Job Description

Who We Are

Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (“Snug Harbor”) offers dynamic programming in the arts, horticulture, agriculture, education, and recreation for diverse cultures and all ages on a historic, welcoming campus that is a unique oasis in New York City.  We envision being a nationally visible yet locally impactful cultural organization beloved by all who visit.  We value artistic vibrancy, stewardship, conservation, inclusion, community, communication, and discovery.  Located less than 1.5 miles from the Staten Island Ferry and easily accessible by public transportation, Snug Harbor welcomes nearly 500,000 visitors each year to explore our gardens, grounds, and galleries.  Our 83-acre campus features 26 architecturally significant buildings and 14 distinctive gardens, including a traditional Chinese garden and a Tuscan garden.  A vibrant cultural hub, Snug Harbor is also home to several non-profit institutions, artists’ studios, and small businesses.  Founded in the 19^th century as a charitable rest home for sailors, today Snug Harbor is a growing, must-see destination.

The Position:

The Snug Harbor Heritage Farm Training Coordinator helps grow and maintain our 2.5-acre production farm with fellow farmers, volunteers, and local workforce development programs.   As one of the largest urban farms in NYC, we grow over 100 varieties of crops for our 20-week CSA, as well as on-site farm stands and institutional clients.

Snug Harbor sees volunteer engagement as a crucial component of our organization’s vision, seeking to meaningfully engage and develop our community, building civic mindedness through transformative experiences in the arts and sciences. Annually, the farm hosts over 150 individual volunteers and workforce development participants. This role will support training and overseeing these groups in all aspects of farming, from field preparation and starting seedlings in our greenhouses to spreading compost, cover cropping, and everything in between. The Farm Training Coordinator role is central in volunteer management at Heritage Farm. Experience leading, motivating and working with diverse groups of people is highly preferred.

This is a highly physical role. Team Members work standing, bending, crouching, pulling, pushing, and using basic hand tools in all weather conditions (including rain and extreme heat) while maintaining a fast and efficient pace working with volunteers.

This position reports to the Manager, Heritage Farm as part of the Community Impact Team.

Responsibilities:

Farming and Land Management

• Perform various farm labor tasks with a constant improvement mindset
• Transplant, thin, propagate, direct seed, cultivate, trellis, prune, weed, harvest, and wash produce, track production in coordination with Manager
• Support CSA and market days
• Support processing and usage of compost as it pertains to building healthy soils community wide, including organics collection and compost processing
• Perform landscaping tasks such as weed whacking, mowing, and mulching, pruning, and other site management tasks as needed
• Perform snow removal, with expectations of availability during inclement weather

Volunteers and Education

• Embody and communicate Snug Harbor’s mission, vision and values, fostering a welcoming work environment for all
• Work closely with the Service Learning Coordinator and the Education Department to deliver programs and report impact. Participate in volunteer outreach and identify and assess volunteer skills needed to ensure effective outreach efforts
• Train farm volunteers and workforce development participants in meaningful agricultural work, motivating volunteers to complete tasks in a timely manner with attention to detail while following all safety measures according to relevant OSHA standards
• Create work plans and schedules. Provide logistics and support to volunteer groups and communicate volunteer agendas to the Service Learning Coordinator
• Track farm volunteer service, collaborating weekly with Community Impact team members to assess individual volunteer experience and skills acquisition and impact on farm production
• Identify opportunities to recognize volunteer contributions and analyze volunteer surveys to recommend program improvements.
• Review, identify, and develop resources for volunteers, including training materials, checklists, manuals, etc.
• Create volunteer information sessions for potential volunteers to learn more about the roles volunteers can play at the Heritage Farm

Community Impact Team Support

• Drive company vehicles offsite to make purchases and deliveries, as well as support programming initiatives, local partners, and site operations
• Coordinate with Community Impact team members to provide weekly checks on all Community Impact Team vehicles, including the bobcat. Checks consist of fuel levels, warning lights, tire pressure, fluid levels, registration and inspection expiry dates, mileage, insurance, running hours, and other issues associated with vehicle care
• Update and advance the Farm Training Manual, which includes standard operating procedures, policies, and references.  Complete administrative paperwork, including daily and weekly agendas, work orders, purchase orders, inventories, and crop plan updates

Qualifications:

• Experience working outdoors with physically demanding work for extended periods of time in all weather conditions (including rain and extreme heat) while maintaining a fast and efficient pace
• Ability to lift 50 lbs regularly and be able to stand, squat, kneel, bend, and crouch for extended periods of time in all weather conditions
• Interest in actively engaging community members in small-scale production agriculture and the techniques used in organic, low-till farming and teaching others the importance of this type of work
• Able to manage multiple tasks at once while managing time well
• Ability to learn and teach new tasks quickly and execute them immediately, including the use of hand and power tools
• Ability to follow all safety protocols
• Exemplary communication skills and workplace professionalism, including appropriate work attire, positive attitude, timeliness, and adaptability
• Enthusiasm and commitment to being an active and flexible member of a small team
• A valid driver’s license is required
• Food handling certification preferred
• English facility required; Spanish facility preferred

Salary:

The salary range is from $18.00 – $20.00 per hour, depending on experience. This is a full-time position, generally working a 35-hour work week. Weekend work will be required for this position. Typical hours are 8:30 am-4:30 pm, but dependent on weather and business needs. Snug Harbor offers a generous vacation/holiday schedule and participation in the Cultural Institutions Retirement System pension plan.

How to Apply

TO APPLY

Qualified candidates should complete the employee application form by visiting https://snug-harbor.org/jobapplication/. We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Selected candidates will be asked to work on the farm for thirty minutes as part of the hiring process.  This is to assess familiarity with physical work processes and farming environment.

Snug Harbor celebrates and commits to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion.  We value and seek the strengths of human variety across communities in programming, with staff, the Board of Directors, volunteers, artists, and visitors. Snug Harbor strives to build a culture of diversity of voice and representation, authentically inclusive spaces, and equity for all.

Snug Harbor is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to the treatment of all employees and applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination as to race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or citizenship status in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.

Job Categories: Sustainable Agriculture / Food. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: See posting for details.

Apply for this Job