Laramie, WY

Position Title: Satanka Food Hub Manager

Organization: Feeding Laramie Valley

Location: Laramie, WY

Organization Overview: Action Resources International (ARI) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports and advocates for community organizing that strengthens neighborhoods, communities and regions. They are a Wyoming-based, grassroots organization dedicated to community activism that promotes safety and prevention of violence; social and economic justice; sustainable food security and sovereignty; and access to overall health and wellness for everyone. They believe that lived experience as expertise is essential for achieving positive, effective social change. Based on this philosophy, they support, develop, and sponsor community programs that amplify the voices and self-empowerment of individuals living with the problems being addressed.

Feeding Laramie Valley (FLV) is ARI’s food sovereignty program serving Albany County, with headquarters in Laramie and active collaborative partnerships across Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain region. FLV is committed to working toward creating a sustainable and equitable food system through diverse and innovative community-based projects. Since their founding in 2009, they have worked to fulfill their mission through increased food production, access, distribution, and educational efforts that encourage community-led food sovereignty. Feeding Laramie Valley grows and distributes their own fruits and vegetables; mentors and supports backyard gardeners; develops and helps manage community gardens; provides a free summer lunch and activities program for children; operates a new countywide mobile market featuring healthy foods and a sliding-scale cost structure. They share high-quality produce with individuals and families who need it — at no charge to them — with a special focus on communities coping with health, social, economic, and/or geographic disparities, and are deeply committed to partnerships with independent agricultural producers in the Rocky Mountain Region and beyond.

Position Overview: Action Resources International (ARI) and Feeding Laramie Valley (FLV) seek a food hub manager to play a key role in helping to develop and launch the first local food hub in Albany County, Wyoming. The Satanka Food and Community Innovation Hub is a new program within the ARI and FLV collective of community-based food systems programs. Based in Laramie at the main headquarters for ARI and FLV, this fledgling program has been awarded seed funding through a Federal grant, which is providing foundational support for three years of small-scale food hub development. Together with ARI and FLV, the project includes partnerships with a well established produce farmer and a long-time cattle rancher in the area. Together with Ivinson Memorial Hospital, which serves the communities of a large section of rural and frontier Southeast Wyoming and Northern Colorado, this is a farm/ranch-to-institution pilot project to design, create and test a small-scale local food hub that aggregates enough produce and animal protein to supply the hospital with locally produced healthy foods, on a regular basis.

As part of a program team that will continue to be built over time, and in partnership with multiple project stakeholders, the Satanka Food Hub Manager will work closely with the ARIFLV CEO to provide leadership in developing, managing and growing the operations of their socially responsible food hub. The initial focus will be designing, constructing, and pilot-testing their farm-to-institution value-added processing unit, through which they will procure, transport, process and sell produce as well as arrange for local, humanely-produced animal protein sales. Strategic planning will be developed along the way for steady expansion to include additional producers and buyers and the facility’s capacity required to serve them.

The Food Hub Manager will play a key role in the project’s team: overseeing systems planning and construction; daily hub operations; developing products; creating new operational procedures and food safety plans; recruiting, training and managing hub staff; and building the logistical and documentation systems necessary to sustain and grow this program.

The Food Hub Manager will help to envision and establish institution-buying potential, and will help increase farmer and rancher utilization of their aggregation/distribution infrastructure as it develops. The Satanka Food Hub Team will also work closely with FLV’s Mobile Market and Food Production & Distribution Teams as part of an organization-wide vision for establishing a truly equitable, sustainable, and just community food system.

This position reports to and works closely with the ARI CEO, with open access for support and learning opportunities from all ARI-FLV leadership staff. The ideal candidate is eager to be challenged and rewarded for helping ARI-FLV create the Satanka Food Hub from the ground up; demonstrates independent judgment and high quality work; is open to new ideas; is adept at developing systems that support their mission; and is a collaborative member of their caring, dedicated, strong team.

