Seasonal Market Operator - Lowell, United States - Mill City Grows

Description

Seasonal Market Operator (bi-lingual)
Hourly, Seasonal


Position Description:


Do you thrive in a fast-paced, retail and community-oriented environment? Are you passionate about fresh food access and bilingual (Khmer or Spanish)? The Mobile Market, a farmstand on wheels, seeks a Market Operator (MO) to play a vital role in supporting its mission. You'll operate mobile market stops throughout Lowell, directly connecting with diverse populations and ensuring access to fresh, healthy, and culturally relevant food options. This role fosters collaboration with the Urban Farm, Market Gardener, and CSA/Veggie Box programs to promote food sovereignty and build a healthier community. We strive to provide multilingual education and outreach on food assistance, nutrition, and health. In addition to distributing our own Lowell-grown produce, we prioritize ethical sourcing from local growers for our food access programming.


As the Market Operator, you'll be responsible for a variety of tasks:

• Operating mobile markets across Lowell, creating a welcoming environment for all customers, with a strong preference for those who can communicate effectively in Khmer or Spanish.
• Building relationships with community members to understand and address their food access needs, particularly those speaking Khmer or Spanish.
• Partnering with the Market Manager to integrate local growers, promote market locations, and develop educational opportunities within the market setting.
• Operating four markets a week, Tuesday-Friday, up to 30 hours per week.

This position provides a unique opportunity to directly contribute to a more equitable food system in Lowell, especially for Khmer and Spanish-speaking communities.

Mobile Market Program Overview:

MCGs food distribution programs provide Lowell residents with fresh, local, culturally connected produce in a way that works for their needs and lifestyle.

Our mobile markets operate year-round in collaboration with community partners to co-locate in high traffic areas to provide food access.

The goal of the program is to increase access to affordable and fresh food for low-income families, particularly those using SNAP with the Health Incentive Program (HIP), WIC and Senior Farmers Market coupons, and Flex Services benefits to purchase food.

Responsibilities:

Be an ambassador of Mill City Grows' mission throughout the community; continue to build and strengthen our partnerships with community organizations, volunteers, and educational groups that visit the mobile market.

Participate in staff meetings, professional development, organization wide events, and the organization's culture of philanthropy.

• Create a popup shopping experience, operating a mobile market where we build relationships with repeat customers, offer information and recipes, and help customers learn about where their food comes from.
• Drive, park, and maneuver our mobile market van and trailer in Lowell.
• Assist in farmers market setup and breakdown including setting up: tables, tents, market displays, pointofsale systems, and outreach materials.
• Assist customers with using and processing SNAP/HIP, Farmers Market Coupons, and Flex Services, UHC/OTC and other food benefits. Process cash, credit and debit transactions.
• Maintain a safe work environment by upholding market safety and community standards.
• Assist in maintaining cooler cleanliness, inventory and assuring produce quality.
• Keep organized and accurate records of donations, waste, weekly sales, and payment methods to assist in weekly data collection.
• Assist with produce procurement from local farms including pickup and distribution.
• Operators will support outreach strategies, oversee donations and procurement among other duties as assigned.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to safely lift and carry 50 pounds repeatedly
• Prolonged periods of standing and/or walking
• Low postures such as stooping, crawling, kneeling, and crouching
• Aptitude for physically demanding, fastpaced and repetitive work in all weather conditions

Connecting with Diverse Communities:

• Bilingualism is strongly preferred
  :Khmer, Spanish, and Portuguese are especially helpful, but we appreciate conversational fluency in any of the following: Arabic, Pashto, Karen, Haitian-Creole, Swahili, Vietnamese, Kinyarwanda, or Lao.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to build rapport with a diverse clientele.

Operational Efficiency:

• Valid driver's license required (trailer driving with training provided). It is a plus if you have experience transporting cargo safely and are familiar with the Lowell area.
• Familiarity with Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, Calendar)