collects and reports data, designs and distributes promotional materials, assists with grant proposals and development activities, and participates in programmatic and organizational planning and team building.

This is both an internal administrative and outward facing position that requires supporting classes, coordinating outreach events, and occasionally working at area farmers’ markets.

Job Duties:

  • Coordinates all Lubbock-area classes, including site recruitment, class scheduling, and facilitator scheduling.
  • Recruits, manages, and supports Lubbock-area peer facilitation team.
  • Conducts and maintains inventory of class materials and equipment.
  • Assists facilitators with class preparation, including preparation of materials and equipment; supports class set up as necessary.
  • Coordinates marketing and promotion of classes, including development and distribution of promotional materials in hard copy and via social media.
  • Collaborates with partner organizations, class sites, and SFC staff for outreach and engagement.
  • Facilitates collection of program data during and after classes, including collection of attendance data and survey responses.
  • Assists with data entry, management, and organization of program data.
  • Supports the maintenance and formation of community partner relationships in support of THK/LCA operations.
  • · Contributes to planning at the project, program, and organizational levels, including operations and budget planning.

About you:

You enjoy working collaboratively and have the skills to build long-term relationships with community members and partners. You are confident engaging with individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds. You can create a detailed plan, but know how to be flexible and creative if the situation calls for it. You have a working knowledge of food and nutrition. You are passionate about addressing complex social issues with an equity and justice focus.

You will also bring expertise and demonstrated capacity in:

  • Experience in project coordination required, preferably related to the areas of cooking, health, nutrition, agriculture, food access, and/or food equity.
  • Experience working in low-income and multi-cultural settings required. Lived experience in the communities SFC serves is a plus.
  • Strong administrative skills, including experience scheduling and coordinating events, tracking tasks and activities, and communicating consistently within and across teams.
  • Strong skills with MS Office and web-based applications (like Survey Monkey, Every Action, or other CRMs or survey software), with a high level of proficiency using MS Excel, MS Word, and Outlook. Experience with project management software like Asana a plus, but not required.
  • Excellent communication skills (written & verbal); experience presenting to audiences a plus.
  • Good design skills and experience using basic graphic design software (e.g. Canva); experience with Adobe InDesign a plus, but not required.
  • Basic knowledge of social media; experience managing social media sites and/or campaigns a plus, but not required.
  • Strong work ethic, attention to detail, and creative entrepreneurial spirit.
  • Must have reliable transportation.
  • Comfortable working outdoors in varying weather conditions and able to lift up to 40 lbs.
  • Bilingual (English/Spanish) a strong plus but not required.

Sustainable Food Center offers an excellent work environment, competitive salaries, full coverage health insurance, 403b matching after first year of employment, generous time off and a flexible schedule. The salary band for this position is $41,000 - $43,000. Starting salary will be influenced by applicant’s qualifications and budget considerations. The position is available starting August 1, 2023.

To Apply:

Please submit your résumé, cover letter, and three references to [email protected]. Use subject title: The Happy Kitchen Coordinator. In your cover letter, please tell us about your lived experience working with diverse communities.

Applications accepted until June 26, 2023. No phone calls accepted or returned.