Food Hub Director: Hmong American Farmers Assoc. / St. Paul, MN

TITLE:                                Food Hub Director

LOCATION:                        Saint Paul, MN & Vermillion Township, MN

COMPENSATION:             $40,000-$58,000 Plus Very Generous Benefits Package

SUPERVISOR:                   Executive Director

The Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) is a membership based, social
justice minded nonprofit organization that works with Hmong American farmers
in the Twin Cities and the surrounding metropolitan area. The mission of the
organization is to advance the economic, social and cultural prosperity of
these farmers and their families. Many Hmong farmers face numerous obstacles
to farming, including lack of access to land, capital, training and
alternative markets besides the farmers’ markets. Through cooperative farming,
education and advocacy, HAFA works with Hmong farmers to create a path to
wealth creation, not just income generation. HAFA was started by and is led by
Hmong American farmers and uses an organizing approach to do its work.

HAFA is hiring a Food Hub Director to lead HAFA’s Alternative Markets Program.
The Food Hub Director will report to the Executive Director and supervise
junior staff in the Alternative Markets Program. The position will also draft,
develop and manage an enterprise budget; develop and manage relationships with
institutional partners and launch and grow the volunteer program. The position
will be stationed half of the year at the Lafond office in Saint Paul and the
other half at the HAFA Farm, a 155 acre incubator and research vegetable farm
located in Vermillion Township, Minnesota just 20 minutes outside of Saint
Paul.

The ideal candidate should be highly motivated, organized, and outgoing with
excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills. The candidate
must also be willing to perform physical labor and work outside or in the
fields. He or she must be detail oriented, mature, possess good judgment and
be willing to work hard and long hours. HAFA operates in a fast paced manner
and the ideal candidate must be able to solve problems quickly, work alongside
other senior and junior staff members, while working independently and under
tight deadlines. Because the Alternative Markets Program is critical for
farmers’ annual earnings, the ideal candidate must also possess good
interpersonal cultural skills and be committed to excellent, high quality
work. He or she must have experience with farming, food or community
development work and be knowledgeable of Microsoft and other office farm
related software programs such as Farmigo, Veggie Compass, Local Harvest,
Delivery Biz Pro etc.. Some evening and weekend work may be required. Ability
to fluently speak Hmong and familiarity with Hmong culture and customs is
critical. HAFA is especially interested in candidates who have worked on farms
or in farmers markets and with diverse communities.

Responsibilities
•       Develop, sustain and grow HAFA’s Alternative Markets Program and
specifically the Food Hub operation;
•       Hire, terminate and supervise staff and seasonal workers associated
with the program;
•       Develop and monitor the budget of the AMP program and the food hub and
monitor all the financing associated with the Food Hub;
•       Manage and lead annual audits and mock recalls related to the program;
•       Support HAFA’s development staff and executive team in the raising of
funds to support the program and Food Hub;
•       Monitor and collect relevant data for reporting and evaluation
purposes;
•       Develop, secure and maintain relationships with all the AMP
stakeholders including buyers, farmers, customers and organizational allies;
•       Work in the packing shed and provide aggregation and distribution
services on behalf of Hmong farmers to consumer through the HAFA CSA, as well
as to retail, commercial and institutional buyers, e.g., hospitals, schools,
grocery stores, buying clubs, etc.;
•       Manage HAFA online purchasing portal;
•       Supervise the operations, logistics and quality assurance sides of the
Food Hub;
•       Supervise dry & cold food storage operations and food safety
procedures;
•       Develop and supervise newsletters & other marketing materials for
buyers and producers;
•       Recruit, train, and supervise volunteers and interns;
•       Support and monitor farmers’ learnings  on food safety trainings and
all proper licenses and food safety procedures;
•       Evaluate and write reports showcasing program effectiveness.

Requirements
•       A professional and resourceful style with the ability to work
independently and as a team player;
•       Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail as
they manage multiple tasks/projects;
•       Experience in managing and creating relationships with multiple
partners, patrons, and members;
•       Entrepreneurial energy, high level of initiative, positive, “can-do”
attitude, flexibility, and teamwork;
•       Excellent verbal, written, communication and customer service skills;
•       Ability to develop, implement, nurture and evaluate projects;
•       Skills in web management and other computer & online programs;
•       Passion for building the capacity and wealth of Hmong farmers and
their family members;
•       A Food Hub Management Certification is highly recommended.


If interested, please send your resume, a writing sample and a cover letter
to: Mat Krisetya at info@hmongfarmers.com. Please put “Food Hub Director” in
the Subject Line.