Now Hiring:

St. Johns Farmers Market Coordinator

Info Booth at St. Johns Farmers Market 2023

Job title: St. Johns Farmers Market Coordinator

Reports to: St. Johns Farmers Market Manager, St. Johns Center for Opportunity 

Status: Part-time, non-exempt, temporary

Compensation: $21.53 per hour

Hours: 8 hours per market day worked; other hours may be available as needed by Market Manager

Work address: We will meet in the mornings at our office in the St. Johns Church (8044 N Richmond Ave, Portland, OR 97203) to pick up equipment, and walk across the street to the market site at the intersection of N Charleston Ave & N Central St.

Work Dates: The selected candidate should expect to work Saturdays as needed, 7:00am - 3:30pm, May 3 through November 22 and 8:00am-3:00pm on December 14.

This is not a weekly position. A total of three market coordinators will be hired, and two will be staffed each Saturday. Out of a three-week rotation, each market coordinator can be expected to work two Saturdays and be off on the third Saturday. Additional Saturdays may be needed to cover staff vacations. 

St. Johns Farmers Market (SJFM) is preparing for its seventeenth season operating as a mid-sized (40+ weekly vendors), locally run farmers market. The mission of the market is to support a local, sustainable food supply while providing opportunity for emerging farmers, advancing food justice, contributing to the health of all local residents, encouraging cross-cultural connections and dialogue, and enhancing the community and business vitality of St. Johns. SJFM is a program of St. Johns Center for Opportunity (SJCO). 

To Apply:

Submit your application here: Farmers Market Coordinator Application Form.  A resume is required and can be uploaded in the application form. Email market@stjohnsopportunity.org to request a paper application if needed, or to submit your resume if you have trouble uploading your resume to the application form. 

No phone calls please. 

Job Responsibilities: 

Pre-Season: 

  • Attend a 2-3 hour orientation/training session. (required)

  • Help prepare the market for the season by doing projects such as cleaning the market site, hanging market flyers, etc. (optional)

Market Day Logistics:

  • Build and maintain positive relationships with community members, customers, volunteers, vendors, and potential vendors; accurately answer questions.

  • Assist Market Manager in communicating with vendors who have past due booth fees, helping them update their information in the payment software.

  • Communicate space assignments to vendors: help mark the stall spaces with spray chalk before the vendors arrive and help resolve any disputes over space that may arise.

  • Assist vendors with token and voucher processes.

  • Help set up and break down market canopies, tables, signs, traffic control, and other market day items. Note: must be able to lift 50 lbs.

  • Help maintain a clean market site, including cleaning the portable restroom & trash removal.

  • Water the SJFM Native Garden.

  • Learn about SNAP/EBT and other supplemental nutrition programs; explain these programs to customers.

  • Support the market's SNAP/EBT program and transactions at the Farmers Market Information Booth.

  • Sell SJFM merchandise at the Farmers Market Information Booth.

  • Enforce market rules, state, county, and federal food safety guidelines, and other pertinent laws and regulations.  

  • Handle emergencies, complaints, and customer requests with patience and diplomacy.

  • Help conduct customer counts each market day and administer occasional customer surveys.

  • Ensure that all facilities, equipment, and utilities are in working order; communicate issues to the Market Manager.

  • Help Market Manager supervise the Farmers Market  intern(s) and market volunteers who work with us over the course of the season.

  • Learn and grow confidence in daily market operations with the goal of serving in a leadership role when the Market Manager is away from the market from time to time.

  • Other duties as assigned by the Market Manager.

  • Have fun and enjoy the wonderful community that comes to St. Johns Farmers Market!

Qualifications & Expectations:

  • Ability to lift 50 lbs, squat, reach, walk one mile; comfort and preparation for working outdoors in varying weather conditions including heat, cold, & wind.

  • Understanding or lived experience of the diverse communities here in St Johns.

  • Proven experience in applying anti-racist approaches to work practices.

  • Experience working at events or in busy environments.

  • Reliable, responsible, and ethical.

  • Self-motivated to find & accomplish tasks without being asked.

  • Collaborative & works well with others.

  • Excellent verbal communications and customer service skills.

  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and proactively.

  • Excellent arithmetic skills; aptitude and proficiency for making change, petty cash reconciliation, and basic math functions.

  • Comfort and experience with technology, particularly POS systems and Google Forms.

  • Enjoy working with and serving people of diverse economic backgrounds, ages, cultures, races, genders, sexualities, and experiences.

  • Commitment to social justice, food security and/or community development.

  • Has a working phone.

  • Bilingual in Spanish is preferred but not required.

  • Must be 18 or older to apply.

    Studies have shown that women, non-binary people, and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet all the qualifications listed. SJCO considers lived experience and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item is labeled as required. We are most interested in finding the best candidates for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. We encourage you to apply.