Huerta Urbana Specialist II

Position Title:Huerta Urbana Specialist II

Reports to: Interim Senior Manager of Social Enterprise/Huerta Urbana Manager

Provides Supervision to: None

Status: Part Time Hourly, $17.50 – Non-Exempt; Desired Start: March 16th, 2023

Benefits: Not are offered to part-time employees

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Mission of Focus Points Family Resource Center:  To build better communities by strengthening families.  

Scope of Organization: For 27 years, Focus Points has worked successfully to transform the lives of low-income and working working families in Northeast Denver and beyond. Focus Points serves over 2,900 participants each year, most of whom are Spanish-speaking immigrants. Focus Points is strongly committed to our values around collaboration, equity, and integrity which add to our four pillars: 

• Family Support – Advancing family sustainability through classes and guidance, using a goal setting and strength-based approach.
• Community Resources – Connecting people to resources that advance health equity, financial stability, networks, and community.
• Education – Opening doors to success for children and adults by providing training and high-quality instruction.
• Economic Inclusion – Driving economic stability for communities, families, and individuals by teaching new job skills, advancing careers and co-creating businesses and social enterprises with community.
  

Position Summary:

The Huerta Urbana Specialist and will support the delivery of the Huerta Urbana curriculum as well as day- to-day coordination of farm projects. This position is responsible for supporting Huerta Urbana program, farm expectations, in addition to following the guidance of Interim Senior Manager of Social Enterprise/Huerta Urbana Program Manager and agricultural regulations. Specialist will work with Focus Points participants, who typically come from immigrant, refugee, low-income, and other diverse backgrounds. The candidate selected for this position will be expected to receive additional training and professional development in areas related to working with families, compassion fatigue, flexibility with changing circumstances, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Required Competencies:

• Bilingual & Biliterate in Spanish Language – Communicates through oral and written Spanish to support linguistic justice for Spanish speaking participants and ensure equitable access to information and social capital.
• Flexibility – Ability to regularly shift between work environments, such as hands-on outdoor farming and administrative office tasks, to complete all listed essential functions.
• Technology – Ability to create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and communicate over various platforms (such as Microsoft Office Suite) to effectively share information with staff, participants, and partners in digital formats.
• Coordination of People and Events – Ability to organize and facilitate tasks amongst participants and partners to effectively deliver quality programming, support business targets, and build community relationships.
• Record Keeping and Monitoring – Collect, enter, and record data for participant evaluations and farm inventory management to support program evaluation and project development.
• Customer and Personal Service – Ability to engage customers at Farmer’s Market in order to sell products and be able to listen compassionately to participants so that participants feel valued and engaged in the program.
• Administration of Tasks – Ability to follow instructions and focus on multiple details to perform administrative tasks, such as data entry, filing, scheduling, note-taking and others.
• Written and Oral Expression – Ability to communicate verbally and in writing over a variety of communication platforms for participants, staff and partners to engage effectively with programming and business.
• Critical Thinking and Reasoning – Process situations, projects, and challenges with a methodical and thoughtful approach to meet the changing needs and requirements of the business, participants, and program.
• Diversity Statement – Personal or professional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as demonstrated by persistent effort, active planning, allocation of resources and/or accountability for diversity and inclusion outcomes. Applicant must share a commitment to anti-racist work.

Preferred Competencies:

• Agricultural Knowledge – Ability to support farm activities using agriculture science and best practices to develop and maintain successful urban farm sites.
• Training & Instructing & Guiding – Ability to support the development and delivery of the Huerta curriculum to guide and support participant advancement through the program.

Physical Requirements: 

• Reliable transportation and mobile phone service
• Ability to bend, climb, and kneel regularly in an outdoor farm setting
• Ability to lift 50 pounds

Essential Functions: 

• Support manager and other Huerta Urbana staff in educational programming in areas of production agriculture, horticulture, agribusiness and natural resources in response to participant needs
• Assist in the construction and development of Huerta Urbana farm at Focus Points
• Support the planning and implementation of comprehensive crop, irrigation, and pest management plans
  for urban farm sites
• Support and attend all Huerta Urbana Farmers’ Market planning, implementation, and event
• Learn and support learning and work-roles for participants
• Learn and support implementation of farm for effective participant learning as well as growing and
  selling of products
• Support Interim Senior Manager of Social Enterprise/Huerta Program Manager in the recruitment,
  implementation and caseload maintenance of the program
• Maintain a seasonally flexible schedule to meet the demands of farm production
• Attend required training for Family Resource Center Association including Standards of Quality,
  Motivational Interviewing, Compassion Fatigue, and DEI Training
• Serve as support for Huerta Urbana participants with program implementation, including education,
  scheduling, resource connections, and goal tracking
• Accurately collect program data
• Support the coordination of Huerta Urbana events and business opportunities
• Build relationship of support and mutual respect with all Huerta Urbana families, partner organizations,
  and other Focus Points program participants
• Understand and partner with the network of internal Focus Points departments and external partner
  organizations to coordinate resources and referrals for program families
• Serve as a representative of the Huerta Urbana program and Focus Points within the community and
  broader farm and food systems
• Engage in performance evaluations and goals to ensure adherence to Human Resources policies,
  procedures and deadlines

Diversity Statement
Personal or professional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as demonstrated by persistent effort, active planning, allocation of resources and/or accountability for diversity and inclusion outcomes. Applicant must share a commitment to anti-racist work.

To Apply

Send your resume, cover letter, and contact information to:
Seynabou Sohai, Interim Social Enterprise Senior Manager/Huerta Urbana Manager at seynabou@focuspoints.org
*No phone calls please.

Focus Points Resource Center is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, military status, genetic information, ancestry, creed, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.