Location: Based in Sacramento Valley (Davis) or Bay Area (Oakland) but operates statewide
Hours: 1.0 FTE
Target Start Date: August 17, 2015
The Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advocate for California family farms and sustainable agriculture. CAFF is a farmer member organization that works statewide to increase the economic viability of California family farmers and to connect communities with their local producers. The organization is headquartered in Davis and has 4 regional offices throughout Northern California. At the state level, CAFF works on policy advocacy and runs networks such as the CA Farm to School Network and CA CSA Network. At the regional level, CAFF runs Farm to School projects, Buy Fresh Buy Local campaigns, and provides technical assistance in accessing new markets to farmers around the state. See http:www.caff.org for more information.
The Procurement Specialist will work on a variety of projects that provide technical assistance to farmers in selling their products to different markets, primarily institutions such as schools and hospitals. The Procurement Specialist will support some projects and lead others, depending on the project. The ideal candidate will have a strong competency in sustainable procurement work, farm to institution, and regional food systems in California. This position reports to the Chief Operating Officer.
Essential responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Farm to Institution Project Management:
Lead and coordinate various Farm to Hospital and School projects as funding allows
Work with institutional food service buyers to provide education on local food and food systems, coordinate demand, and support staff training and cafeteria marketing
Facilitate development and sales of local products with distributor/processor partner(s)
Conduct outreach to and develop relationships with local farmers and distributors for institutional sales
Stay up to date on current procurement regulations and practices
Track sales volumes & produce regular progress reports
Develop and grow relationships with institutional buyers
Provide supply chain consulting to partner institutions
Attend related meetings in the project regions
Project Support:
Provide technical assistance on projects throughout CAFF’s other regional offices in working with suppliers on local sourcing
Develop and grow relationships with institutional buyers
Recruit and develop relationships with local farmers and distributors
Develop and deliver procurement trainings for partners statewide
Other Duties:
Serve as the Bay Area Regional Lead for the CA Farm to School Network (depending on location)
Manage project data collection and funder reports
Support in fundraising as needed
Support regional farm to market activities and actively promote CAFF membership with farms & businesses
Represent CAFF by participating in community activities and events as necessary
Other duties as assigned
Participate in staff meetings and collaborate with regional staff statewide
Handle some administrative duties in the regional office
Qualifications:
At least 5 years of professional experience in the field
Experience and demonstrated knowledge of working with farmers, distributors, and/or supply chains required
Experience in working with institutional buyers required
Experience in working with non-profits strongly preferred
Strong written and oral communication skills
Resourceful and able to perform a variety of administrative and organizational tasks with a creative approach to problem solving
Flexibility to work independently, with minimal supervision, as well as collaborate with others in a team setting
Flexibility to work on a variety of projects
Strong ability to multi-task
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel
Willingness to work occasional weekends and evenings
Applicant must have own vehicle as frequent driving throughout the region and beyond is required. Proof of valid auto insurance.
How to apply
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information of three references with the subject line “Procurement Specialist” to jobs@caff.org by July 8, 2015.
CAFF’s policy is that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation.