Job Description

About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world’s leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our https://strategicplan.berkeley.edu/guiding-values-and-principles/, our https://diversity.berkeley.edu/principles-community, and https://strategicplan.berkeley.edu/https://strategicplan.berkeley.edu

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. To find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley, visit https://hr.berkeley.edu/grow.

Departmental Overview

The Berkeley Food Institute seeks to transform food systems to expand access to healthy, affordable food and promote sustainable and equitable food production. We empower new leaders with capacities to cultivate diverse, just, resilient, and healthy food systems.

This position will serve as project coordinator for Berkeley’s food-producing campus gardens and farms, supporting cooperation between Berkeley Student Farms, Berkeley Food Institute, Basic Needs Center, and the Berkeley Agroecology Lab*. This is a full-time contract appointment for 12 months with the possibility for renewal if additional funds are secured. Agroecology is a framework for creating ecologically-based and socially-just food systems through research, farming practices, political action, and social change. Wellness attends to the physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs of individuals to create a thriving community where all people feel a sense of belonging and wellbeing.

The Agroecology and Wellness Coordinator will integrate and promote these two principles through their work, providing student mentorship, coordination, administration, and logistical support for all campus gardens and their supporting departments, and bolstering their role as sites of research, education, student wellness, and food production. This position will also be responsible for coordinating food deliveries to the student food pantry, improving integration with Basic Needs Center programs, and increasing wellness impacts of Berkeley Student Farms. Overall, experienced coordination between campus food-producing garden sites will serve to uplift student leadership, support student wellness, address campus food insecurity, improve data collection and grant reporting, improve cross-campus and cross-administrative communication, ensure safety and regulatory compliance, and increase agroecological education and mentorship.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: 02/27/2023.

Responsibilities

Project Management and Campus, Farm, and Basic Needs Coordination.

• Assists with assessing and monitoring policies and procedures for Berkeley Student Farms.
• Evaluates and investigates opportunities for improvement, working closely with all project partners to coordinate campus food production and distribution efforts designed to increase food security among students and staff and support the continuity of student leadership and internship opportunities across all campus gardens.
• To those ends, attend regular Berkeley Student Farms meetings, host regular office hours, and maintain direct communication by email, phone or in-person with participants in BSF as well as “Land as Wellness” project partners while respecting each organization’s governance structure.
• Provide best practices for food delivery, group calendaring, attendance tracking, harvesting, COVID safety compliance, and other necessary information.
• Serve as a professional staff liaison to campus colleagues involved in farms and gardens.

Documents activities and follows up in accordance with relevant policies and regulations with Facilities, Grounds, etc.

• Provides research and writing support to grant proposals, meeting summaries and reports.
• Holds check-in meetings to ensure student groups and departments are logging their expenses for the financial reporting requirements of the “Land as Wellness” project.
• Communicates expense progress with grant reporters (Berkeley Student Farms members and Berkeley Food Institute staff).
• Ensures that campus farms and gardens meet university environmental health and safety standards.

Contacts agencies and research partners as needed to coordinate planning.

• Seeks out community connections and partnerships that create experiential, land-based learning opportunities for students.

Participates in training activities on research methods and measurement (approximately three trainings per semester) to student gardeners in seeding and greenhouse management, transplanting, irrigation construction and maintenance, harvesting, pruning, fertilization, and on-farm construction.

• Ensure that materials (tools, seeds, etc.) are well kept and available to all students participating in BSF.
• This may require as needed procurement of supplies with local vendors.

Required Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of safety, legal, cultural and regulatory requirements relative to field research responsibility.
• Thorough knowledge of the agroecology or food sovereignty research discipline, principles, concepts, analysis and/or operations.
• Thorough knowledge of and/or can quickly learn local customs and operations at Berkeley Student Farms.
• Experience managing farm and garden operations, including knowledge of crop planning, seeding, transplanting, irrigation, harvesting, pruning, plant care, soil management, etc.
• Ability to source critical farm and garden infrastructure, supplies, and materials.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain strategic relationships and partnerships.
• Excellent communicator, effective facilitator, and good problem solver.
• Cultural competency and humility to work across languages, cultures, styles, and opinions in a diverse public university context and produce results.
• Proven ability to work independently and with a team, and to meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Strong attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Proficient in basic office management software (Google Suite, Email, Word, Excel).
• Proven ability to work in ambiguous conditions and take relevant responsible action as required.
• Experience working with Indigenous plants, land preparation, and stewardship.
• Knowledge about agriculture, wellness and food justice organizations within the Bay Area and beyond.
• Experience with community building and conflict resolution.
• Must maintain valid CA driver’s license and clean DMV record.
• Bachelor’s degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

Salary & Benefits

This is a 1yr, full-time (40 hours/week), contract appointment, eligible for full UC benefits with the possibility of extension. This is a monthly paid, exempt position.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California’s Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $65,000.00 – $75,000.00.

How to Apply

• To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Other Information

• This is not a visa opportunity.
• This position is eligible for 25% remote work.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Mandated Reporter

This position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter required to report the observed or suspected abuse or neglect of children, dependent adults, or elders to designated law enforcement or social service agencies. We reserve the right to make employment contingent upon completion of signed statements acknowledging the responsibilities of a Mandated Reporter.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the https://www.eeoc.gov/know-your-rights-workplace-discrimination-illegal-poster poster.

For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, please see the University of California http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct policy.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Sustainable Agriculture / Food. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 60,000 - 80,000.

Apply for this Job