Communications Specialist & Local Food Project Manager

Location: California, partially-remote // Located in and/or commute to San Joaquin Valley region

FTE: 1 FTE

Salary: $55,000 – $70,000 annually

FLSA: Non-exempt

Reports To: Communications Director

Other details: Bilingual proficiency required (fluency preferred)

 

About CAFF

CAFF is a California-based membership organization that includes family farmers and other community members passionate about local food, farming, and the environment.  As a farmer-serving organization, we recognize the historic and lasting inequities in the California food and farming system. We believe farmers of color, and other historically oppressed people, should have the opportunity to create and participate in a food and agriculture system that aligns with their needs, values, identities, knowledge systems, and communities. We commit to advancing racial, gender, and environmental justice in our larger systems, as well as in our own workplace. Currently our programming is focused in four areas: Farm to Market, Policy & Advocacy, Farmer Services, and Ecological Farming.  To learn more about CAFF, our history, and our core values, visit https://www.caff.org/about.

 

Position Summary

Seeking a bilingual project manager and communications professional with a passion for local food and farms and a commitment to growing a more equitable future for the San Joaquin Valley (SJV). In addition to general communications support for CAFF, the Specialist will oversee a regional campaign, coordinating with a marketing firm and several partners, to promote a local food economy while uplifting stories of small-scale, Spanish-speaking, and BIPOC farmers.

Position Overview

The Specialist will play a key role on our Communications Team, supporting CAFF’s overall communications efforts, including but not limited to assisting with the website, social media, blogs, the California Small Farm Conference, and the California Farm Directory.

A significant portion of this role will be focused specifically on the Fresno-Merced Future of Food Innovation (F3) initiative aimed at building a more resilient and sustainable food system for that region. Managing a long-term contract with a marketing firm and collaborating with several local partners, the Specialist will support a new campaign highlighting small farms and locally-grown food, while developing a multicultural, shared regional brand identity rooted in the Fresno region, cultivating new local markets for small-scale, Spanish-speaking and BIPOC producers in particular.

A successful candidate will be passionate about local food, small-scale farms and story-telling, and be self-motivated, detail-oriented, digital media savvy and have demonstrated success in communications. They will implement CAFF’s Racial Equity goals and practices throughout their work.

This is a place-based position. Candidates should either be based in the 5-county San Joaquin Valley (SJV) region or be willing to commute (non-reimbursable) from outside the region to cultivate deep relationships for CAFF/F3. The position will have access to a shared workspace at the UC Kearney Agricultural & Research Extension Center (Parlier, CA) or Downtown Fresno. In addition, candidates should be willing to travel (reimbursable) 2-4 times per year to staff retreats or meetings at our headquarters (Davis, CA).

 

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Essential responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

50%  —  General CAFF Communications

• Serve as a key member of CAFF’s Communications Team and work closely with all members of the team on various projects.
• Assist in ongoing development and implementation of long- and short-term strategic communications plans
• Social media strategy and maintenance
• Assist staff with graphic design, branding, creation of various program materials and multi-media content
• Promotional support of the CA Small Farm Conference
• Manage CAFF’s California Farm Directory

40%  — Regional Food & Farm Marketing, SJV region

• Collaborate with external consultant to design and lead stakeholder group asset mapping, visioning and goal-setting process for the development of a regional SJV marketing campaign
• Oversee contract with marketing firm to design and launch branding and communications campaign for SJV
• Support ongoing promotions of multicultural, in-person farm and food events in the region
• Support public launch and marketing of regional food hub
• Support engagement in a new marketplace for local farmers and food businesses

10%  — Tech Hub Marketing

• Promotion of Small Farm Tech Hub services, including creation of web resources, graphics, social media, etc. to SJV farmers, e.g. development, design, and roll-out of platform for “Appropriate Technology”
• Work with contractors to promote SJV based events where farmers can see tool demonstrations and learn about technologies that can help their business (e.g. Small Farm Tech Expo)
• We know it’s impossible to convey every single task for a particular job in one job description. Our hope is that as we work together, and your role evolves over time, we can adjust your job description accordingly.

 

Qualifications

Educational and Work Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent
• At least 2 years experience working in a marketing, communications and/or project management position
• Experience working with the local food industry, agriculture or related fields preferred. However, more important is a passion for food systems work and CAFF’s mission and values.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong organizational skills with an ability to handle competing demands and multiple priorities
• Effective written and oral communication skills in English with Spanish language proficiency (fluency preferred)
• Demonstrated ability to enhance and effectively deliver programs to diverse audiences through your understanding of self, language, culture, and community
• Strong research background in food systems and/or marketing
• Basic graphic design and branding: Canva, InDesign, Photoshop, or similar
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills. F3 entails multiple partners and industry reps.
• Interest in and curiosity about new technology, both communications tools and farm technology
• Ability to work independently and remotely
• Strong computer skills, including above average knowledge of Google Suite, Wordpress, CRM, online marketing tools or similar
• Social media savvy and enthusiasm: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube
• Willing and able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Desired experience: Salesforce and Adobe Creative Cloud
• Desired experience: Videography

Physical Abilities

• Ability to sit for long periods of time working at a computer.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Requires a full range of physical mobility, such as bending, stooping, lifting, turning, carrying objects, and grasping.

CAFF’s policy is that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation. We strongly encourage those from diverse backgrounds and from historically underserved communities to apply.

To apply: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and sample of your marketing or communications work that you feel is relevant to this position with the subject line “Communications Specialist” to jobs@caff.org. Reference requests will be made further along in the application process.