Volunteer & Vendor Coordinator - VT Cheesemakers Festival

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Vermont Cheese Council is looking for someone to coordinate general vendor and volunteer activities related to our 13th Annual Vermont Cheesemakers Festival. With support from the Executive Director, existing staff, and event committee, you will be responsible for managing a warm and supportive experience for our festival vendors, volunteers, and community partners, including all administration and communication prior to the event, as well as in-person, on-site coordination the weekend of the Festival (August 9-10, 2025).

If you are good at visualizing how multiple moving components and people need to come together to achieve a goal, coordinating various stakeholders, and thinking about how what you do fits into “the bigger picture” – this might be the role for you

ABOUT VCC

The VCC is a membership-based nonprofit that provides community, education, and business support for cheesemakers, both in Vermont and beyond. Our members include Vermont cheesemakers, as well as the retail shops, restaurants, distributors, state-level parties, and other stakeholders whom they depend upon for their success. We represent the $650 million Vermont Cheese brand – including cheese producers of every scale, each of which works together through our organization to embrace a culture of mutual support in service of the common good. The Vermont Cheese Council is an equal opportunity employer.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Volunteer Coordination

• Work with the ED and Festival Committee to help plan for and coordinate volunteer needs for the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival.
• Provide a warm, welcoming, and supportive environment from start to finish for our Festival volunteers and partner organizations
• Develop schedules and coordinate with internal and external partners to fill shifts
• Manage volunteer communications including drafting and sending informational emails and instructional materials
• Serve as the primary contact for volunteers, liaising with the management team to address any issues
• Set up and run the volunteer basecamp August 9-10, including “meet and greet” procedures, training, and resources, and assist with Festival setup and take-down
• Develop and distribute after-event volunteer survey

Vendor Coordination

• Manage application process for vendors, including assisting with application and payment, and following up on certificates of insurance and signed vendor agreements.
• Assist ED and Festival Committee with site placement, power, water, and other logistical needs from vendors as they arise.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for vendors pre-event, addressing questions and concerns.
• Coordinate with Vendor Captain to ensure a speedy, organized, and welcoming load-in, load-out for vendors the day of the Festival
• Develop and distribute after-event vendor survey

Attendee Coordination

• Monitor the general Festival email address and respond to public and industry inquiries
• Monitor the general Festival voicemail to return messages and calls as needed
• Assist with industry invitations, promotion, and follow-up
• Process the occasional over-the-phone ticket sale (most sales are online through our EventBrite ticketing system)
• Other administrative duties as assigned

ABOUT YOU:

• Experienced with project coordination and/or event planning who thrives in intense larger-event environments
• Self-motivated, independent, and able to thrive with autonomy
• Enjoy diving into planning and getting into the details to see an experience/project come together smoothly
• Excited about supporting sustainable food systems and working landscapes
• Love working with people
• Excellent written and verbal communicator
• Strong organizational skills; able to juggle multiple projects at once
• Able to travel to attend meetings throughout Vermont as needed
• Legally authorized to work in the U.S.

COMPENSATION & REQUIREMENTS:

• This position is a part-time, temporary position from June 16, 2025 to August 15, 2025.
• It requires a commitment of 15-20 hours a week, remote within the state of Vermont.
• The Festival Coordinator reports to the Executive Director (ED).
• It will require some in-state travel, mostly but not limited to the Festival Site in the Shelburne, VT area.
• Specific hours are somewhat flexible, with some weekly meeting requirements including on-site in-person requirements the weekend of the Festival (August 9-10).

LOCATION: The Vermont Cheese Council is headquartered in Essex Junction, Vermont. This position will be remote within the state of Vermont, and will require occasional travel within Vermont, mostly but not limited to the Festival Site in Shelburne, VT area.

HOURS: Specific hours are somewhat flexible, with some weekly meeting requirements and all-day on-site in-person requirements the weekend of the Festival (August 9-10).

START DATE: June 16, 2025,

Accepting Applications through May 26

To apply: Please submit the following to hiring@vtcheese.com:

• A resume
• Two references who can help you show off your organizing skills, letting us know what their relationship to you is
• And either in a cover letter or in your application email, tell us briefly why you are interested in this role and answer this question:

You and/or friends are going on an adventure somewhere new; what do you most like to do:

(a) Instigate and rally to pull folks together to do it,

(b) cheer others on as they take on new adventures, or

(c) be in the middle of a group just getting to enjoy the adventure?