Rancho San Benito

A farmworker co-op growing healing food, medicine, and community

RANCHO SAN BENITO ROLE  ANNOUNCEMENT

Position: Program Manager 

Schedule: Part time, 20 hrs/week, with the possibility of becoming a full-time employee

Compensation: Contract position at $27/hr or commensurate with experience

Location: Half Moon Bay, California

Report To: Stacy McCarthy, member of the Board of Directors

About the organization: 

Rancho San Benito (RSB) supports farmworkers to take greater ownership of how they farm, what they grow, and where they sell, with the goal of improving their economic status and social condition. Now in its first operational year, RSB provides access to land, supplies, and equipment which will enable program participants to learn and practice ancestral regenerative farming methods,  as well as the basics of farm operations, economics, marketing, and management, making it possible for them to sell their own crops and products with RSB’s support. RSB’s hope is to equip participants to become farm owners or operators on their own land following the RSB program, should they choose. RSB is located on agricultural land on Ohlone Territory, in the Wavecrest area of Half Moon Bay. Together, we are growing healing food, medicine, and community, enriching the cultural, educational, economic, and social justice of farmworker communities of the San Mateo County coastside. 

Role Summary: 

We are seeking a skilled and passionate Program Manager to lead Rancho San Benito’s operations. The ideal candidate will be responsible for overseeing the planning and delivery of multiple activities, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and to our quality standards. This role involves coordinating efforts across the team, farmworkers, donors and board members, and continuously improving our processes to achieve measurable progress toward our mission.

The major roles of the Rancho San Benito Program Manager (PM) are:

1. Plan and deliver core program activities
2. Serve as the organization’s external communications lead
3. Manage administrative matters, the budget, and donor engagement

Detailed responsibilities: 

Plan and deliver core program activities:

• Co-create and maintain a clear project management plan that encompasses near- and medium-term priorities for the organization 
• Lead the process to identify and secure market channels for RSB’s produce (hay and flowers grown by the program; various items grown by the participants), in collaboration with with the Farm Manager
• Assist the Farm Manager if needed on their duties supporting the farmworkers – especially training, production, and farm infrastructure and equipment needs
• Lead on other RSB activities that may be identified as the organization matures

Serve as the organization’s external communications lead:

• Collaborate with a designer to establish a website for RSB, including a donor link
• Where needed, establish a social media presence for RSB 
• Create and post social media that amplifies opportunities, successes, and farmer perspectives related to RSB’s activities
• Establish and maintain a communications plan for the organization, including public speaking events for its Advisor/Ambassador and any other team member
• Seek and secure opportunities to amplify RSB farmers’ voices

Manage administrative matters, the budget, donor engagement, and results measurement:

• Create and maintain basic operational systems e.g. file management system, CRM, project management system, Zoom account, P.O. box, email accounts, payroll, etc.
• Manage the budget, ensuring timely receipt of grant transfers, proper payment of expenses, etc, and present budget updates on a regular basis to the Board
• Serve as the operational contact person for existing donors, leading timely, accurate and polished donor reporting
• Co-create foundational documents expressing RSB’s policies – namely, a Policy Manual that describes the organization’s policies (e.g. around fair/equitable hiring) and a separate Agroecology Policy that specifies the kind of agricultural production methods we believe in and the related expectations for these in the training curriculum and on-farm production activities
• Assist with new fundraising efforts 
• Manage the administrative aspects of any new team member recruitment  
• Co-create a results measurement framework and track results against it
• Liaise with the Board to support their meetings with information updates and operational tasks as needed

General duties:

• Participate in staff meetings, trainings, and DEI efforts 
• Provide a regular log of activities to line manager, as requested
• Conduct other appropriate duties as assigned by the Board of Directors 

Qualifications

Desired skills:

• Minimum three, ideally five years of program management experience
• Communication, organizing, and coordination skills to be able to work in a team, strategize, vision, and cooperate on multiple activities simultaneously
• Experience using Google Drive Suite (Docs, Sheets), program management software, Zoom, and other administrative tools
• Budget management experience
• Donor engagement experience 
• Excellent communication skills for social media
• Experience developing buyer relationships for agricultural produce (optional)
• Knowledge of farm business practices, marketing, recordkeeping, and data collection (optional)
• Bilingual Spanish (optional but highly preferred)
• A passion for agroecology; an appreciation of food/race/gender/economic/environmental justice, and an alignment with restorative justice, embodiment practices, and prioritizing organizational wellness culture and equity policies

Additional requirements: 

• Maintain responsible behavior; work both independently and as part of a team; comply with organizational tenets as outlined in the Rancho San Benito Employee Handbook 
• Work remotely with your own computer and office equipment
• Have access to reliable transportation to Half Moon Bay (noting that there is no physical office, but presence on the farm and in other venues will be regularly needed)
• Provide proof of valid driver license & insurance 
• Submit to and pass fingerprint/Department of Justice background check and TB test 

Application Instructions:  Please send the following to [email protected] with the subject line “RSB Program Manager Application – [YOUR NAME]”: 

• Cover letter 
• Résumé 
• Contact information for three professional references 

Low income, people of color, women, LBGTQ, and/or local residents are particularly encouraged to apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting on April 12 2024, and the position will commence as soon as possible. Due to the anticipated volume of responses, only candidates requested for interviews will be contacted. 

Rancho San Benito is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected Veteran status in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.