Employment Opportunities

We’re Hiring!

Please scroll down to see the Harvest & Volunteer Coordinator details

Interim General Manager

POSITION DETAILS
Title: Interim General Manager
Term date: This is a maternity leave fill position. The term is June 17, 2024 – January 13, 2025.
Hours/week: 25-30 hrs per week
Wage: $28 to $32 per hour, depending on experience and expertise.

For almost 30 years LifeCycles has worked to improve community health and connectivity by bringing people in the Capital Region together to grow, harvest, and share local foods. Working in urban gardens and orchards, we are reimagining the way that we live and eat in cities.  Our Fruit Tree Project, Welland Orchard, Farm Gleaning, and Community Food programs distribute fresh local food to community members and social service agencies while providing learning opportunities for participants and volunteers. 

OVERVIEW

We are seeking an innovative  and professional leader to steward the organization’s growth and development while our Executive Director is on maternity leave. The Manager will report directly to the board of directors. The Manager will play an important role in supporting staff and leading program activities over the busy season of Fruit Tree harvests and farm gleaning while also seeking new funding opportunities for the organization through value-added products made from the food we glean. They will also work with the Welland Coordinator to ensure grant requirements are being met and supporting the Welland Orchard’s needs through the summer, fall and early winter. The Manager will also be responsible for working within the organization’s budget and keeping the bookkeeper up to date with expenses and monthly bills. Lastly, the Manager will ensure that LifeCycles continues to have a strong communication platform to its membership and the community, maintaining and developing partnerships for all of our programming.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Program management: 
    • Oversee and assist the Fruit Tree Project Manager (FTPM) in executing the 2024 Fruit Tree Project season
    • Work with the Welland Coordinator to support them in their needs, including communications about Work Parties and Workshops
    • Ensure minimum Grant Requirements are being met and tracked throughout the season for both the Fruit Tree Project and Welland Orchard
    • Continue to develop/maintain relationships with partners to plan for and execute Value Added Products, which will assist in raising funds for future projects
  • Communication and Administration: 
    • Manage the organization’s office, including responding to emails and phone calls received by LifeCycles – communicate with the Welland Coordinator and FTPM as needed as well as host staff meetings
    • Plan and distribute communications to LifeCycles’ membership, including a monthly newsletter 
    • Engage with the public and media to bring profile to the organization
    • Lead in the execution of our communications and media strategy, with the help of the Welland Coordinator and the FTMP
    • Attend a monthly Board meeting where they will present a Staff Report
      • Participate in relevant Board sub-committee meetings as needed
  • Finances: 
    • Ensure Welland Orchard and Fruit Tree Project are following Board approved budget and expenses are being accurately tracked 
    • Maintain existing systems including expenses filing and monthly filings to bookkeeper as well as filing payroll bi-weekly
    • Update budget as the season progresses, reporting to the Board on any changes to the approved 2024/2025 budget
  • Fund Development and Social Enterprise: 
    • Apply for fall/winter grants including but not limited to the BC Gaming Grant, the Government of Canada New Horizons for Seniors Program, the Government of Canada Canada Summer Jobs Grant,  the BC Rehab Foundation Grant, and the Township of Esquimalt Community Grant
    • Write Expressions of Interest for the following grants (and others if they are found): Vancouver Foundation Lighthouse Organizations Fund, and Islands Savings Community Endowment Fund
    • Complete Grant Reports as needed
    • With the Fruit Tree Project Manager, help oversee the value-added products planned for the season, including maintaining partnerships with relevant stakeholders

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES

  • Experience working with community-based projects and non-profit organizations
  • Ability to work with a diversity of people
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills
  • Experience with staff supervision 
  • Good computer skills – proficiency in word processing, data input, excel, public speaking & writing, gmail, social media and report writing
  • A valid BC Class 5 or 7 Driver’s License and comfortable driving a large vehicle
  • Commitment to and awareness of food, health, poverty and transforming our food systems – awareness of food security issues and sustainability on Vancouver Island
  • Problem solver – you learn quickly; you can spot problems or gaps and are excited to find solutions to make systems more efficient/impactful
  • Leadership: mobilize, inspire, and support achievement and critical reflection towards LifeCycles’ mission
  • Inclusivity: A strong commitment to human rights and the values of equity, diversity, and inclusivity
  • Organizational Development: support business and strategic plans to advance organization’s goals; develop and refine systems to improve impact and efficiency
  • Communications: clear, direct, professional communicator with the ability to adapt communication to the audience
  • Adaptability: able to be flexible, versatile and/or tolerant in a changing work environment while remaining effective and efficient
  • Passionate: demonstrates passion for and commitment to LifeCycles’ mission

DETAILS OF HOW TO APPLY

Submit your resume and cover letter to the LifeCycles Board Chair, Jess Gunnarson, via email at jess.gunnarson@icloud.com by end of day on May 26, 2024. Applications will be reviewed as they are received so applicants are encouraged to apply early. You may contact Jess with any questions regarding this position. We thank all applicants for their submissions. Only applicants who screen-through to the next stage of the competition will be contacted.

LifeCycles and its organizational policies seek to increase diversity and inclusion in the organization while seeking to understand and deconstruct hidden biases that unfairly privilege individuals and groups in the workplace and society. Applicants who may require accommodations in the competition process are asked to identify this in a separate email.

LifeCycles is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage women, people of Indigenous ancestry, people of colour, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, and members of other diverse communities to apply for careers with our organization. 

