Position: Interim General Manager

Organization: LifeCycles Project Society

Wage: $28 to $32 per hour depending on experience and expertise.

Hours: 25 to 30 hours per week 

Term: This is a maternity leave fill position. The term is June 17th, 2024 through January 13th, 2025. 

For almost 30 years LifeCycles has worked to improve community health and connectivity by bringing people in the Capital Region together to grow, harvest, and share local foods. Working in urban gardens and orchards, we are reimagining the way that we live and eat in cities.  Our Fruit Tree Project, Welland Orchard, Farm Gleaning, and Community Food programs distribute fresh local food to community members and social service agencies while providing learning opportunities for participants and volunteers. 

In the CRD, over 50,000 people are food insecure, less than 10% of food is locally sourced, and only 2% of the population is engaged in farming. Our organization is part of a growing movement to innovate our local food system. We believe that food is at the heart of thriving, diverse communities and a healthy planet. Our work creates learning experiences that transform and strengthen our connections with each other and the natural world. In doing so, we are working to build a more resilient and equitable food system. 

For more information about what we do, visit: www.lifecyclesproject.ca

OVERVIEW

We are seeking an innovative  and professional leader to steward the organization’s growth and development while our Executive Director is on maternity leave. The Manager will report directly to the board of directors. The Manager will play an important role in supporting staff and leading program activities over the busy season of Fruit Tree harvests and farm gleaning while also seeking new funding opportunities for the organization through value-added products made from the food we glean. They will also work with the Welland Coordinator to ensure grant requirements are being met and supporting the Welland Orchard’s needs through the summer, fall and early winter. The Manager will also be responsible for working within the organization’s budget and keeping the bookkeeper up to date with expenses and monthly bills. Lastly, the Manager will ensure that LifeCycles continues to have a strong communication platform to its membership and the community, maintaining and developing partnerships for all of our programming.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Program management: 
• Oversee and assist the Fruit Tree Project Manager (FTPM) in executing the 2024 Fruit Tree Project season
• Work with the Welland Coordinator to support them in their needs, including communications about Work Parties and Workshops
• Ensure minimum Grant Requirements are being met and tracked throughout the season for both the Fruit Tree Project and Welland Orchard
• Continue to develop/maintain relationships with partners to plan for and execute Value Added Products, which will assist in raising funds for future projects

• Communication and Administration: 
• Manage the organization’s office, including responding to emails and phone calls received by LifeCycles - communicate with the Welland Coordinator and FTPM as needed as well as host staff meetings
• Plan and distribute communications to LifeCycles’ membership, including a monthly newsletter 
• Engage with the public and media to bring profile to the organization
• Lead in the execution of our communications and media strategy, with the help of the Welland Coordinator and the FTMP
• Attend a monthly Board meeting where they will present a Staff Report
• Participate in relevant Board sub-committee meetings as needed

• Finances: 
• Ensure Welland Orchard and Fruit Tree Project are following Board approved budget and expenses are being accurately tracked 
• Maintain existing systems including expenses filing and monthly filings to bookkeeper as well as filing payroll bi-weekly
• Update budget as the season progresses, reporting to the Board on any changes to the approved 2024/2025 budget

• Fund Development and Social Enterprise: 
• Apply for fall/winter grants including but not limited to the BC Gaming Grant, the Government of Canada New Horizons for Seniors Program, the Government of Canada Canada Summer Jobs Grant,  the BC Rehab Foundation Grant, and the Township of Esquimalt Community Grant
• Write Expressions of Interest for the following grants (and others if they are found): Vancouver Foundation Lighthouse Organizations Fund, and Islands Savings Community Endowment Fund
• Complete Grant Reports as needed
• With the Fruit Tree Project Manager, help oversee the value-added products planned for the season, including maintaining partnerships with relevant stakeholders

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES

• Experience working with community-based projects and non-profit organizations
• Ability to work with a diversity of people
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• Experience with staff supervision 
• Good computer skills - proficiency in word processing, data input, excel, public speaking & writing, gmail, social media and report writing
• A valid BC Class 5 or 7 Driver’s License and comfortable driving a large vehicle
• Commitment to and awareness of food, health, poverty and transforming our food systems - awareness of food security issues and sustainability on Vancouver Island

• Problem solver - you learn quickly; you can spot problems or gaps and are excited to find solutions to make systems more efficient/impactful
• Leadership: mobilize, inspire, and support achievement and critical reflection towards LifeCycles’ mission
• Inclusivity: A strong commitment to human rights and the values of equity, diversity, and inclusivity
• Organizational Development: support business and strategic plans to advance organization’s goals; develop and refine systems to improve impact and efficiency
• Communications: clear, direct, professional communicator with the ability to adapt communication to the audience
• Adaptability: able to be flexible, versatile and/or tolerant in a changing work environment while remaining effective and efficient
• Passionate: demonstrates passion for and commitment to LifeCycles’ mission

DETAILS OF HOW TO APPLY

Submit your resume and cover letter to the LifeCycles Board Chair, Jess Gunnarson, via email at by end of day on May 26, 2024. Applications will be reviewed as they are received so applicants are encouraged to apply early. You may contact Jess with any questions regarding this position. We thank all applicants for their submissions. Only applicants who screen-through to the next stage of the competition will be contacted.

LifeCycles and its organizational policies seek to increase diversity and inclusion in the organization while seeking to understand and deconstruct hidden biases that unfairly privilege individuals and groups in the workplace and society. Applicants who may require accommodations in the competition process are asked to identify this in a separate email.

LifeCycles is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage women, people of Indigenous ancestry, people of colour, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, and members of other diverse communities to apply for careers with our organization. 

We also understand that statistically, marginalized groups will only apply for a position if they meet 100% of the qualifications while dominant groups will apply when they meet only 60%. We encourage you to apply even if you do not feel that you meet 100% of the above job description qualifications.

LifeCycles is grateful to operate on unceded Coast Salish Territories, specifically of the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.