Resiliency Specialist, Agriculture and Community Development - 2025788

About the role

World Relief Western Washington (WRWW) is seeking a passionate individual to support with the implementation, maintenance, and development of Resiliency Programs with an emphasis on agriculture, environmental education, and community development for refugee-immigrant gardeners, youth, and entrepreneurs in our region.

Responsibilities

• Community Garden Maintenance, Garden Volunteer Coordination, and Garden Community and Culture Development (50%)
• Assist with the day-to-day operations of WRWW’s 2-acre Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden, including maintenance of garden plots, restoration areas, and green stormwater infrastructure.
• Upkeep garden facilities and equipment.
• Care for garden events and volunteers.
• Support with the design and facilitation of agricultural trainings for refugee-immigrant gardeners.
• Aid the Garden Coordinator in setting and fulfilling the goals and objectives of the Community Garden and the development of new programming.
• Regional Food Systems (10%)
• Strengthen WRWW’s role in the community as a food systems resource—specifically developing our presence in the local food systems sector.
• Build bridges between regional agriculture resources (land organizations, donors, markets, etc.) and the refugee-immigrant community.
• Support with World Relief’s American Culinary Federation (ACF)-approved Culinary Careers Programming and nutrition programming in the agricultural off-season, as well as food preservation classes during the agricultural season.
• Environmental Education (20%)
• Work with the Learning and Development Coordinator to design and implement place-based environmental education offerings for youth hosted at the community garden.
• Facilitate onsite coordination and instructional time for participants in environmental education programs.
• Workshops and classes currently center on stormwater management, food security and access, and plant biology, using Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden as a living classroom.
• Creatively tell the story of WRWW’s work at the intersection of ecology and community resiliency through site tours, articles, and newsletters.
• Support the Facilitation of Programming for Refugee and Immigrant Women (10%)
• Support outreach and orientation for women’s sewing classes.
• Help ensure programming is meeting the psychosocial needs of women in the community by analyzing pre- and post-class data and providing feedback to volunteer instructors.
• Other (10%)
• Collaborate with the Community Garden Coordinator, Commercial Teaching Kitchen Coordinator, and Learning & Development Coordinator to maximize the use of shared spaces for educational opportunities (garden area, commercial teaching kitchen, sewing classroom, etc.).
• Identify and organize technical experts and volunteer collaborators to support the instruction and implementation of programs.
• Support with event planning.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Mature and personal Christian faith
• Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
• Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Reliefs Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity and National Association of Evangelicals' For the Health of The Nation document
• Valid drivers license, access to reliable vehicle and ability to pass MVR standards
• Curiosity, humility, and a love of learning
• Ability to work well with diverse groups of people – previous cross-cultural experience is required
• Previous experience working in gardening/agriculture
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• Flexibility in schedule with some evening and weekend hours
• Bachelor's Degree or 5 years minimum of equivalent experience

Prior to hire

• Working knowledge and formal or informal experience in agriculture and/or the natural sciences (agronomy, ecology, environmental science, biology)
• Understanding of U.S. food systems and their current inequities
• Proficiency in one or more common immigrant languages (Spanish, Dari, Arabic, Ukrainian, French, Burmese, Nepali)
• Previous experience with immigrants and communicating across language barriers

Compensation

$27.75 - $28.60 an hour

Benefits

World Relief offers a competitive benefits package and employee discount program part-time employees (working 25+ hours per week).

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.