Duties: 

• Contribute to strategic planning for the overall development and implementation of the Satanka Food Hub, in collaboration with staff, board and community-based partners.
• Play a leading role in completing a pilot-project-sized facility for small-scale produce procurement, aggregation, processing, packaging and quick turn-around distribution, including design, setup and equipment and supplies purchase/installation.
• Research, establish guidelines and ensure compliance with all food safety regulations, and manage all aspects of ARI-FLV food safety programs (GAP, GMP and HACCP certifications); work with CEO to obtain and oversee provision of training and support for other staff and partners for program implementation.
• Develop and maintain systems to efficiently manage hub operations, including processing produce to order for wholesale customers; and managing aggregation/distribution of raw produce and meat.
• Develop distribution and logistics plans that are sustainable, cost effective, and align with their business plan and mission.
• Oversee maintenance of hub facilities, equipment and supplies. Oversee operation of industrial dicing, washing and packaging equipment, coolers, etc. Oversee creation, expansions and installation of new equipment as necessary.
• Manage receiving, handling, and storage of produce from multiple farms.
• Help to develop and maintain a strong invoicing and inventory management system.
• Establish and maintain strong, trusting relationships with farmers, ranchers, distributors, customers and other partners in the work to build robust regional value chain connections.
• Recruit new farm and ranch suppliers who can meet defined standards, in accordance with their commitment to work with a diverse representation of small, beginning and minority operations.
• Train and manage staff at food hub; create new positions, as necessary, in consultation with CEO.
• Promote a healthy, respectful, collaborative, adaptive workplace culture that interacts closely and productively with all ARI and FLV programs.
• Identify ways to advance their mission using hub facilities and programs, and help put these strategies into action.
• Contribute to grant proposals and other fundraising initiatives related to development of the food hub.
• Help to identify and develop new business and growth opportunities.
• Help to establish sales goals; keep accurate and detailed financial records; produce financial reports.
• Monitor relevant news and developments in the sector; engage in professional development.
• Ensure exceptional customer service standards throughout hub.
• Create opportunities to link small farmers and ranchers to new markets through ethical, traceable, food supply chain connections involving their hub.
• Other duties as important to the success of the food hub.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Understanding of and alignment with the mission and goals of Action Resources International (ARI) and Feeding Laramie Valley (FLV).
• Demonstrated experience in leadership/management positions that are related or comparable to food business, agriculture, social enterprise, and/or community-based social change efforts, with leadership experience that preferably includes supervising staff.
• Demonstrated knowledge of logistical project development, food processing and/or supply chain management.
• Strong computer skills, with ability to learn and use new programs.
• Ability to think, listen, communicate clearly in writing and verbally, and solve problems.
• Demonstrated ability to excel in self-directed settings, with minimal supervision; take initiative.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with others on a team.
• Proactive, entrepreneurial attitude, eagerness to establish and grow food hub operations, and a passion to learn and contribute to the success of the business.
• Ability to work and make decisions under pressure; ability to manage competing priorities.
• Experience working in a socioeconomically diverse environment and interacting with individuals from different backgrounds.
• Exceptional attention to detail with either existing knowledge regarding food safety, and strong knowledge of food/farm safety regulations, or interest in and ability to steadily gain that knowledge in an on-the-job setting in line with when that knowledge must be put to use.
• Excellent record keeping and data management skills.
• Prior experience managing people and creating projects/programs/systems.
• Understanding that urgent logistical issues require immediate calls and texts outside of normal business hours, in a work environment that provides a comp time policy in recognition of and compensation for those situations.
• Physically able to drive, bend, stand, walk and pull/push for long periods of time and lift up to 50 pounds repeatedly. Able to work outdoors in heat and cold, and indoors in refrigerated spaces. Experience with and/or willingness to learn proper, safe use of a variety of vehicles, tools and food-hub related equipment (and to supervise training for safe use by other team members.)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience starting up and managing a business or social enterprise related to food systems, or related leadership experience and a passion for community food systems, equity and sustainability.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Experience living and working in a rural environment, and/or working with small farmers/ranchers.
• Working use of both English and Spanish
• Direct developmental and managerial experience with food hub design, development and day-to-day operations.
• Experience processing fresh-cut vegetables for food service markets.
• Experience developing food safety/HACCP plans; track record of successfully passing food safety inspections/audits.
• Expertise in inventory management and crafting software applications to meet specific needs.

Salary/Pay: $45,500 – $54,600

Application Deadline: Open until filled

How to Apply: Please use the online application to view the full job description as well as how to apply.