Edible Landscape Lead

Job Title: Edible Landscape Lead

Pay Rate: $20.00 - $25.00 per hour, non-exempt, $17,500 - $20,000 per year starting

Commensurate with level of experience, skill, and responsibility identified

Part-Time: Initially up to 50% FTE / 16-20 hours per week

Schedule: Tuesdays 11am-7pm

Thursdays 3-7pm

1st Saturdays 9am-3pm

3rd Saturdays 2-5pm

And a few seasonal events

Terms: As soon as filled through December 2026

1 season initial employment contract with renewal assessed at the year’s end

Organization size: 5+ part time employees

Reports to: Executive Director

Location: 2300 N 33rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19132

How to Apply: Please submit a resume, cover letter and 2-3 professional references to fairamountfoodforest@gmail.com

• Please include what motivates you to pursue this position and our company, and why you are the best candidate to help advance our nonprofit in alignment with its goals, plans and policies.

Job Summary

The Edible Landscape Lead will be responsible for taking a lead role in landscape management for our diversely planted 2 acre food forest and guiding volunteers in weekly and monthly gardening and education events throughout the season. If filled, this position is responsible for significant contributions to site maintenance and development, vegetable production; leadership and hosting of public participants and volunteer groups (both collaboratively and independently); leadership in harvest and food distribution efforts; interfacing with community partners and the public; hosting garden tours; conducting community engagement at events and programs; contributions to group facilitation; and contributions to event and program advertising.

Our ideal candidate is looking for part time employment with room for growth and has experience in managing landscapes of similar size; the harvest and distribution of agricultural goods; and facilitating robust garden based volunteer programs. While we prefer candidates with a degree, we are willing to onboard the right person as long as they have the relevant skills, a commitment to independent pursuit of further education and professional development, and the ability to work independently and as part of a team. If you align with a majority of the job description but not with some items, we encourage you to apply and further discuss your fit for this position and company.

Applications submitted by March 2nd, 2026 will be prioritized, with consideration for applicants on a rolling basis until filled.

Responsibilities

• Take a lead role, in collaboration with other staff and the Executive Director, to host weekly Tuesday and Thursday garden hours for landscape maintenance, community harvest, and food donation activities.
• Take a lead role, in collaboration with other staff and the Executive Director, to host monthly 1st Saturday garden hours for landscape maintenance, community harvest, and public education activities.
• Take a lead role in collaboration with other staff to host monthly 3rd Saturday garden tours and public education activities.
• Effectively set up and manage multiple volunteer activities occurring simultaneously onsite.
• Take a lead role in planning and executing vegetable production, harvest activities, and produce distribution in collaboration with volunteers, committee members, and other staff.
• Take a lead role in improving harvest processing and distribution practices for food donations, farmers market sale, and educational program and community event use.
• Frequently welcome and orient visitors, volunteers, and program participants.
• Regularly communicate garden rules, harvest guidelines, and other company policies to visitors, volunteers, and program participants.
• Assist to maintain signage and informational resources provided by the organization.
• Engage visitors and volunteers in email signups, event registrations, waiver compliance, and other forms.
• Maintain program binders and paper and digital filing systems, as relevant to assigned roles.
• Keep tool and material storage areas clean and organized.
• Assist in the procurement and transportation of program supplies.
• Assist in distribution of promotional materials for volunteer, educational, and community programs.

Qualifications

• 2-5+ years of experience in:
• Residential landscape, estate, or public garden installation and maintenance
• Small scale production-based vegetable farming in-ground (¼ to 2+ acres) &
• Maintenance of perennial fruiting plants
• Experience leading groups of volunteers in landscaping and gardening tasks

REQUIREMENTS

• Acknowledge and comply with Conflict of Interest, Employment and Company policies
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, both following directions and also organizing, setting priorities, troubleshooting, and exercising sound judgment independently within areas of responsibility.
• Ability to facilitate groups ranging in size from 2 to 30+ people in collaboration with other staff, committee members, returning volunteers, and independently.
• Ability to perform strenuous physical labor for long periods of time in all reasonable weather conditions including rain and temperatures between 40-90 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Reliable access to a personal vehicle and transportation to locations in Strawberry Mansion and East Fairmount Park and in picking up and transporting supplies in the Philadelphia area.
• Ability to use a high degree of tact, diplomacy, professionalism and discretion in dealing with sensitive situations and interpersonal conflict with concerned internal and external parties, maintaining strict confidentiality of privileged information.
• Ability to calmly navigate competing and shifting priorities within a lengthy list of landscape management tasks and public programming activities in a social environment, within the time allotted to the role.
• Efficiently operate a personal computer, using Google Suite, Microsoft Office, word processing, spreadsheets, printers, filing systems, and other standard office equipment with the ability to comply with digital security protocols.
• Establish and maintain highly effective working relationships with staff, project partners, residents, committee members, representatives of civic and community groups, the media, the public, elected officials, foundations, donors, and others encountered in the course of work.
• Ability to work positively and productively with diverse demographics, people with varied social and political perspectives, and a wide range of life experiences.
• Ability to set, maintain, and respect healthy personal and professional boundaries.
• Ability to stay on task within the context of a vibrant and dynamic social environment.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to explain horticultural and farming terms and practices in plain language.
• Ability and willingness to implement integrated pest and wildlife management practices
• Attention to detail and ability to perform repetitive and rigorous garden maintenance tasks.
• Read and reply to email promptly multiple times per week
• Communicate by text and phone call promptly multiple times per week
• Proactive communication regarding scheduling conflicts, schedule adjustments, and staff adjustments for a minimal amount of absences and program rescheduling.

Preferences

• 2-5+ years of experience working in Philadelphia or with similar communities.
• Full season availability for established Tuesday, Thursday, 1st & 3rd Saturday program hours.
• Availability to staff a handful of additional community events.

Harvest Festivals: 1st Saturday of June, 3rd Saturday of September & 3rd Sunday of October.

• Assistance in scheduling, event posting, and hosting of public educational workshops.
• Experience in building trades and construction.

Organization Overview

Fair Amount Food Forest (FAFF) is a 2 acre community farm and educational garden in Philadelphia’s East Fairmount Park, organized since 2016 and implemented since 2021. Open and welcoming to all visitors and participants as a public space, FAFF prioritizes and serves the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood and adjacent North Philadelphia areas. FAFF enters its 6th year working on the land and as a nonprofit with a relatively small budget and staff and significant outputs of frequent garden volunteer programming, all ages public education, local food donations, a newly established farmers market, community events, a developing youth program, and a number of locally rooted partnerships. At this point in our organization’s development, we are looking to support the growing demands for staffing of the organization; maintain and improve existing initiatives and programs; and to grow financial resources that support the public garden, its programs, and community service.

The Fair Amount Food Forest’s Focus is based on three mutually supportive pillars:

Local food access through food production & distribution, garden education, food pantry partnership, and facilitating a farmers market.

Education in cultivation, harvesting, processing, preparation, and utilization of fruits, nuts, vegetables, and herbs for all ages and local youth.

Community in facilitation of local participation in, enjoyment of, education from, benefit derived, and definition of mission-driven nonprofit-supported services.

The Fair Amount Food Forest’s Vision is to establish a multi-faceted community learning center and gathering space to explore and steward healthy relationships with each other and the environment through growing fresh, healthy food.

The Fair Amount Food Forest’s Mission is to foster a community-based, publicly-accessible, and educational food forest garden on public land.

English (proficiency in Spanish also desired but not required)