Food Hub Coordinator
Mississippi
JOB DETAIL
Description
Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.
FUNCTION
The function of this position is to support the mission of Heifer USA by engaging with and coordinating livestock producers and connecting them with local, regional and national markets to support small-mid scale limited-resource farmers, and their communities.
ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS:
The ideal candidate for this position must have a background in interacting with partners that make up the local food chain in Mississippi. Must be comfortable interacting with diverse individuals from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Must be able to manage financials, monitor projected profit and loss and have a growth mindset. Additionally, must be familiar with regenerative farming practices for pastured pork or be willing to be trained in the required knowledge needed to monitor farms engaged in regenerative agricultural practices.
RESPONSIBILITIES & DELIVERABLES
A. Producer Coordination (35%)
- Work with partner farms to ensure implementation of agreed production practices
- Ensure timely and accurate aggregation
- Schedule processing dates to meet demand
- Coordinate and schedule feed deliveries
- Work with farms to support product quality and traceability
- Organize orders and record information on current and future inventory.
- Monitor farms and storage facilities for compliance.
- Maintain documentation of farm visits, including timing of pasture rotation, animal weights/growth rates and mortality rates.
B. Sales and Marketing (40%)
- Conduct market research to identify consumer trends, competitor offerings, and potential target markets.
- Analyze data to determine consumer preferences and purchasing behavior related to food products.
- Develop and execute marketing strategies and campaigns.
- Create marketing materials, including advertisements, brochures, social media content, and email campaigns.
- Determine pricing strategies and promotional tactics to maximize product profitability.
- Lead outreach and education regarding the benefits of regenerative agricultural products with customers, and community.
- Identify and target potential clients, distributors, and retailers for food products.
- Establish and maintain relationships with existing and prospective wholesale and retail clients.
- Negotiate contracts, pricing, and distribution agreements.
- Provide exceptional customer service to clients by addressing inquiries, resolving issues, and ensuring client satisfaction.
- Collect feedback from customers to improve products and services.
C. Operations/Administrative Duties (20%)
- Document and maintain records of sales activity and distribution/inventory of products.
- Confidence working with diverse software systems (MS Office, social media, Salesforce CRM, Excel database, supply chain management tools, Quickbooks)
- Document areas for improvements in the pastured pork value chain
- Assist in leading and establishing the MS Pastured Meats stakeholder meetings and activities
D. May perform other job-related duties as assigned. (5%)
Minimum Requirements:
Must have a college degree in Business, Marketing, Agriculture, or related areas and at least 5 years’ experience in marketing within the food industry.
Preferred Requirements:
- Excellent communication and negotiation abilities.
- Proficiency in digital marketing tools and platforms.
- Knowledge of food safety and regulatory requirements is a plus.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Adaptability to changing market conditions and consumer preferences.
Most Critical Proficiencies:
- Must understand components of a value chain for livestock and be able to interact with producers and vendors.
- Livestock management knowledge experience with proficiency in swine management or pastured pork production.
- Must be aware of and or be willing to learn and implement regenerative agriculture practices.
- Knowledge of best practices for pastured pork production and ongoing needs of underserved farmers.
Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands:
- Job will include travel to current and new farms in Mississippi and to Heifer Ranch in Perryville, AR.
- Some physical duties will be included in the course of farm work. Must be willing and able to work in all weather conditions and lift 50 lbs.
- Record keeping and frequent communication with supervision will be required.
- Ability to work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.
- Must have current drivers’ license.
- Must reside in the state of Mississippi.
Salary Information:
The expected base salary range for this position is $70,000 to $74,000 USD annually. Placement within the range will be based on the experience and competency level of the candidate.
What we offer:
- Heifer International offers a variety of benefits for U.S. based employees working 30 or more hours per week.
- Health and wellness benefits including Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Saving Account
- Employee assistance program
- 403(b) retirement plan (match 1% employee to 2% employer up to a maximum of 4% match +3% employer discretionary contribution regardless of employee contribution)
- 22 vacation days in addition to 12 statutory and discretionary holidays, and 10 sick days per year
- Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D)
- Professional development and annual merit increase opportunities
- Optional critical illness insurance, legal assistance plan and pet protection
- And more!
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