Job Opportunity: Membership & Communications Manager for Ontario Farmland Trust

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Author: Jamelia Williams

Posted: May 7, 2014

Categories: GoodFoodBites / News from Sustain Members / Opportunities / Volunteer. Job and Writing Opportunities

Ontario Farmland Trust

Ontario Farmland Trust (OFT), a Sustain Ontario Member, is seeking a motivated and passionate  individual to join their team as a Membership & Communications Manager. Overall responsibilities will involve coordinating and leading membership development, event planning, OFT communications in addition to general office activities. Application deadline is Friday May 16th. Further details about the position are included below.

Position: Membership & Communications Manager

Organization: Ontario Farmland Trust
Website: http://www.ontariofarmlandtrust.ca
Location: Guelph, Ontario

About the Ontario Farmland Trust

The Ontario Farmland Trust (OFT) is a charitable organization that works with farmers, rural landowners, agricultural and land conservation organizations, all levels of government, community groups and the general public to protect and sustain Ontario farmlands. OFT receives donations of land and conservation easements to permanently protect individual farms, while at the same time, supporting broader land use planning policy development to advance the protection of agriculture across the province. Based at the University of Guelph, OFT also leads various research and education initiatives to raise awareness of farmland issues in Ontario.

Purpose & General Description

2014 marks OFT’s 10th Anniversary. We have lots to celebrate, and have set out ambitious land protection and outreach goals in our new 5-year strategic plan. A Membership & Communications Manager is needed to coordinate and lead general office activities, membership development, event planning and OFT communications. This will allow OFT to more effectively build on successes to date, generate additional support for our core programs and respond to the growing demand for our land protection services.

Responsibilities

The Membership & Communications Manager will work closely with the Executive Director and the OFT Board of Directors, and will be responsible for:
• Managing phone calls, emails, and general inquiries about OFT and our programs
• Scheduling meetings with landowners, partners, the Board and Board committees
• Supporting meeting preparation
• Improving office organization and recordkeeping
• Planning events – farm easement celebrations, annual conference, annual members meetings
• Managing donations and memberships, organizing donor database
• Managing website and social media, developing new content
• Assembling print newsletters and monthly email newsletters, mailings
• Supporting fundraising campaigns and activities

Required Skills & Attributes
• Motivated and reliable, able to work independently with minimal supervision
• Well organized and able to set priorities, develop work schedules, monitor progress towards goals, and track important data, information and activities
• Strong time-management and multi-tasking skills
• Hands-on experience using Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), able to efficiently generate information, reports and presentations
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, interpersonal communication skills
• Strengths in communicating complex technical messages through clear language to non-technical audiences
• Team-player with a positive attitude and commitment to working cooperatively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions
• Experience or familiarity with the agricultural or land conservation sectors. Completion of an environmental or agriculture-related degree, or 1-5 years experience in a related field are key assets
• Passionate about agriculture, farmland protection and land conservation

Job Type: Part-time position, 2-3 days per week (15-25 hours), $15-20 hourly wage, beginning immediately and running through the end of October, with the possibility of an extension through to Spring 2015 and beyond.

Location: OFT office at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario

To Apply:

Please forward your resume and cover letter via e-mail to:
jobs@ontariofarmlandtrust.ca by May 16, 2014.

In your cover letter please address the following:

1) Why you are interested in this position and the work of the Ontario Farmland Trust

2) Why is farmland protection in Ontario important?

3) What you feel you can contribute to this position, including your relevant skills and experience

Please include at least two references that could speak to your capacity to do this work.

Questions about this posting may also be sent to
jobs@ontariofarmlandtrust.ca

Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

For more information about the Ontario Farmland Trust, visit http://www.ontariofarmlandtrust.ca