Careers - NOFA-NY - Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York

About NOFA-NY

NOFA-NY is an organization of farmers, gardeners, and consumers working together to create a sustainable regional food system that’s ecologically sound and economically viable. Through demonstration and education, we promote land stewardship, organic food production, and local marketing. We bring consumer and farmer together to make high-quality food available to all people. NOFA-NY is a growing not-for-profit, USDA-accredited organic certification agency, whose primary purpose is to provide high integrity certification services to 1,100 organic farmers and processors throughout New York State and surrounding areas.

Open Positions

Founded in 1983, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) is the
premier statewide organization dedicated to organic agriculture. NOFA-NY provides education
and outreach to farmers, consumers, and gardeners; advocates for a fair food system at the
state and federal levels; and is the largest USDA-accredited organic certifier in New York State.
NOFA-NY is seeking a part time Organic Educator to lead the organization’s outreach, technical
assistance and programming to grow the number of certified organic operations in the Hudson
Valley.

Position Summary:
The Organic Educator HV position requires a creative and organized self-starter with experience
in organic farming. The person must be passionate and knowledgeable about organic
agriculture and have project management experience.

The Organic Educator reports to the NOFA-NY Executive Director. This is a half-time (20
hours/week), This position is grant funded and currently is remote with occasional in-person
staff meetings.

Responsibilities:
- Program Management:
  - Create comprehensive training program for farmers transitioning to organic management, including helping farmers to navigate applying for organic certification.
  - Conduct outreach for program participation.
  - Share overall program accomplishments with greater organic community.
Education and Technical Assistance:
- Provide phone, online, and in-person technical assistance to transitioning organic farmers.
- Develop educational trainings & materials for program.
- Facilitate farmer-to-farmer mentorship program.
Data Management and Reporting:
- Maintain a program management log to communicate goals, deliverables, and results.
- Manage records for LI certification and education support program.

Qualifications:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills; strong organizational skills, attention to detail and computer skills.
- Knowledge of and experience in organic farm management and certification process.
- Program development, project management and reporting experience.
- Ability to lead an advisory group of organic farmers and coordinate effective and well-attended educational events.
- High energy and enthusiasm. Ability to work well in a team and with a wide range of people, work well under pressure, handle multiple tasks at once, and adapt to changing situations.
- Strong interest in and commitment to promoting the goals of organic and sustainable farming.
- Valid driver’s license required.

Compensation: Compensation 50% FTE, $24,00-$26,000 annually. Benefits include health,
dental, vision and life insurance. Retirement plan for employee contributions. Generous
vacation package.

Working Conditions:

This position requires the ability to:
Work within a standard week with the occasional weekend/evening assignments.
Be exposed to farm environments during meetings or field days:
- Walking various distances on uneven ground
- Exposure to animal/plant/dust allergens
- Working in unpredictable weather conditions with minimal shelter
- Ability to stand for long periods of time at NOFA-NY-hosted events

How to Apply:
Interested and qualified candidates are invited to email a resume and cover letter to:
hr@nofany.org. For information regarding our organization, please visit www.nofany.org.

Deadline for applications is February 28, 2023, interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.
NOFA-NY is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applicants from diverse
backgrounds to apply

NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC is hiring a full-time Certification Specialist to start ASAP.

Be a part of a growing not-for-profit, USDA-accredited organic certification agency, whose primary purpose is to provide high integrity certification services to 1,100 organic farmers and processors throughout New York State and surrounding areas.

Certification Specialist works to accomplish a smooth and efficient implementation of the USDA National Organic Standards throughout the organic certification process while maintaining integrity and offering producers a friendly and helpful service. Must uphold confidentiality of our certified producers. Primary responsibilities include evaluating organic system plan information and inputs to determine compliance with the National Organic Standards and collaborating as a team with other certification staff. We require excellent communication skills, verbal and written; strong computer skills; and the ability to do fast-paced, detail-oriented work.

Responsibilities:

Perform review of crop, livestock and processing certification applications and inspection reports including:
- Evaluating for completeness and accuracy,
- Compliance with National Organic Program Standards,
- Consistency with Organic System Plan submitted.
Approve/pend or deny organic certification.
Finalize certificates and paperwork.
Write professional correspondence to producers.
Issue noncompliance notices and adverse action notices to producers not in compliance with the National Organic Standards.
Review producer’s response to noncompliance’s, final review determination notifications and document results of findings.
Assist the certification office with producer communication and other tasks as necessary.
Input of data into database including materials, crops, fields, livestock.
Attend office trainings and meetings.
Attend trainings outside the office – Field days, shadow inspection, NOFA-NY annual conference, other as applicable.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in a related field, or 1-3 years’ experience in related field.
Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, writing and communication skills.
Good computer skills including a working understanding of database programs, word processing, and email systems.
Able to respond decisively, accurately, confidently, and courteously to client inquiries.
Knowledge of organic farming and processing, familiarity with production systems, including food/feed processing, handling, vegetable, livestock, dairy and field crop production is desirable.
Willing to work irregular hours and travel as needed.

Training is provided via Zoom or other media. This position is a hybrid position working some in the office and some from home.

We offer a friendly environment, challenging work, open communication, and commitment to a job well-done. The ideal candidate will have a college degree in a related area, or equivalent by training or experience, and knowledge of organic farming and certification. Organic certification experience is ideal, but not required. Work will include review of both farm and processor files.

