JOB OPPORTUNITIES

 

Job Title: Harvest Kitchen Education Manager

Status: Exempt, Full-Time

Pay Range: $48,000-$58,000 yearly

Program / Department: Harvest Kitchen

Location: Harvest Kitchen 2 Bailey St. Pawtucket RI 02909

Reports To: Harvest Kitchen Program Director

JOB SUMMARY

The Harvest Kitchen Program Education Manager, reporting directly to the Harvest Kitchen Program Director, is responsible for managing all aspects of Harvest Kitchen culinary education programming including: culinary curriculum, trainee support, relationships with internship sites, communication with RI Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF), and Harvest Kitchen daily kitchen operations and maintenance.

Harvest Kitchen (HK) is part of Farm Fresh Rhode Island's initiative to increase the variety of value-added local farm products available, and part of the Farm Fresh mission to create a community-based food system. All products created by the Harvest Kitchen use ingredients sourced from local farms. Harvest Kitchen covers multiple facets of programming, including a 20-week culinary and job-readiness training program for youth within the Division of Juvenile Corrections. The program focuses on empowering youth to understand how their activities connect to the local food system and the local food movement at large, providing workforce development, while gaining necessary skills and experiences to be able to pursue their personal and professional goals. 

The Harvest Kitchen Education Manager prioritizes tasks weekly with the Harvest Kitchen Program Director to plan and execute food preparation, Harvest Kitchen’s food service and value added products, with a specific focus on how to engage trainees in the operations of the Harvest Kitchen workspace and production. The Education Manager will ensure the long-term success and viability of Harvest Kitchen by providing consistent, quality programming, and supporting key partnerships to foster the growth, development and credibility of the Harvest Kitchen Program.  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Trainee Education Program

• Maintain communication with DCYF staff & RI Training School staff to facilitate program referrals, information for court, and schedule meetings as needed. Updating quarterly reports and monthly invoices with the assistance of the HK Program Director and Business & Administration Department.
• Prepare and implement day to day HK job training curriculum; meeting weekly benchmarks according to HK curriculum.
• Manage the scheduling for trainee field trips, experiential learning, and transportation plans.
• Maintain honest relationship with youth - listening and advising youth through personal & professional struggles.
• Work with the Community Education Manager to incorporate the importance of food system awareness into trainee education. 
• Participate in Harvest Kitchen trainee progress reports.
• Manage daily behavioral issues according to the HK Trainee Handbook.
• Work with Catalyst Kitchen resources to make adjustments and improvements to the education as necessary. 

Supervision

• Directly supervise the Harvest Kitchen cafe and catering staff and the Harvest Kitchen AmeriCorps member with the assistance of the HK Program Director.
• With the Program Director, manage the Bayley Street weekly staff schedule - taking into consideration class events, holidays, catering, and assorted events that may be happening.
• With the Program Director, schedule and participate in trainee interviews & final session selections.
• Supervise and lead the development of HK job training curriculum in partnership with Harvest Kitchen AmeriCorps members and interns.
• Assist with Harvest Kitchen volunteer and intern training as needed.
• Ensure accurate trainee timesheets are recorded and stipends are paid every two weeks.

Administrative

• Collect and update the necessary data and program outcomes for grant reporting.
• Document program activities/updates in Farm Fresh RI’s weekly staff email and annual newsletter.

• Participate in Farm Fresh RI staff meetings and provide updates, when able.
• Participate in monthly and/or quarterly budget and HK planning meetings as needed.
• Host visitors and tours in the kitchen as needed.
• Maintain Food Safety Manager certification status.
• Have currently or will pursue an Acidified Foods Certification with the financial assistance from Farm Fresh Rhode Island.
• Uphold appropriate RIDOH, Narragansett Bay, and FDA paperwork logs and standards for the Bayley St Kitchen.
• Ensure Bayley St Kitchen equipment is maintained in good working order and daily kitchen logs and cleaning checklists are completed. Schedule annual or bi-anual maintenance for equipment.

In fulfilling these responsibilities, Harvest Kitchen Education Manager will:

• • Manage daily kitchen activities, recognizing budgeting and portion control.

• Promote the mission, values and goals of Farm Fresh Rhode Island and Harvest Kitchen.

