Fruit Tree Project Manager

POSITION DETAILS Title: Fruit Tree Project Manager Term date: May 20, 2024 - November 9, 2024 Hours/week: 35 hrs per week ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY LifeCycles cultivates healthy communities by bringing people together to grow, harvest, and share local foods. Working in urban gardens and orchards, we are reimagining the way that we live and eat in cities. We believe that food is at the heart of thriving, diverse communities and a healthy planet. Our programs distribute fresh local produce to community members and service agencies, while mentoring the next generation of food leaders. Through transformative learning experiences, we strengthen our connections with each other, the food we eat, and the land it comes from. In doing so, we are building a more resilient and equitable food future. Our projects operate on unceded Coast Salish Territories, specifically the lands of the Lekwungen and WASÁNEC peoples. For more information about what we do, visit: www.lifecyclesproject.ca OVERVIEW We are seeking someone for the position of our Fruit Tree Project Manager for the 2024 season. The LifeCycles Fruit Tree Project Manager will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the operation and management of the Fruit Tree Project. The responsibilities of the Fruit Tree Project Manager will include organization and coordination of fruit harvesting; ensuring appropriate storage and timely distribution of harvested fruit; supervision of other Fruit Tree Project staff; tracking tasks associated with grants and funding; overall project management; maintaining partnerships - related to outreach, distribution and social enterprise ventures; public relations and community outreach. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: PROGRAM MANAGEMENT Oversee the management of our Fruit Tree Project, within budget and grant requirement guidelines, working to deepen all participant’s engagement with local food through educational components Assist with the hiring and training, and lead in the management of a Harvest Support team which may include a Harvest and Volunteer Coordinator as well as a Summer Student Assist FTP staff with the coordination and training of program volunteers Develop and help Team deliver small educational sessions as part of Harvest and Sorting sessions Oversee the appropriate storage and timely distribution of gleaned food Assist in delivering canning and other food skills workshops COMMUNICATIONS AND ADMIN Support the development and execution of program communications, including content creation for: website, social media, print resources and posters Lead in volunteer management, namely through the use of our Gleaning Hub website and similar communications. This includes maintaining the engagement of volunteers - pickers, sorters, volunteer fruit redistributors and data entry volunteers as well as tree owners and fruit recipients Conduct outreach to community members, focusing on reaching underserved groups such as newcomers to Canada, Indigenous Peoples, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, people with visible and invisible disabilities, etc. Field inquiries to fruittreeproject@lifecyclesproject.ca Track grant deliverables, including volunteer participation, harvest yields and educational session dates and details. This includes maintaining a financial management system and the mechanisms for keeping track of expenditures Provide season end reports and other reports as needed by organization SOCIAL ENTERPRISE With the Executive Director, and help develop and oversee the value added products planned for the season, and work with HVC to make sure that distribution decisions fit within this framework. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES Experience with and/or interest in fruit trees (knowledge of fruit varieties, harvesting best practices and fruit tree pollinators would be an asset) Experience working with community-based projects and non-profit organizations Ability to work with a diversity of people Excellent organizational and communication skills Experience recruiting and coordinating volunteers Experience with staff supervision Good computer skills - proficiency in word processing, data input, excel, public speaking & writing, gmail, social media and report writing A valid BC Class 5 or 7 Driver’s License and comfortable driving a large vehicle Must work well independently and as part of a team Commitment to and awareness of food, health, poverty and transforming our food systems - awareness of food security issues and sustainability on Vancouver Island Must be able to lift and move up to 40 pounds Please send applications by email to alexmcardle@lifecyclesproject.ca We will begin reviewing applications on May 1st, 2024 and will continue to accept applications until the position is filled.