Part-Time Facilities & Grounds Coordinator

Position Title: ​Facilities and Grounds Coordinator

Location: ​Zenger Farm – Portland, OR

Position Type: Permanent, part time, salaried, exempt, 20 hrs/week (0.5 FTE)

Compensation: $17,500-$22,500 ($35,000-45,000 FTE)

Close Date: February 3, 2021 (applications reviewed on a rolling basis)

About Zenger Farm:

Zenger Farm is a 501(c)3 nonprofit working urban farm in Portland, OR that models, promotes, and educates about sustainable food systems, environmental stewardship, community development, and access to good food for all. We are guided by a vision of a healthy, resilient community, where the wellbeing and prosperity of children and adults, regardless of race, geography or socio-economic status, is enhanced through access to affordable, plentiful and nourishing foods. As a justice centered, food access and education non-profit, we believe nourishment is a basic human right and that the root causes of inequitable food access – racism, poverty and other systems of oppression – must be addressed to create a just food system.

Our multiple programs center on food access and knowledge sharing around our relationship with food and the environment. This includes youth education opportunities with the surrounding school district and families, cooking workshops led by women of color food leaders, partnering with other farmers and clinics to provide access to affordable produce to medically vulnerable communities and operating a full scale CSA and farmer apprenticeship program.

Our Land and Facilities: Zenger Farm is located on a 24-acres combined farm and wetland in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood of Outer East Portland. The site includes 4-acres of diversified vegetable crops and fruit orchards, a 10-acre wetland, a children’s garden, an international kitchen garden, a first foods hedgerow, pollinator plantings, bioswales, and rain gardens. Buildings include a 6,600 square foot Urban Grange with a classroom, commercial kitchen, and offices; as well as a farmhouse with caretaker quarters; a barn; and several greenhouses. The facility includes green infrastructure and energy efficient systems, including a solar system, a living roof, and rainwater catchment.

Our Team: Zenger Farm is a multi-racial organization and community, and we are deeply engaged in conversations around issues of identity and belonging. We are currently a staff of 12 permanent employees, majority women, and all in our twenties, thirties, and forties. A third of us are parents, and children are welcome at work. Currently, 33% of our permanent staff identify as BIPOC, and over 50% have experienced being low-income. We serve low-income communities, communities of color, and immigrant or refugee communities and are taking steps to prioritize Black and Indigenous communities. In the last year, roughly 50% of our beginning farmer apprentices, 50% of our youth summer camp participants, 64% of our Farm School participants, and 80% of families and individuals who participate in our cooking workshops, demonstrations, and farm days identified as Hispanic/Latinx, Black/ African American/ Afro-Caribbean/ African, American Indigenous, First Nation, Asian/ Pacific Islander, or multiethnic.

We encourage Black and Indigenous, and people of color, women, LGBTQ people, religious minorities, recent immigrants, differently abled and applicants from different generational, economic and educational backgrounds to apply.

Position:
The Facilities and Grounds Coordinator provides essential support to maintain the farm property so that it is safe, operational, and welcoming. This position is responsible for land and facilities maintenance, space access of event rentals, and site-related farm, garden, and building tasks to ensure smooth operation of farm programs. The Facilities and Grounds Coordinator monitors the site and conducts maintenance, repairs, and site improvements, working in collaboration with other Zenger Farm staff, as well as with volunteers and contractors. The Facilities and Grounds Coordinator reports to the Operations Manager.

Essential Duties

Grounds and Building Upkeep and Maintenance (estimate 85%)

• Maintain the organization’s facilities and equipment, including routine maintenance, documentation, and repairs
  • Maintain facility’s green infrastructure (HVAC systems, living roof, solar panels, bioswales, rainwater filtration etc.)
  • Complete regular building upkeep and simple maintenance, as well as minor repairs (for example: cleaning refrigerator fins, repairing door handles, replacing the UV filter in our rainwater catchment system).
  • Coordinate with third-party vendors for more complex maintenance tasks and major repairs (for example HVAC maintenance, plumbing repairs, installation of lighting, appliance repair).
• Coordinate landscape maintenance and invasive species management
  • Update and implement a landscape and tree management plan, including maintaining native plantings (weeding, pruning, irrigating), removing unwanted plants, addressing hazardous trees, and maintaining irrigation systems.
  • Maintain Zenger Farm’s silver Backyard Habitat Certification status
  • Coordinate with external landscape professionals for mowing and edging, tree maintenance, and irrigation repairs as needed
  • Machinery: Operate and maintain a weed whacker, mower, 2-wheel tractor (BCS) with various implements, and rare use of a chainsaw
• Maintain the appearance of the farm, cleaning up litter and trash, spot painting, and alerting Operations Manager to larger messes or illegal dumping that need to be addressed
• Monitor the site and alert Operations Manager to any emerging safety concerns
• Ensure positive visitor experiences, using signage and facilities improvements to welcome and direct visitors to appropriate staff/locations
• Coordinate with program staff on facilities needs to support smooth operation of programs
• Coordinate volunteer projects and support for facilities and grounds needs

Space Use Support (estimate 15%)

• Support Operations Manager with space use rentals for partner organizations by being the onsite contact, mainly on evenings and weekends.
• Responsibilities include; opening the building(s); orienting the group to the space(s), including where to find the tables and chairs, adjust the temperature; ensuring the group follows the Space Use Guidelines; staying onsite and being on call to troubleshoot any problems; and ensuring the rooms used are clean and ready for next day’s programming.

Required Qualifications

• A commitment to and passion for Zenger Farm’s mission and values
• Experience building positive relationships with individuals of differing backgrounds including diverse language skills, cultures, income and levels of formal education
• Generally handy with a knowledge of, or desire to learn, basic carpentry, electrical, plumbing and irrigation skills
• Understanding of and ability to perform routine building maintenance & repairs, including troubleshooting, diagnosing, and fixing facilities issues, such as broken door locks, leaking faucets, alarm errors, clogged toilets, etc.
• Strong problem solving, troubleshooting, and prioritization skills including ability to coordinate with third-party vendors such as electricians and plumbers.
• 1-2 years experience with grounds and facilities maintenance
• Skilled in land stewardship: ability to effectively manage landscape plantings, including removing unwanted plants from the property, assessing hazardous trees, etc.
• Able to work independently, prioritize tasks efficiently, and communicate clearly
• Ability to lift and carry 50 pounds and work outdoors in all weather conditions
• Ability to obtain food handlers card, first aid, CPR and epi-pen certification
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including some evenings and weekends
• Any combination of education and experiences that provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for successfully performing the responsibilities of the position

Preferred Qualifications

• Lived experience and/or work experience within Black, Indigenous and other communities of color
• Knowledge of carpentry, electrical, and plumbing
• Experience with a holistic approach to environmental habitat restoration utilizing Indigenous land management knowledge and practices
• Familiarity with our neighborhood with existing positive relationships within the diverse local community

Compensation

This is a part-time salaried position starting at 20 hours/week (0.5 FTE) with the possibility of growing to full-time, located in Portland, OR. Compensation for the position will be $17,500-$22,500 annual salary ($35,000-45,000 FTE), depending on experience. Benefits include paid time off, paid holidays, life and disability insurance, retirement matching program, Employee Assistance Plan, and pro-rated dental insurance. If hours increase, medical insurance becomes available at 25 hours/week, we currently do not offer dependent coverage.