Program Coordinator

Reporting to the Stewardship & Education Manager, the Program Coordinator will work closely with BFFC’s park stewardship teams to support and enhance their volunteer engagement efforts. This position will focus on partnering with park stewards to help define their volunteer recruitment goals, provide tools and training, and ensure a sustainable system that empowers stewards to attract and retain volunteers. This role will also support community events and workshops to foster a sense of community around BFFC’s food forest parks. The role will be tasked with increasing the number of stewards, volunteers, and park goers at each food forest. This is an exciting opportunity to engage with the community to develop programming that helps to build resilience in Boston through more equitable access to healthy green space and greater connection to each other and the natural world.

Ideal candidates have at least 3+ years of experience in volunteer management, community organizing, or nonprofit program management. We’re looking for someone with exceptional interpersonal and organizational skills and a passion for community engagement. Additionally, the ideal candidate will be a self-starter who can work independently and collaboratively, with a strong desire to learn and grow.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with Stewardship Teams on Volunteer & Neighborhood Engagement

• Partner with stewardship teams to help them define clear goals for volunteer recruitment, retention, and engagement based on the needs of their specific garden spaces.
• Support stewards in recruiting and onboarding volunteers, ensuring the process is efficient and welcoming.
• Provide stewards with the tools, resources, and training necessary to effectively manage volunteers within their teams.
• Drive recruitment and engagement in each food forest neighborhood, and through online sources (e.g., BFFC’s website).
• Assist stewards in tracking volunteer participation and ensuring that volunteers are properly recognized and appreciated.
• Measure, analyze, and report program progress and areas for improvement.

Support Community Events

• Offer logistical support and help facilitate workshops, harvest festivals, and other community events at the food forests each season.
• Support educational workshops and neighborhood event planning and execution.
• Participate in BFFC community events with stewardship teams.

Steward Capacity Building and Community Outreach

• Oversee volunteer data collection.
• Support stewards as they reach out to community organizations to form partnerships.
• Assist with outreach efforts, including social media and flier design, to promote events, volunteer opportunities, and workshops in collaboration with stewards.
• Conduct outreach directly to neighbors through door knocking, in-neighborhood marketing (like chalking and flyering), and tabling at community events.
• Manage intake of volunteers through the BFFC website, matching volunteers to opportunities where they are most needed.
• Develop plans and materials for effective volunteer engagement and in-neighborhood marketing.

Support Organizational Goals Across Departments- Stewardship, Education, Maintenance

• Support the Education & Stewardship Manager with stewardship team support, including educational workshop planning and delivery, creating educational materials, and teaching/supporting workshops and steward events.
• When needed, support the park teams with maintenance tasks as needed, e.g., planting, weeding a pathway, pruning, mulching, etc.
• Support the Education & Stewardship Manager with administrative and operational tasks.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of professional experience with demonstrated success in volunteer management and coordination, community organizing, or similar roles.
• Experience planning events or community gatherings
• Experience managing a database and/or coordinating digital volunteer information
• Experience building and maintaining positive relationships with people of different backgrounds and identities to meet mutual goals and outcomes
• Familiarity or interest in urban gardening, sustainable practices, and garden education. Knowledge of Boston’s urban agriculture sector is a plus!
• Experience with social media outreach and basic design tools (e.g., Canva) is a plus.
• Multilingual skills, particularly in Spanish or languages commonly spoken in Boston, are preferred.
• Valid driver's license is a plus.

Skills

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Action-oriented with strong creativity and problem-solving skills to navigate complex community dynamics in Boston.
• Excellent organizational skills and capacity to prioritize and manage time well, with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work across lines of difference and build consensus both internally and externally. High level of emotional intelligence and cultural awareness.
• Ability to work as a self-starter without oversight, and as a team player who productively engages with others within and outside the organization.
• Ability and desire to learn and grow in new situations and from mistakes; actively integrates feedback to improve.
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal) and the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse communities and stakeholders.
• Familiar with using web browsers and Google suite tools (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets), or similar with willingness to learn Google suite.

Location & Schedule

• This is a Boston, Massachusetts-based position that will require frequent travel between Boston neighborhoods.
• The position will include a mix of in-person and virtual/remote work, with significant time spent meeting with community members and managing on-site food forest construction, which will include weekly nights and weekends.
• This position has fluctuating Tuesday-Saturday and Monday-Friday work weeks depending on the season and the needs of the work. Many work days end in the evening after working with volunteer stewards. BFFC is committed to sustainability and supports staff in taking time off to balance evening and weekend hours.
• We ask all staff to abide by COVID-19 guidance set by the City of Boston.