Community Garden Coordinator

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT: The Cambridge Department of Public Works (DPW), provides dependable, high-quality service maintaining, improving and expanding a safe, healthy, attractive, and inviting physical environment. There are 14 active community gardens located throughout the City, serving as areas of beautification, vegetable production, and meeting places. The gardens are divided into plots and shared by groups of residents.

ABOUT THE ROLE: This position will work with community gardeners and garden coordinators to facilitate and improve the community garden program.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reports to the Senior Engineer managing the Community Garden Program daily. Specific duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Maintain Access database of active and waitlist gardeners; including but not limited to entering garden application data and assigning plots.
• Work with community gardeners and garden coordinators to facilitate and improve the community garden program.
• Assist in outreach efforts to community gardeners, garden coordinators and potential gardeners.
• Develop outreach material and support outreach sessions for potential gardeners, with a specific focus on reaching traditionally underserved communities.
• Visit each of the City’s 14 community gardens bi-weekly at a minimum (during the growing season) to talk with gardeners and identify any issues with the gardens. Document the findings from each site visit.
• Coordinate with DPW and other City Departments.
• Site visits, weekend and evening work as needed.
• At times when community garden work is less active, this position will support the work of the Conservation Commission.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Working knowledge in personal computer operation and experience in working with Microsoft Windows programs such as Access, Excel, and Word.
• Interest in community outreach and community gardens required.
• Background in urban gardening and horticulture desirable.
• The City of Cambridge’s workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to read a map.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT: Moderate physical activity including lifting, bending, squatting, stretching, pushing, dragging, reaching, and pulling. Walk and/or bike up to several miles a day. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Employee will be exposed to all weather conditions. Required to travel around the City of Cambridge.