Container Farm Coordinator

Container Farm Coordinator

Organization Information

GrowNYC is a 54-year-old environmental nonprofit organization helping more than 3 million New Yorkers by providing essential services and taking action to make NYC a livable city, one where every person can enjoy a healthier, more sustainable life. GrowNYC Programs include:

• Our network of Greenmarkets, Farmstands, and the work of GrowNYC Wholesale ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, healthiest local food.
• We build and support community and school gardens through volunteer days, technical assistance, training, grants and more.
• We provide 70,000 children each year with programs that provide meaningful interactions with the natural environment.

Container Farm Coordinator (Full-Time):

Position Summary

Under the supervision of the Teaching Garden Program Manager, within the Green Space Program, the Container Farm Coordinator is responsible for operating, collecting data from, and maintaining a hydroponic shipping container located at GrowNYC’s Teaching Garden on Governors Island.

In addition to the container farm management, the Container Farm Coordinator will help to facilitate GrowNYC’s Teaching Garden programming. On Sunday, the Coordinator will facilitate weekend public programming by engaging the public, managing our donation-based farm stand, staffing workshops, maintaining the garden, and coordinating site set up and clean up. The Container Farm Coordinator will also facilitate the Teaching Garden’s weekday programming by helping with garden maintenance (with supervision from the Farm Coordinator), leading volunteers, leading environmental education with students, giving tours of the garden, among other tasks.

Requirements

Container Farm Coordinator Responsibilities (Include but are not limited to):

Manage the Container Farm

• Manage the growth of edible and ornamental plants in our Freight Farms hydroponic shipping container.
• Tasks can include germinating seedlings, monitoring nutrient and pH levels, managing cooling/lighting/ventilation systems, pest management, ordering supplies, and collecting data.
• Assist with distribution of harvested produce to donation partner(s).
• Write and collaborate with other GrowNYC staff on the creation of social media posts, funder reports, curriculum, and promotional materials.
• Occasionally host educational workshops/webinars in partnership with Teaching Garden and School Gardens teams.
• Engage in ongoing project discussions, calls or webcasts as needed to share experiences and project learnings.

Work in the Teaching Garden

• Manage public weekend hours on Sunday (set up, clean up, engage the public, garden maintenance, manage the farmstand, support in hosting activities and workshops).
• Assist with general garden maintenance (with supervision from the Farm Coordinator) including but not limited to weeding, planting, harvesting, watering, fertilizing, and pest-management.
• Assist with K-12 garden education (with supervision from the Education Coordinator).
• Co-lead and assist with corporate volunteer events.
• Assist in the construction of the teaching garden’s new site.

Qualifications

• Knowledge and experience with a Freight Farms or similar hydroponic growing system, including seed starting, transplanting, monitoring nutrients, pH, and water levels.
• Aquaponics system maintenance experience including but not limited to, lighting, ventilation, cooling, heating
• Experience working with diverse populations (K-12 students, adult volunteers, older adults, members of the public).
• Experience leading public tours, or working with diverse populations such as volunteers and members of the general public.

Ideal Qualification

• Experience with leading groups of K-12 students and adult volunteers.
• Experience with urban farming or agriculture.
• Fluency in a language other than English.

Physical Requirements

Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and stand for long periods of time.

Schedule

35-40 hours a week.

Between November and April: Monday - Friday; 9am- 5pm. Three in-office days are expected, office presence is mandatory on

Wednesdays.

Between May and October: Sunday - Thursday; Sunday (10am-5pm), Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm with some flexibility.

Compensation

The position is non-exempt, full-time and salaried.It pays $50,000 per year and includes full benefits (medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long-term disability, incentive savings plan, paid time off, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and potential for parental leave for full-time regular employees who have been employed with GrowNYC for 175 days and FSA programs). This position is union eligible. The duration of the role is through December 31st, 2025 and any renewal is dependent on grant funding.

Location

Governors Island and our downtown Manhattan office. Staff should expect to be on-site on Governors Island during peak growing season (March to November) and in the office at least three days a week (presence in the office on Wednesdays is mandatory) during the off-season (December to February).

Applications

Qualified candidates for the Container Farm Coordinator position should submit a cover letter, resume, and three references.

Interviews will take place on a rolling basis. Due to the volume of employment applications received, GrowNYC is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate. No phone calls or recruiters, please.

Application deadline is February 28th, 2025

Contact

GrowNYC

P.O. Box 2327

New York, NY 10272

212-788-7900

For additional information, please see our website: grownyc.org

GrowNYC is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer and hires without regard to race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation or physical disability.