Benefits:

401(k)

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Paid time off

Overview: The Edmundite Missions (www.edmunditemissions.org) is a Catholic service organization focused on community development in Selma, Alabama and surrounding communities. It has been present in Selma for 80 years and is the leading community development organization in this part of Alabama. For the past three years, the Missions has invested in building the capacity of small holder Black farmers in Lowndes, Wilcox, and Perry counties of the BlackBelt of Alabama to increase quantity and quality of their produce. This has successfully increased farmer incomes and established interest in continued growth. The Missions now seeks to move from this farmer-by-farmer approach, currently involving 13 farmers, to a more sustainable, institutionalized mechanism for increasing the capacity and economic success of a larger number of farmers in a larger geographic area through a cooperative or network approach to a formal agribusiness. A preliminary business plan has been developed by the University of West Alabama in support of this work. The intent is to incubate the structure within the Missions for 4 years, spinning it out into its own free-standing institution.

Position Summary

The Coordinator of Cooperative Planning and Development (CCPD) is responsible for executing the business plan for a Black Belt Cooperative that builds on the Mission Black Farmers Initiative. Over four years, the CCPD will establish and stand up a cooperative agricultural structure and financial model, establish its operations, recruit its inaugural membership and governance leadership. The CCPD will prepare the structure for spin off at the end of Year Four in a sustainable model. In addition, the CCPD will develop and implement an approach to creating a purchasing collaborative to increase market demand as well as develop an innovative approach to applying emerging technologies to production on cooperative farms. The position reports to the President and CEO.

Responsibilities

· Planning and Defining the Pathway

o Planning

§ Based on the business plan, or a variant of it, set out a 4-year flow of work against clear decision mile markets

§ Set Year One detailed task plan

§ Establish a 4-year budget, with annual detail

§ Revisit the plan every 6 months and update

o Support President and CEO in any way regarding overall Missions alignment

· Advisory Board

o Create description and bylaws

o Develop Board matrix that reflects both the needs of institution design but also the likely characteristics of an independent Board at the time of spin off

o Identify prospects

o Support President and CEO in the invitation process

o Convene and manage the Advisory Board

· Communications

o With outside counsel and in close coordination with President and CEO an Advisory Board, develop brand

o With outside counsel, develop communications materials and collateral

o Without side counsel, develop website; In coordination with Director of Virtual Operations, maintain website

· Stand Up Operations

Structuring Operations

§ Develop all policies and procures § Define all dimensions of “membership” in the cooperative § Define all staffing needs and develop all job descriptions § Establish financial reporting procedures and systems

Membership

§ Identify potential members

§ Assess on farm business plans and provide technical assistance for improvements that would enable cooperative participation; oversee farm improvements with outside counsel as needed

§ Onboard members

Food Hub Partnerships

§ Develop relationships with food hubs to ensure growth capacity

§ Identify and maintain other important partnerships institutions and roles

Innovation

§ Develop and implement an approach to NextGen engagement in cooperative operations and in the farm members, including a technology laboratory approach

· Markets and Marketing

o Develop and pursue marketing plan for the Cooperative in alignment with business plan, membership and product growth

o Explore creation of a Procurement Collaborative, led by Edmundite Missions, comprised of school systems, health institutions, nonprofits, and corporations in the catchment area with food procurement budgets. As appropriate, create and manage such a Collaborative led by Edmundite Missions

· Performance

Develop performance metrics for all three aspects of the effort; collect and maintain data

· Integration with Edmundite Missions Programs

Work with the Edmundite Missions Development team on added funding to the base budget

Work with Finance team on budget establishment and tracking

Work with Office of President and CEO on any and all needs

Work with all Program Managers to ensure that Missions food procurement maximizes cooperative purchases

Characteristics and Skills

Respect for the teachings of the Catholic Church

Commitment to serving the poorest with respect and dignity

Proven track record as a team leader

Entrepreneurial in problem solving; demonstrated ability to problem-solve quickly and efficiently, with impeccable attention to detail

Strong interpersonal and communications skills, both oral and written

Education, Experience & Requirements

BA in business, organizational behavior or related field; MA or MBA preferred

Experience in agricultural institutional design and management; technical knowledge of agriculture and agriculture markets a must

Demonstrated achievements in creating and maintaining either businesses or nonprofit organizations or programs

Possess a valid driver’s license

Willing to submit to a background check

Please send an introductory letter of interest and full resume to

davidd@edmunditemissions.org