• Manage trainees - provide them with meaningful learning experiences and structure that will prepare them for future successful employment.

• Ensure adherence of Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s mission and all Harvest Kitchen policies as stated in the Harvest Kitchen Handbook.

• Lead projects with trainees which develop multifaceted learning opportunities.

• Encourage and evaluate goals of trainees during progress reports (every 5 weeks).

• Develop relationships within the community and establish internship sites. 

Choice of Action

• Must be able to distinguish priority of tasks while adhering to curriculum and food production deadlines. If in doubt, seek clarification from the Program Director.
• Must have a high level of awareness when working with adjudicated youth. Safety of all staff and participants is the highest priority. Inappropriate conduct, language, guests, etc. must be addressed immediately. 

• Must understand and identify the relationship between seasonality of food and developing learning activities which addresses local, sustainable and equitable food systems. 
• Must show high levels of initiative and proactively recommend enhancements of curriculum and program structure based on learning levels of trainees.

Organizational Responsibilities

• Must uphold Farm Fresh RI Supervisor Standards in accordance with Tier 3.
• Must be able to build relationships with people from varied cultural, economic, educational, racial, and religious backgrounds.
• Must be able to collaborate and work on cross-program & departmental teams and efforts.
• Must maintain a customer service orientation while considering solutions and interacting with external partners.  

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES NEEDED TO PERFORM THIS ROLE

• Must be able to think, react, iterate, and redirect in a fast-paced environment
• Self-starter and ability to maintain a self-motivating attitude
• Passion for local food systems and social justice
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to juggle and track multiple tasks and responsibilities
• Demonstrated commitment to the success of co-workers and Farm Fresh RI’s mission and values
• Strong project management skills and ability to prioritize and handle a variety of assignments simultaneously in a vibrant work environment
• Available to work a flexible schedule, generally Monday-Friday
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, etc)
• Ability to build relationships with people from varied cultural, economic, educational, racial, and religious backgrounds
• Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills (patience, respect, transparency)
• Self-starter and ability to maintain a self-motivating attitude
• Passion for local food systems and social justice
• Strong organizational skills with an ability to juggle and track multiple tasks

PHYSICAL DEMANDS (PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL) 

The following capabilities are required in order to perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations that do not create an undue burden on the company are available to address the following requirements.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit/stand for long periods of time at a desk; use hands to handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls on computers; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear in meetings and on the telephone or on the computer in an office or variable setting.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Employees must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to travel, which may include travel via car, train, airline, overnight hotel stays.

Salary and Benefits:

• Salary Range: $48,000 - $58,000 annually
• PTO, sick, and paid holidays
• Monthly contributions to flexible health, dental, and life insurance plans
• 401k retirement plan option with up to 3% employer match
• Annual professional development credit and opportunities

To Apply:

Please send resume and cover letter to sean.kontos@farmfreshri.org with the subject line Education Manager.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. No phone calls or drop-ins please.

 

Job Title: Harvest Kitchen Program Support

Status: Full-Time Hourly Position (40 hrs/wk)

Reports to: Harvest Kitchen Program Director

Position Summary

Farm Fresh Rhode Island seeks an outgoing and energetic youth culinary-based education trainer and program support with demonstrated initiative and clear organizational and communication skills to build capacity for the Farm Fresh RI Harvest Kitchen program. Harvest Kitchen is a 20-week culinary and job-readiness training program for youth within the Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF). The youth create a line of high-quality preserved foods using ingredients sourced from local farms, while building a stable foundation to maintain employment beyond their time with Harvest Kitchen. This position offers a unique opportunity to support existing trainees through curriculum enhancement and evaluation, develop partnerships with local social service agencies, prepare high-quality food for the cafe and catered events, and assist Harvest Kitchen program staff in referring and supporting youth trainees to additional programs beyond the Harvest Kitchen program. 

Harvest Kitchen (HK) is part of Farm Fresh Rhode Island's initiative to increase the variety of value-added local farm products available, and part of the Farm Fresh RI mission to create a community-based food system. Started in 2010, Harvest Kitchen covers multiple facets of programming, including a 20-week culinary and job-readiness training program for youth that are involved with the RI Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF); and a sister production/training program that operates within the Rhode Island Training School. All products created by Harvest Kitchen use ingredients sourced from local farms. The program focuses on empowering youth to understand how their activities connect to the local food system while gaining the necessary skills and experiences to be able to pursue their personal and professional goals. 

