Engagement Coordinator Job Description

Priority deadline is February 15, 2023. Aspirational hire date is March 1.

Organizational Overview:

Tryon Life Community Farm brings people together to root into relationships with each other and the land, by sharing tools for community-based sustainability and social change, and tending resilient ecosystems. TLC Farm was founded almost 20 years ago, through a broad-based outpouring of volunteer love, commitment, and work to save the land from cookie-cutter development: saying No! to unbridled capitalist growth; and Yes! to becoming people more woven with the earth. Since then we have explored many forms of living into that possibility, with ups and downs aplenty. Currently, our main focus areas are: 

• Providing unique community-created venue for public and private events that connect people with each other and the land -- great for workshops, retreats, skillshares, birthdays, meetings, parties and more. 
• Teaching workshops and educational land-based field trips, and hosting regular work parties, community events, and seasonal festivals. 
• Running Willow Creek Forest School, an outdoor, place-based farm and forest kindergarten with a pre-school and summer camps.

TLC Farm programs and land tending are community created and run by volunteers.

Position Summary: The Engagement Coordinator’s primary focus will be to engage and support volunteers to run TLC Farm’s various programs, including field trips and workshops, event hosting and land tending.  This will include outreach, training, coordination and providing practical support for volunteers, including significant renewal of programs and activities post-pandemic.  This position is starting out at 10 hours/week, with the hope that as the programming grows we will have funds to offer more hours in the near future. 

Oversight: TLC Farm has long been run by committed volunteers, and this position will be the only paid position in the organization (aside from the Willow Creek Forest School teachers). There is no executive director and organizational decisions are made by a volunteer council that represents the various working groups, thus there will not be hierarchical oversight.  The Engagement Coordinator will have regular check-ins with a member of the council, and will work with the council to create a supportive accountability structure.

Location: TLC Farm is located in SW Portland, tucked into Tryon Creek State Park. The Engagement Coordinator will be able to do some work remotely, but we ask that they work at the TLC Farm office at least once a week. Because of this, living in the Portland area is a requirement for this position.

Compensation: This is a part-time position, starting at 10 hours a week, with an hourly wage of $28/hour.  

Responsibilities: 

• 20%: Coordinate outreach about TLC Farm’s programs and volunteer opportunities, including maintaining website & social media presence, event tabling, signage on the land, information or handouts for event leaders, etc.
• 20%: Coordinate regular volunteer engagement events, such as work parties, volunteer socials, tours, information sessions, etc.   
• 30%: Respond to volunteer queries; meet with prospective volunteers and help determine what program they are the best fit to engage, support them as they find their niche
• 10%: Maintain database of both volunteers and volunteer tasks and activities
• 10%: Support volunteer teams in effectively running their programs, including assistance with recruiting, training and retaining volunteers
• 10%: Meet regularly with Council point person (and/or Council as a whole) to assess ongoing programmatic needs and where volunteers are best suited to help meet those needs

Required Qualifications:

• Be a real self-starter who can take ideas and run with them, with little day-to-day supervision
• Previous experience working with volunteers, preferably as a coordinator or manager
• Experience with, and excitement about, creating and maintaining relationships with a lot of diverse people
• Ability to work efficiently, track work effectively,  and set good boundaries
• Demonstrate cultural competency with Black, Indigenous and People of Color as well as trans and genderqueer folk. 
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills, including experience effectively navigating interpersonal conflict
• Experience with database management, website management & social media

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with agriculture and/or land projects
• Experience grassroots organizing in climate justice and/or social justice movements, preferably in the greater Portland area. 
• Experience with nonprofit management
• Interest in growing this position to more hours per week (as funding becomes available)
• Understanding of basic financial management including budgeting, funding sources, expenditures, and practices for maintaining financial solvency
• Experience working in a worker collective or other non-hierarchical structure
• Speaks language(s) other than English

TLC Farm is committed to being an inclusive and collaborative group that values bringing a diversity of approaches and perspectives to the work we do. We try to build a place where everyone is treated fairly, respected, and enjoys working together. Women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ people are especially welcome and encouraged to apply.

Please send us a letter with your interest in this position, work history and references to hiring@tryonfarm.org with the subject line “Engagement Coordinator position” (resume optional). Priority deadline is February 15, 2023. Aspirational hire date: March 1, 2023.

We were so excited to start welcoming people back to the land this year!  Along with all the folks who wander onto the land from their hike in Tryon Creek State Park, or families whose children attended summer camp or the out-door pre-school, or Lewis & Clark students who've heard rumors of this land and come check it out . . . .along with all these folks (and others), TLC Farm is a place where people come for education and events.

Here is a sampling of some of the happenings on the land this year:

March: Community seed swap and cider tasting.

April: Two mushroom cultivation workshops.

May: Fuse Theater Ensemble held a creative retreat (planting the spores that would become The Shroom Show!); a girl scout troop used the land to prepare for their first hike and camp-out; a seven year-old birthday party!; a tour with the Friendship Force.

June: Two high school groups came for educational tours and service projects; 350PDX donor appreciation evening, two weeks of summer camp, path tending work parties.

July: Funeral for a most beloved dog; SunrisePDX forest defense team meeting; reunion for Cedar Moon land stewards, three weeks of summer camp; natural building work parties.

August: Shade Equity coalition meeting; Pacific NW Forest Climate Alliance steering committee retreat; two weeks of summer camp.

September: Willow Creek Forest School pre-school starts; Fuse Theater's Shroom Show played four nights a week, all month long; Apple Fest returns.

October: All Families Welcome pre-school visits; ten year-old birthday party.

November: Land tending work party, girl scout troop field trip.

What's next?  Share your ideas, bring your class or host your next event here at TLC Farm!