Community Garden Project Manager

Grow Pittsburgh•Pittsburgh, PA

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Community Projects Department builds and supports sustainable, independent community food gardens. The program has been operating for 15 seasons and in that time we have built over 40 community gardens. We also provide support to more than 160 existing community gardens in Allegheny County through our Community Garden Network, the Community Garden Sustainability Fund, workshops and events. The Community Garden Project Manager is responsible for working alongside neighborhood groups in starting and maintaining community gardens. The primary role of the Community Garden Project Manager will be to support 2-4 community food gardens each year who participate in the new garden program by being the main point of contact for garden groups, coordinating community outreach and garden volunteer days, facilitating meetings, managing infrastructure projects, and providing on-site educational programming and technical assistance. The position requires strong interpersonal skills, experience in project management and community organizing, and a passion for gardening education and food justice. Community Garden Project Manager also maintains relationships with gardeners at sites that are already established, providing materials, education or consultations to community garden groups in the local network, and tailored support as needed to different garden groups. Community Garden Project Managers act in partnership with each other, supporting each other to manage large deliveries, garden builds and workdays, and other work as needed. They support additional Community Projects Department initiatives and general Grow Pittsburgh initiatives as they are able. This position is in person at Grow Pittsburgh’s office in Larimer and at garden sites throughout Allegheny County, with flexibility for a hybrid in person and virtual work environment. Data shows that women and BIPOC candidates more frequently do not apply to a job because they don’t feel that they meet all of the qualifications listed. Our job descriptions are general overviews, not a mandatory comprehensive list. If you feel passionate about our efforts and believe that you have the skills to contribute to the growth of our organization, we want to hear from you!

Requirements

Experience (2+ years) with organic gardening or farming and use of garden tools
Experience with community organizing and/ or group facilitation in diverse contexts
Experience in an educator role for both youth and adults
Detail-oriented and committed to thorough and transparent communication
Strong work ethic, organized and self-motivated
Ability to work independently and also cooperate as part of a team
Experience working on teams with multiple internal and external partners
Ability to use Google Workspace including spreadsheets and slides
Passion for Grow Pittsburgh’s mission
Physical elements of the job: sitting, standing, carrying, and lifting
Able to lift up to 50 pounds
Able to work outdoors in all weather conditions for up to 8 hours
Must submit PA Child Abuse clearances (Act 33 and Act 34)
Valid Driver's License
Comfort driving large company vehicles as needed for material deliveries

Nice To Haves

Experience with project management preferred especially with green space, landscaping, garden/ farm, or basic carpentry projects
Experience with managing a budget preferred
Access to personal vehicle for mobility throughout county preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary point of contact for community garden groups currently participating in our programs
Maintain regular communication with these gardeners through email and phone
Coordinate and facilitate planning meetings to design, build, and maintain the gardens
Make purchases and coordinate deliveries for gardens
Work alongside volunteers to build garden infrastructure
Support the community garden leaders at each site; address their needs in managing the day-to-day gardening activities, including any problems that arise
Support the community garden group leaders with building community outreach and engagement practices that work for them
Lead - and facilitate others in leading - regular educational opportunities for gardeners
Conduct weekly or biweekly site visits at each garden during the growing season to assess plant health, deliver materials, etc.
Represent Grow Pittsburgh at relevant community events in the neighborhoods where the community gardens are located
Take on CGSF projects each spring and fall round as coordinated by Community Garden Network Program Manager
Be available as additional support when needed for other team members’ site work
Co-facilitate workshops alongside other Community Projects team members as coordinated by the Community Garden Network Program Manager, including How to Start a Community Garden and Community Garden Network general workshops
Participate in Seed Swap event wrangling and management day-of
Attend weekly departmental meetings and biweekly Grow Pittsburgh staff meetings
Track income and expenses to ensure spending is within budget. Log all purchases for gardens, submit receipts, and track budgets in a timely manner
Track volunteer, event, site, and other data for grant reporting and for internal evaluation to measure our programs’ impacts
Document community garden projects with photos, quotes from gardeners, etc for grant reporting
Participate in Community Projects program evaluation and improvement as well as Grow Pittsburgh strategic planning
Contribute to special projects as they arise depending on capacity and budget

Benefits

Full salary range for this position $43,888 to $53,888. Starting salary begins at the lower to mid level.
Great benefits package (valued over $15,000), including medical, vision and dental coverage.
Mileage reimbursement and partial cell phone reimbursement.
Professional development budget provided.

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