We also understand that statistically, marginalized groups will only apply for a position if they meet 100% of the qualifications while dominant groups will apply when they meet only 60%. We encourage you to apply even if you do not feel that you meet 100% of the above job description qualifications.

LifeCycles is grateful to operate on unceded Coast Salish Territories, specifically of the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.

Harvest & Volunteer Coordinator

POSITION DETAILS
Title: Harvest & Volunteer Coordinator
Term date: June 10, 2024 – November 1, 2024 
Hours/week: 30 hrs per week
Wage: $25.00 per hour

Funding for this position is provided by Canada Summer Jobs. Applicants must be between 15-30 years of age to be eligible.

OVERVIEW

We are seeking a team member to help coordinate all aspects of the 2024 harvest for the Fruit Tree and Farm Gleaning Projects.

The Harvest & Volunteer Coordinator will collaboratively manage the training and support of  volunteers over the harvest season. This is a position that involves coordinating the logistics of picking, sorting, and redistributing over 40,000lbs of produce gleaned from hundreds of backyards across the region. The role of the Harvest Coordinator is primarily focused on volunteer coordination, with a secondary focus on helping with harvests, sorting and redistribution. The majority of the tasks are: finding, training, supporting and coordinating volunteers, team leaders & community members and engaging them in gleaning and food redistribution projects. We are looking for someone who is personable and highly organized to help us run our community-powered harvest program. This requires regular use of our fruit tree database and harvest scheduling systems. The Harvest Coordinator also regularly fields inquiries from tree owners, volunteers and farms, manages the collection of harvest data, and helps facilitate volunteer orientations.

This position will work with, and be directed by, Fruit Tree Project Manager. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Volunteer Training/Support 

  • Support the orientation and training of volunteer Harvest Leaders to lead general volunteers on fruit tree picks using best harvesting practices, namely through online and in person volunteer trainings sessions
  • Support the orientation, training and ongoing direction of volunteer pickers and sorters
  • Liaise with tree owners, answer questions, confirm picking schedule and solicit feedback
  • Oversee the sign-up of fruit trees and volunteers – ensure all systems are running smoothly 
  • Follow up regularly with key volunteers to ensure they feel supported in their volunteer work

Harvest Support

  • Oversee harvest – support Harvest Leaders in signing up for picks and ensure communication with volunteers and homeowners is consistent, clear and timely
  • Source boxes and other materials needed for fruit picks and farm gleaning
  • Lead fruit picks and farm gleans as needed and learn to assess trees for picking suitability
  • Communicate across different mediums with all project participants to set clear expectations and provide updates
  • Ensure our vans, tools and other supplies are kept clean, restocked and in good working condition
  • Support tree assessment and ensure all newly registered trees are appropriately assessed, either by volunteers or through analysis of previous year’s records
  • Oversee data collection of picks and volunteers

Food Distribution and Social Enterprise

  • Manage the efficient storage of fruit and ensure the walk-in cooler is organized
  • Coordinate the redistribution of fruit including for special requests/events
  • Run weekly or twice weekly fruit sorting sessions and move fruit to partner organizations
  • Track and record all data related to food distribution
  • Support social enterprise operations by integrating incoming food with product and service opportunities

Administration and Communications

  • Support the administration of LifeCycles, including tasks as necessary to keep records, agreements, and projects organized
  • Contribute to the social media and communications strategy of the organization as needed – take photos of project activities
  • Contribute content to organizational communications such as newsletters and social media
  • Contribute content to End of Season Report
  • Assist in the maintenance of partnerships with community associations including hosting some juicing days, kitchen space, van sharing and other events. 

Desired Qualifications and Attributes:

  • Experience with and/or interest in fruit trees (knowledge of fruit varieties, harvesting best practices and fruit tree pollinators would be an asset)
  • Experience working with community-based projects and non-profit organizations
  • Ability to work with a diversity of people
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills
  • Experience recruiting and coordinating volunteers
  • Good computer skills
  • A valid BC Class 5 or 7 Driver’s License and comfortable driving a large vehicle
  • Must work well independently and as part of a team
  • Commitment to and awareness of food, health, poverty and transforming our food systems – awareness of food security issues and sustainability on Vancouver Island
  • Ability to liaise with the community and help run special events 
  • Must be able to lift and move up to 40 pounds 
  • Problem solver – you learn quickly; you can spot problems or gaps and are excited to find solutions to make systems more efficient/impactful

TO APPLY, email your resume and cover letter (as a single PDF) to Alex McArdle at info@lifecyclesproject.ca by May 20, 2024. Please use the subject line: “Harvest & Volunteer Coordinator.” 

**Please include your last name in the filename(s) of your application materials .**

LifeCycles Project Society is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage women, people of Indigenous ancestry, people of colour, LGBTQIP2SA individuals and members of other diverse communities to apply for careers with our organization. 

We also understand that statistically, marginalized groups will only apply for a position if they meet 100% of the qualifications while dominant groups will apply when they meet only 60%. We encourage you to apply even if you do not feel that you meet 100% of the above job description qualifications.

LifeCycles runs programs on unceded Coast Salish Territories, specifically of the Kosapsum, Songhees and WASÁNEC Peoples.

We thank everyone for their interest, but only those selected for interviews will be contacted. 

Volunteer Opportunities

We are currently recruiting for our Board of Directors! For more information click here!

We are also always open to new volunteers joining our Fruit Tree Project as well as at Welland Orchard. Please sign up on our Gleaning Hub!