Job Title: Properties & Equipment Program Coordinator
Reports to: Land Access Manager
Status: Full time, Year Round
Organization Description: Southside Community Land Trust builds a fair and accessible local food system in Rhode Island by offering access to land, training, resources and support to community and backyard gardeners, beginning farmers and young people.
SCLT was founded in 1981 when residents of South Providence and newly arrived Hmong refugees worked together to grow culturally familiar, nutritious food in the area’s first community garden. Today, the most significant obstacle to accomplishing our work is the racial injustice that denies Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous and all people of color equal access to fresh, healthy and affordable food.
SCLT leases land to 25 farmers who supply fresh fruits and vegetables to 13 farmers markets, roughly 100 food businesses and restaurants and six CSAs. We support a network of 60 community gardens and farms, feeding over 15,000 people every year. We operate three production farms in Providence and Pawtucket where we practice, demonstrate and train others in bio-intensive, small-scale agricultural production. We helped found three farmers markets as well as three growers’ collaboratives that enable individual farmers to bring their produce to market.
Position Description: The Properties & Equipment Program Coordinator is responsible for maintenance of all properties leased and owned by SCLT, including the organization’s headquarters, community gardens, urban farms, and rural properties, and all shared facilities and infrastructure at these sites. The Properties & Equipment Program Coordinator is responsible for identifying problems with and executing basic repairs and routine maintenance on buildings, grounds, and equipment, and will from time to time support Land Access Manager to hire and supervise contractors for larger maintenance and repair projects. This position is responsible for maintaining inventories of tools and equipment owned by SCLT, and for coordinating with other staff, farmers and gardeners to develop and follow a maintenance schedule for these assets. In addition to work on existing buildings, grounds, and equipment, the Properties & Equipment Program Coordinator will support other staff on new land or building improvement projects as they come up.
Typical Job Duties:
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Farm/garden equipment repair and maintenance, for example;
- Heating and ventilation system maintenance.
- Fence, gate, door and window repair.
- Greenhouse repairs.
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Irrigation system repair and water quality monitoring.
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Operating SCLT equipment to landscape farm lanes and common areas, maintain farm roads, etc.
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Monitoring for problems with littering and illegal dumping at SCLT properties, management of cleanup, and troubleshooting to prevent future incidents.
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Monitoring for and repair of safety or code issues.
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Working with other program staff developing short, medium and long term property maintenance plans and schedules.
This position will be asked to participate in weekly team and all staff meetings, monthly race equity staff meetings, occasional all staff events, professional development activities and all other responsibilities as assigned. A high attention to detail is required, as is a willingness to be available on weekends several times a year, if and when repair needs become critical.
Desired Experience, Education, Knowledge, and Skills
- Experience, knowledge, or interest in some or all of the following: hand and power tools, building maintenance and/or construction, property management, farming and farm equipment, irrigation systems, troubleshooting.
- Exceptional organizational, customer service and problem solving skills.
- Proficiency in Excel, Word, and Google Workspace desired.
- High School Diploma, GED, or relevant work experience.
- Providence, Pawtucket, or Central Falls area resident.
- Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.
- Demonstrated experience with, and commitment to, work that advances race equity and social justice.
- Skills in any of the following languages including: Spanish, Swahili, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, Hmong, French, Kunama, Burmese, Haitian Creole, Khmer, Lao, or any language spoken by under-resourced communities in South Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls.
SCLT welcomes your application even if you do not possess all of the attributes listed above. The organization values both life and on-the-job experience and we consider these in all hiring decisions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee must have the physical ability to occasionally move/lift heavy objects (50 lbs). Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Schedule: Monday through Friday. 40 hours per week. Generally 9 am - 5 pm. This is an on-site, in-person position that cannot be completed virtually.
Compensation for this position will range from $44,000 - $55,000 and will be set based on skills and experience. In addition to paid holidays that occur during your regular work schedule, the position receives 22 paid days off. This position qualifies for inclusion in the SCLT health and dental insurance plans.
SCLT is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to building a team that includes leadership from the communities that we serve and that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Bilingual applicants are strongly encouraged – see above list of desired languages.
Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to Margaret DeVos, Executive Director via [email protected] by Friday, January 14, 2022.
Please indicate Properties & Equipment Program Coordinator in the subject line of the email. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Projected start date is February 2022.