Careers

Description:

About SPUR

SPUR is a nonprofit public policy organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through research, education and advocacy, SPUR works to create an equitable, sustainable and prosperous region, where all people thrive. We bring people together from across the political spectrum to develop solutions to the big problems cities face. With offices in San Francisco, San José and Oakland, we are recognized as and respected for our independent and holistic approach to urban issues. 

About SPUR’s Food and Agriculture Program

SPUR launched the Food and Agriculture Program in 2011 to create healthy, just and sustainable food systems, and put an end to food insecurity. Double Up Food Bucks California is a key component of our multi-year campaign to strengthen California’s public safety net so that it better helps low-income families afford the food they need. Additionally, the program organizes more than 10 public events each year on issues ranging from wholesale distribution infrastructure to the opportunities and challenges of urban agriculture. For more information, see: https://www.spur.org/policy-area/food-and-agriculture

Overview

SPUR seeks a Program Coordinator to manage our project to improve the affordability of healthy food at grocery stores and our overall work to use policy to strengthen the Bay Area food system. This position is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working with people and moving between the worlds of hands-on community engagement, long-term project management, and policy advocacy.

The Food and Agriculture Program Coordinator’s primary responsibility will be the day-to-day operation of Double Up Food Bucks California. This project – which involves partnerships with local public agencies, non-profits, and eight independent grocery stores in Santa Clara and Alameda Counties –provides matching funds so that families and individuals participating in CalFresh can buy even more fresh fruits and vegetables. The project launched in 2017 and the program coordinator will be deeply involved in its continued success.

The Coordinator’s other main responsibility will be supporting advocacy efforts to make healthy food incentive programs like Double Up Food Bucks a permanent supplement to the CalFresh program at grocery stores and farmers’ markets statewide. This will include coalition building with other organizations in California and nationally; advocating SPUR’s positions at meetings with local, state, and federal governmental agencies; and reporting developments in this issue area through articles, policy briefs, and newsletters.  

Additionally, the Coordinator will provide support to other projects on an ad-hoc basis. The Program Coordinator is expected to be organized, detail-oriented and self-directed. This position reports to the Food & Agriculture Policy Director.

Essential functions

Manage Double Up Food Bucks and the rollout of the EBT Integration Pilot

• Serve as liaison with grocery store partners by providing them with marketing material; troubleshooting technical issues as they arise; ensuring each store submits required data to SPUR and independent evaluator; and processing their invoices in a timely manner
• Support the Policy Director in managing the implementation of the California Fruit and Vegetables EBT Pilot, a multi-year technology initiative involving more than a dozen partner companies and organizations to make healthy food incentive programs a permanent part of the state’s food assistance safety net
• Working with project partners, coordinate outreach efforts to increase awareness of the program in our target geographies
• Convene and facilitate project advisory committee meetings on a monthly basis
• Coordinate and manage partnership with San José-based community organizations to conduct ongoing focus-group conversations with CalFresh participants
• Provide written program updates to a broad audience via quarterly newsletter
• Assist with fundraising by participating in meetings with funders and providing data and updates to colleagues responsible for fundraising proposals and reports
• Schedule and arrange logistics for tours of projects by elected officials and key stakeholders
• Maintain and update Double Up Food Bucks California website

Support advocacy to expand healthy food incentives in California

• Engage elected officials and agency staff locally and in Sacramento to increase support for expanding healthy food incentives statewide
• Participate in national community-of-practice meetings; coordinate advocacy with state and national coalition partners; and generally support advocacy that will allow incentive programs to scale
• Continue building a statewide coalition of organizations to advocate for healthy food incentives at the local and state levels

Public Engagement

• Assist Policy Director in organizing 1-2 public events (e.g. panel discussions, film screenings, and walking tours) each quarter
• Provide updates on SPUR’s Food and Agriculture work, or developments in the field, by writing blog posts for SPUR’s website

Salary and Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position. The minimum salary is $65,000 and the final salary is determined based on the candidate’s relevant experience. SPUR offers a complete benefits package of health insurance, dental insurance, vision care, basic life insurance, pre-tax commuter benefits, employee assistance program (EAP) and retirement plan with twenty-five percent contribution matching.

Work Location

When SPUR returns to a normal office routine, the Program Coordinator will have significant flexibility to work remotely some days of the week. The Coordinator’s “home office” will be in San José, with weekly meetings in SPUR’s San Francisco office.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Verbal fluency or advanced proficiency in Spanish
• Bachelor’s degree and/or 2-3 years of experience managing projects with multiple deadlines and numerous partners
• Personable demeanor and a demonstrated ability to communicate comfortably with stakeholders from a wide range of backgrounds
• Ability to manage their own schedule and time without direction
• Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal
• Must have access to a car and be comfortable periodically driving to grocery stores from Gilroy to Berkeley.
• Ability to occasionally travel outside the Bay Area (including single day and multi-day trips)  

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience with self-directed project execution, convening groups, and meeting facilitation
• Experience coordinating volunteers and/or working with small businesses
• Strong interest in issues of food access, agriculture, public health, and/or food systems policy
• Prior work (paid or volunteer) in advocacy and/or politics
• Excellent attention to detail  

Applicants should apply by submitting their resume and cover letter to this link: https://airtable.com/shr7fftJAHjGdZ3K6.

First review of applications will begin on September 20th. Job open until this posting is removed from SPUR’s website. Start date for the position is late November 2021.

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so assigned.

SPUR is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political orientation.