This is a full-time (40 hrs/wk) position with benefits. Benefits include healthcare, dental vision, life and 403(b) as well as very generous paid holidays/vacation time. NOFA-NY offers a collaborative and flexible working environment. $20/hour starting salary, negotiable based on organic certification experience.

This position will take approximately one year to master – serious applicants only. Interested and qualified candidates are invited to email a resume and cover letter to: hr@nofany.org

For information regarding our organization, please visit www.nofany.org. NOFA-NY is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC is hiring a full-time Administrative Assistant to start ASAP.

The Administrative Assistant is responsible for performing a variety of office administration and support functions in a fast-paced team setting; including timely intake of certification applications and the day-to-day flow of information as it is received into the office. This position provides administrative support to all departments and the Certification Director as needed.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Receive, scan, and distribute all incoming mail/deliveries and manage outgoing mail when needed. Financial documents including checks, etc, to be distributed as directed.
Check in any files/applications received in database, hard copy and electronic.
Data entry, input, or other tasks as requested by others.
Respond to general telephone calls and emails as needed.
Handle the annual archiving of certification files.
Ensure office policies and procedures are implemented appropriately.
Attend office trainings and meetings.
Attend trainings outside the office as applicable.
Perform additional duties and work on special projects as requested.
Perform regular inventory of assets, equipment, general office items.
Prepare mailings to inspectors (and others) as directed using the most cost-effective measures
Prepare stationery and office supplies orders as directed.
Any other office tasks as directed.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Associate’s degree in a related field or 1-3 years’ experience in administrative work/certification. Excellent organizational and time management skills with attention to detail.
Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Proficient computer skills including a working understanding of database programs, Microsoft office, and email systems.
Ability to perform multiple tasks and meet deadlines and works well independently or on team projects.

This is a full-time (40 hours/week) position that requires in-office presence at our office in Binghamton, NY. Work hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30. There are occasions when the position will be permitted to work part of the day from home.

Benefits include healthcare, dental vision, life and 403(b) as well as very generous paid holidays/vacation/sick time. NOFA-NY offers a collaborative and flexible working environment. $18/hour starting salary with a 90-day review and possible rate increase.

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to email a resume and cover letter to: hr@nofany.org. For information regarding our organization, please visit www.nofany.org. Detailed posting at https://nofany.org/about-us/careers.

Founded in 1983, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) is the only statewide organization dedicated to organic agriculture. NOFA-NY provides education and outreach to farmers, gardeners and consumers; advocates for a fair food system at the state and federal levels; and is the largest USDA-accredited organic certifier in New York State.

NOFA-NY is seeking a full-time Fund Development Manager. This person is the lead responsible for writing and submitting multidisciplinary, and multi-collaborative grant proposals, ranging in size, scope and complexity, to a wide range of public and private external funding agencies and organizations, such as foundations, corporations, government, and other institutions. This position will support budget development, prepare grant and stewardship reports to corporate and foundation donors, and manage the grants tracking process for NOFA-NY in its entirety including our principal organization NOFA-NY Inc and our subsidiary NOFA-NY Certified organic LLC supporting at onset a budget 2.5M. This position will also engage in other development writing projects related to strengthening NOFA-NY’s fundraising capacity. The Grant Development Manager will report to the Executive Director and take direction from the Certification Director.

Position: Full-time; Salaried; Exempt $62,400 Annual

Principal Responsibilities: Development and tracking of Federal, State and Private grant awards. Ensuring the finances are in order, preparing the annual budget, recordkeeping, and systems management.

Grant Development and Administration Development: Responsible for leading proposal and application process and timely reporting of all federal, state, and private grants. Ensures staff time is equally allocated to relevant grant.
Financial Management: Responsible for leading the annual financial audit of NOFA-NY Inc including our subsidiary NOFA-NY Certified Organic LLC., communicating financial progress and grant budget reports, supporting accurate overall financial reporting, supporting budget development, and staffing the finance committee.
Staff Management: Coordinates with Leadership Team to assist in program work planning and program budgeting, to ensure organizational goals and deadlines are met. Meets regularly with noted staff to monitor and support their progress, program deliverables and deadlines; evaluates on an annual basis.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Business or Public Administration, Finance, Business Management or related field and minimum 3 years’ experience in non-profit management/leadership. May consider degree in unrelated field with 5 years non-profit or finance experience.
Must possess working knowledge of QuickBooks, Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, and Excel.
Proficient with learning database systems.
Strong attention to detail and critical thinking.
Project management experience, self-directed.
Excellent analysis and writing abilities.
Excellent organizational and communication skills.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
Ability to understand big picture.
Preferred: Commitment to sustainable food systems, food processing, organic farming, or production experience desirable.

Job Requirements

Some work outside of normal business hours.
Valid Driver’s License, Hybrid remote/in office position reports to Syracuse office at minimum one day per week and is required to attend quarterly staff meetings in Binghamton office additional travel to office as needed and occasional travel throughout NYS.
Ability to sit at computer/desk for long periods of time.

Benefits include health, dental, vision, vacation, floating holidays, sick time, and life insurance. Retirement plan is available for employee contributions.

NOFA-NY is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected class. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply. NOFA-NY is committed to centering racial equity in our organization and in our advocacy work. Please visit NOFA-NY’s website to read our Equity Statement here.