Marketplace Organizer, Engagement

Organizational Overview

Black Yield Institute (BYI) is a Pan-African power building and social movement organization based in Baltimore, Maryland. We are organizing to address food apartheid and build a movement toward Black Land & Food Sovereignty. We work collaboratively with black people and entities, along with other institutions, in pursuit of Black Land and Food Sovereignty. We are building independent power by establishing an action network and serving as an incubator for ideas and projects. We are on a mission to create a self-determined and self-reliant community of Black institutions and people of African Descent in Baltimore’s poor and Black food environments.

For more information, please visit BYI’s website at www.blackyieldinstitute.org and follow our social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Position Description

The Marketplace Organizer, Engagement will lead the overall business development, community engagement, and personnel management of Black Yield Marketplace, a community-based market that serves fresh produce and other local goods. The Organizer’s work is housed within the organization’s People Production and Distribution initiative area.

The Marketplace Organizer, Engagement will be a member of the Black Yield team and will work closely with the community leaders, partner institutions, vendors, and other stakeholders (as described above). The Organizer will also assist with growing BYI’s supply chain work related to food access in the larger South and Southwest Baltimore regions primarily. The Organizer will be directly supervised by the Director of Operations & Culture.

Responsibilities

Community & Partner Engagement

• Develop and implement a community engagement program
• Drive promotions and marketing of the market through marketing campaigns
• Engage customers and the community through incentives and info gathering
• Organize political education sessions for community members, leaders and partners
• Secure and manage food, product, and service vendors
• Develop partnerships to divert food waste
• Create and administer regular partnership evaluations

Administrative and Personnel Management

• Hire and manage Marketplace Assistants and volunteers
• Hire and manage delivery personnel
• Recruit and manage volunteers and supporters
• Facilitate onboarding and regular training of staff and volunteers related to operations
• Develop and implement a Marketplace morale plan, aligned with the BYI overall plan
• Report monthly Marketplace performance data related to volunteer data, personnel, and customer data
• Conduct regular satisfaction surveys
• Troubleshoot and address any operations concerns

New Site Development

• Engage prospective community partners for new site exploration
• Cultivate relationships into a network of community organizations in a prospective Marketplace community
• Work with legal counsel to support the development of legally binding agreements
• Execute Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) & other legal contracts with new community partners
• Conduct real estate searches and work with agents to secure physical locations
• Maintain fiscal responsibility in the development of a new site

Marketplace Support

• Conduct regular Marketplace business plan review with team
• Work with Marketplace Organizer, Inventory on developing a delivery service component
• Work with Marketplace Organizer, Inventory on developing incentive initiatives by providing logistics and community engagement data
• Support with coordinating the setup and management of BYI marketplace regularly

Other Areas

• Attend BYI-organized meetings, events, and other gatherings as assigned
• Attend regular community partner meetings and community association meetings
• Assist with the overall management of Black Yield Marketplace when needed

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum five years of experience with and proven effectiveness in program management, cooperative development, community organizing, coalition building, movement organizing, and/or community development
• At least one year of experience working in small or corporate grocery, farmer’s market, or food sales
• Strong skills and experience in developing strategy and facilitating strategic planning
• Strong skills in understanding team building, leadership recruitment and development, and task delegation
• Skills and experience in partnership development and maintenance
• Ability to problem solve and manage multiple priorities toward overarching goals
• Strong knowledge of community engagement and capacity building
• Proficient in various project management and data analysis tools (Google Workspace)
• Ability to motivate, encourage, and lead people, while working in teams
• Ability to analyze and accurately summarize complex data and effectively communicate conclusions
• Ability to focus and develop creative solutions, while following directions
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently and tendency to be self-motivated
• Ability to work across agencies collaboratively and independently
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Ability to arrive at commitments on time (reliable means of transportation)
• Strong work ethic and integrity, with a willingness to learn

Preferred

• Commitment to Black Liberation, social justice, and racial equity
• Understanding of and commitment to building power and moving toward land and food sovereignty
• Some experience with management in food retail
• Some knowledge of real estate development and management
• Knowledge of relevant community resources and how to access resources
• Ability to pick up items weighing 10-25 pounds
• Ability to be flexible and versatile in virtual and in-person engagements

Term & Compensation

The Marketplace Organizer, Engagement will be required to work a 40+ hour work week including weekend work. You will have some flexibility to tailor your schedule, but weekends are required to run our flagship market. The salary for this position is $60,000 annually with a comprehensive benefits package.