Part-Time Farmer's Market Manager

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter of the City's square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Part-Time Farmers Market Manager position in the Department of General Services.

An Overview
The Farmers' Market Manager is responsible for coordinating farmers' market operations and activities, including enforcement of the Farmers' Market rules and regulations and responsibility for all administrative functions to ensure a successful and vibrant market. The Farmers' Market Manager coordinates marketing, programming, food demonstrations and outreach programs as well as serves on and administers the Farmers' Market Rules Committee. The Market runs each Saturday morning year-round from 7:00a.m. to 12:00p.m.

What You Should Bring
As the Farmers' Market Manager, you must demonstrate the ability to provide consistent leadership and problem solving skills; knowledge of and passion for farmers markets and local foods; excellent verbal and written communication; flexible, organized, and able to prioritize; strong attention to detail while handling multiple simultaneous projects and tasks; financial management; and staff and volunteer management experience

The Opportunity - Examples of Work

• Manages the operations of the Old Town Farmers' Market from set up to break down every Saturday;
• Plans and manages activities for each market - volunteers, music, food demos, educational events, and community partners;
• Ensures vendor compliance with all market regulations;
• Coordinates with vendors to ensure that they are assigned to the correct booth space;
• Maintains positive relationships with all vendors, stays current with vendor offerings, maintains communication with vendors;
• Promotes the use of nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP/EBT;
• Ensures that the market is clean, free of trash and litter, during and after the close of the market;
• Tracks fees revenue and maintains records from the Market;
• Provides direction and guidance to market support staff;
• Serves as emergency contact for accidents, medical emergencies, safety or crime issues, severe weather or natural disasters to market participants and vendors;
• Maintains and provides updates to the Farmers' Market webpage and social media accounts; and
• Performs related work as required.

About the Department
The Department of General Services' mission is to provide exceptional management of the City's real estate, facilities and fleet services, and other support services for all our customers. The Department of General Services staff strives to provide our customers with unmatched services by proactively managing the City's assets to support the delivery of services to the City of Alexandria, responding to service requests in a timely manner, listening to our customers, and ensuring that our customers are satisfied with the resolution.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

Four year degree; one to three years of experience in marketing, customer service, event planning, public relations and/or related fields; or equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Excellent written, oral communication and presentation skills required. Ability to handle multiple assignments, manage strict timelines and adhere to deadlines; and strong organizational skills. Outstanding attention to detail; ability to operate independently and in a team environment with little supervision. MS Office suite experience preferred, including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and database experience. Prior experience in public relations, social media, marketing, customer service and event planning a plus. Passion for farmers' markets and local economic development and sustainability. Applicants must be able to work every Saturday.

Notes

This is a part-time position (25 hours per-week) and candidates must be available at the market every Saturday year round.

This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to drug testing, criminal background.

The Department of General Services (DGS) is a first response department and as such all DGS employees are deemed essential or emergency personnel and maybe required to report to work when the City government is open with liberal leave or closed during emergencies.