Local Switchboard Central Operator & Convergence Event Coordinator

Responsibilities

• Co-steward the Local Food Switchboard platform, maintaining data quality, consistency, and functionality across all regions and sectors.
• Support and coordinate with the Switchboard Community Outreach Operators, providing guidance, troubleshooting, and shared tools and resources.
• Work with Switchboard members to update and improve statewide listings, categories, and search functionality to reflect the realities of producers, fishers, processors, distributors, and institutional buyers.
• Identify platform-wide gaps in usability, accessibility (including language access), and functionality, and coordinate improvements with technical partners.
• Track platform-wide usage, connections made, and emerging needs; contribute to data collection and storytelling that reflects system-level impacts and gaps.
• Collaborate with the other Central Operator, MFCP staff, and Community Outreach Operators to align platform development with statewide strategy.
• Assist with outreach to business and organizational sponsors to sustain the project.
• Lead event planning, logistics, and sponsorship outreach for a statewide Convergence held every two years.
• Develop the event format and sessions.
• Coordinate securing presenters, speakers, facilitators, and sponsors, with attention to ensuring that the process and event are inclusive and informed by diverse perspectives and experiences.
• Support the Communications Manager in creating outreach and promotional materials for events, sponsorship campaigns, and the project in general.
• Manage the event budget.
• Support coordination for additional MFCP convenings and events as needed between Convergences.
• Leverage the event to generate financial support as well as future partnerships for MFCP.
• Work closely with the other Switchboard Central Operator, the Switchboard Community Outreach Operators, and MFCP staff to align program and statewide efforts.
• Participate in team learning, feedback loops, and iterative development of the Switchboard model.
• Share platform and event insights to inform policy, investment, and program design conversations.

Requirements

• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects, relationships, and priorities, including budgets.
• Ability to navigate complex systems and translate between different interest-holders (e.g., producers, institutions, sponsors, and presenters).
• Strong relationship-building skills and ability to work across diverse sectors and communities.
• Experience in event planning, logistics coordination, or program/project management, ideally including large or statewide convenings.
• Experience improving accessibility (e.g., language access, engagement practices).
• Experience with data tracking, analysis, directories, marketplace tools, and/or CRM systems.
• Proficient in organizational and communications platforms such as Google Workspace, Zoom, Airtable, Slack, etc.
• Experience with outreach, facilitation, and community outreach work.
• Interest in system change and collaborative problem-solving.

Nice to have

• Ability to build and foster relationships within rural, Wabanaki, immigrant, Amish, or other underrepresented communities.
• Experience in creating deep connections to food production, fisheries/aquaculture, processing, or distribution.
• Expertise in value chain coordination.
• Experience working with school nutrition programs / Farm & Sea to School systems.
• Experience with sponsorship outreach, fundraising, or partnership development.
• Familiarity with regulatory environments related to food production, processing, distribution, and procurement.

Benefits

• Generous Paid-Time-Off (PTO): twelve paid holidays, prorated vacation and personal holiday time, and ability to accrue up to 487.5 hours of health leave time for benefited staff.
• 80% Employer-paid, offering some $0 deductible Health Insurance through Harvard Pilgrim along with several low-deductible plans;
• Low-cost Harvard Pilgrim/Point32Health Dental and Vision.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Health and Dependent Care.
• Employer-paid Life, Long- and Short-Term Disability Insurance.
• Employer-paid Pension and Employee-paid 403b plan through TIAA.
• ...and more!