PROGRAM Manager
RANCHO SAN BENITO JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Position: Program Manager
Schedule: Part time, 20 hrs/week, with the possibility of becoming a full-time employee
Compensation: Contract position at $35/hr or commensurate with experience
Location: Half Moon Bay, California
Report To: Stacy McCarthy, member of the Board of Directors
About the organization:
Rancho San Benito (RSB) supports farmworkers to take greater ownership of how they farm, what they grow, and where they sell, with the goal of improving their economic status and social condition. Now in its first operational year, RSB provides access to land, supplies, and equipment which will enable program participants to learn and practice ancestral regenerative farming methods, as well as the basics of farm operations, economics, marketing, and management, making it possible for them to sell their own crops and products with RSB’s support. RSB’s hope is to equip participants to become farm owners or operators on their own land following the RSB program, should they choose. RSB is located on agricultural land on Ohlone Territory, in the Wavecrest area of Half Moon Bay. Together, we are growing healing food, medicine, and community, enriching the cultural, educational, economic, and social justice of farmworker communities of the San Mateo County coastside.
Role Summary:
We are seeking a skilled and passionate Program Manager to lead Rancho San Benito’s operations. The ideal candidate will be responsible for overseeing the planning and delivery of multiple activities, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and to our quality standards. This role involves coordinating efforts across the team, farmworkers, donors and board members, and continuously improving our processes to achieve measurable progress toward our mission.
The major roles of the Rancho San Benito Program Manager (PM) are:
Plan and deliver core program activities
Serve as the organization’s external communications lead
Manage administrative matters, the budget, and donor engagement
Detailed responsibilities:
Plan and deliver core program activities:
Co-create and maintain a clear project management plan that encompasses near- and medium-term priorities for the organization
Lead the process to identify and secure market channels for RSB’s produce (hay and flowers grown by the program; various items grown by the participants), in collaboration with the Farm Manager
Assist the Farm Manager if needed on their duties supporting the farmworkers – especially training, production, and farm infrastructure and equipment needs
Lead on other RSB activities that may be identified as the organization matures
Serve as the organization’s external communications lead:
Collaborate with a designer to establish a website for RSB, including a donor link
Where needed, establish a social media presence for RSB
Create and post social media that amplifies opportunities, successes, and farmer perspectives related to RSB’s activities
Establish and maintain a communications plan for the organization, including public speaking events for its Advisor/Ambassador and any other team member
Seek and secure opportunities to amplify RSB farmers’ voices
Manage administrative matters, the budget, donor engagement, and results measurement:
Create and maintain basic operational systems e.g. file management system, CRM, project management system, Zoom account, P.O. box, email accounts, payroll, etc.
Manage the budget, ensuring timely receipt of grant transfers, proper payment of expenses, etc, and present budget updates on a regular basis to the Board
Serve as the operational contact person for existing donors, leading timely, accurate and polished donor reporting
Co-create foundational documents expressing RSB’s policies - namely, a Policy Manual that describes the organization’s policies (e.g. around fair/equitable hiring) and a separate Agroecology Policy that specifies the kind of agricultural production methods we believe in and the related expectations for these in the training curriculum and on-farm production activities
Assist with new fundraising efforts
Manage the administrative aspects of any new team member recruitment
Co-create a results measurement framework and track results against it
Liaise with the Board to support their meetings with information updates and operational tasks as needed
General duties:
Participate in staff meetings, trainings, and DEI efforts
Provide a regular log of activities to line manager, as requested
Conduct other appropriate duties as assigned by the Board of Directors
Qualifications
Desired skills:
Minimum three, ideally five years of program management experience
Communication, organizing, and coordination skills to be able to work in a team, strategize, vision, and cooperate on multiple activities simultaneously
Experience using Google Drive Suite (Docs, Sheets), program management software, Zoom, and other administrative tools
Budget management experience
Donor engagement experience
Excellent communication skills for social media
Experience developing buyer relationships for agricultural produce (optional)
Knowledge of farm business practices, marketing, recordkeeping, and data collection (optional)
Bilingual Spanish (optional but highly preferred)
A passion for agroecology; an appreciation of food/race/gender/economic/environmental justice, and an alignment with restorative justice, embodiment practices, and prioritizing organizational wellness culture and equity policies
Additional requirements:
Maintain responsible behavior; work both independently and as part of a team; comply with organizational tenets as outlined in the Rancho San Benito Employee Handbook
Work remotely with your own computer and office equipment
Have access to reliable transportation to Half Moon Bay (noting that there is no physical office, but presence on the farm and in other venues will be regularly needed)
Provide proof of valid driver license & insurance
Submit to and pass fingerprint/Department of Justice background check and TB test
Application Instructions:
Please send the following to hiringforRSB@gmail.com with the subject line “RSB Program Manager Application - [YOUR NAME]”:
Cover letter
Résumé
Contact information for three professional references
Low income, people of color, women, LBGTQ, and/or local residents are particularly encouraged to apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting on June 10th 2024, and the position will commence as soon as possible. Due to the anticipated volume of responses, only candidates requested for interviews will be contacted.
Rancho San Benito is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected Veteran status in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.