This role demands an ability to stay organized and readily jump back and forth between diverse task areas. Key position responsibilities will include maintaining positive relationships with customers, working with the Assistant Director of Marketing, posting and updating Harvest Kitchen social media, assistance in management of the Harvest Kitchen Cafe, clear and responsive communication with the Harvest Kitchen Program Director either in person or via phone/text/email, management and maintenance of the HK Point of Sale system. Successful candidates will have a passion for the local food system, the drive to help opportunity youth, be highly motivated, and be able to work autonomously with integrity, attention to detail, and enthusiasm. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Communications & Administrative Tasks

• In collaboration with the Associate Director of Marketing, assist with social media efforts by taking photos of the cafe, class, etc and uploading them to the HK photo library and Instagram and Facebook accounts
• Work with the HK Program Director to develop engaging activities, both inside the kitchen and out, with the goal of deepening the experiential learning opportunities for the students.
• Scheduling and management of catered events, response to event inquiries, and updating calendar notifications for HK staff regarding catering services and events.

Cafe & Training Support

• Assist in managing the HK Cafe, making sure POS systems are up to date, opening and/or closing the register.
• Support the development of Harvest Kitchen trainees in retail sales functions including customer service, merchandising, and cash handling. 
• Seek opportunities for collaboration between HK trainees and outside organization programs and services.
• Classroom teaching assistance and training support.
• With the support of the HK Director, assist in refining existing Harvest Kitchen training curriculum to deepen activities around food security, farming, and community economic development. 
• Assist in daily activities at Harvest Kitchen including basic preparation of food for the cafe and catered events, production of jarred products, and soft skill development with the trainees.
• Assist in cultivating relationships with new and existing internship sites.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES NEEDED FOR THIS POSITION

• Available to work a flexible schedule, generally Monday-Friday
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, etc)
• Ability to build relationships with people from varied cultural, economic, educational, racial, and religious backgrounds
• Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills (patience, respect, transparency)
• Self-starter and ability to maintain a self-motivating attitude
• Passion for local food systems and social justice
• Strong organizational skills with an ability to juggle and track multiple tasks
• Basic math and accounting skills
• Must hold and maintain a valid driver’s license and have access to reliable transportation to deliver catering orders as needed (business mileage will be reimbursed by Farm Fresh RI)
• Retail sales experience is a plus, but not required.
• Spanish speaking is a plus, but not required.
• ServSafe Certification is a plus, but not required immediately upon hiring

PHYSICAL DEMANDS (PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL)

The following capabilities are required in order to perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations that do not create an undue burden on the company are available to address the following requirements:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit/stand for long periods of time at a desk; use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls on computers; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear in meetings and on the telephone or on the computer in an office or variable setting.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Employees must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to travel, which may include travel via car or bus.

Pay & Benefits:

• Full-time, Non-Exempt Position: 40 hours a week
• $22.00/hour plus mileage reimbursement
• 15 days paid time off (PTO) and 14 paid company holidays
• Monthly contributions to flexible health, dental, and life insurance plans
• 3% IRA matching contribution

Organizational Information

Farm Fresh has grown briskly since achieving 501c3 nonprofit status in 2007 — to capture the public interest in locally grown food and translate it into sales for local and regional farmers and producers. Strongly mission-driven, Farm Fresh RI hosts a variety of programs to enhance the local food system, with particular attention on farm viability and low-income access to fresh food. Farm Fresh also operates a range of marketplace programs (retail, wholesale, processing, gleaning) that engage and connect local eaters with the farmers and food producers of Rhode Island and the New England region.

Mission: Farm Fresh Rhode Island is growing a local food system that values the environment, health, and quality of life of the farmers and eaters of New England.

Vision: A New England region abundant with diverse family farms and fertile soils, with locally and honestly produced foods and flavors at the heart of every dinner table.

To Apply:

Please send resume and cover letter to sean.kontos@farmfreshri.org with the subject line Harvest Kitchen Program Support.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. No phone calls or drop-ins, please.