The POP Food Market Manager is the operational and strategic lead for the POP Food Market. POP Food Market, a project of Farmer Foodshare, is a social mission foodhub, providing farm product aggregation and distribution from small/mid-scale farms to institutional customers in the Triangle. The POP Food Market Manager works closely with a variety of regional farmers, customers and volunteers to connect the right food at the right price to agencies, institutions, businesses and community groups that are increasing fresh food access.

Core manager responsibilities include food procurement and delivery, farmer recruitment and retention, farm inspections, customer service, business and sales strategy, data analysis, record keeping, and team management (interns, volunteers and delivery drivers). Working closely with Farmer Foodshare’s leadership team, the POP Food Market manager will grow POP Food Market’s operational effectiveness as well as its customer and farmer base. The position is 40 hours per week, with Saturday morning work required. 

Community food security work can be demanding. Successful candidates must have an extremely strong work ethic and be personally motivated to work with partners to solve hunger, malnutrition and increase fresh food access through connecting food service providers more effectively to regional farms. As a young nonprofit startup with a great team of creative and committed food justice innovators, Farmer Foodshare provides a fast moving, but uniquely collaborative, respectful, and team-oriented working environment.

Background - POP Food Market: POP Food Market is a foodhub project of Farmer Foodshare. Launched in September 2011, POP Food Market provides local food to nonprofit organizations and community enterprises that provide fresh food access in the Triangle. POP Food Market seeks customers who want to support the local food economy and are interested in improving access to, education about and enjoyment of fresh locally and regionally grown food. This program aims to increase the health of our community and boost farm sustainability. We believe everyone deserves the highest quality nutritious food and farmers should be paid a living wage. Currently, POP Food Market sells to agencies, churches, daycare centers, social mission driven businesses and other community organizations. Although POP Food Market is a program within a nonprofit organization, it operates as a small startup business. (POP stands for “Pennies on the Pound.”) Learn more at farmerfoodshare.org or popfood.org.

Background - Farmer Foodshare: Farmer Foodshare is a nonprofit social enterprise that raises funds and donations of fresh food for those at risk for hunger or malnutrition, while building healthy community food systems and enhancing community economic development. Founded at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market in Carrboro, NC in 2009, we connect people who grow food with people who need food — and we try to do it in ways that are financially sustainable and socially just for everyone. Learn more at farmerfoodshare.org. Farmer Foodshare is based in Chapel Hill/Carrboro and Durham, North Carolina.

Necessary qualities:

• Deeply passionate about growing the local food economy, particularly as it pertains to food security and local agriculture
• Professional, flexible, creative problem-solver, team-oriented and comfortable working in a startup atmosphere 
• Customer-focused, well-organized and detail oriented, excellent at logistics matching suppliers with buyers
• Experience in agriculture and/or working with a diverse set of farmers and buying/selling local fresh food
• Strong communication, time management, and writing skills
• Proficient in basic math for business planning (pricing, P&L oversight) and record keeping
• Minimum 3-4 years work experience, with 1-2 years management experience (people, programs, or operations)
• Diplomatic, a good listener, solutions-oriented
• Able to lift 40 lbs
• Clean driving record
  

Highly desirable qualities:

• MBA/business coursework, or equivalent experience, strong undergraduate GPA
• Experience starting and/or running a social enterprise, particularly in food systems
• Knowledge of marketing/sales strategies
  

The position is grant-funded and full-time, exempt, with a salary range of $30K - $42K, based on experience. The position includes a healthcare stipend, collaborative working environment, and paid vacation. The position is currently funded for two years.

We would like to fill the position immediately. Applications will be accepted in August or until the position is filled. Please send resume, cover letter and three references to jobs@farmerfoodshare.org. No phone calls, please.