POSITION DETAILS

Title: Harvest & Volunteer Coordinator

Term date: June 23, 2025 - November 7, 2025 

Hours/week: 37.5 hrs per week, some evenings and weekends may be required
Wage: $25.00 per hour

This job is funded by the Canada Summer Jobs grant. Applicants must be between 15 - 30 years old, and be Permanent Residents/Canadian Citizens to be eligible.

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY

LifeCycles cultivates healthy communities by bringing people 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. We believe that food is at the heart of thriving, diverse communities and a healthy planet. Our programs distribute fresh local produce to community members and service agencies, while mentoring the next generation of food leaders. Through transformative learning experiences, we strengthen our connections with each other, the food we eat, and the land it comes from. In doing so, we are building a more resilient and equitable food future.

Our projects operate on unceded Coast Salish Territories, specifically the lands of the Lekwungen and WASÁNEC peoples. For more information about what we do, visit: www.lifecyclesproject.ca 

OVERVIEW

We are seeking a team member to help coordinate all aspects of the 2024 harvest for the Fruit Tree and Farm Gleaning Projects.

The Harvest & Volunteer Coordinator will collaboratively manage the training and support of  volunteers over the harvest season. This is a position that involves coordinating the logistics of picking, sorting, and redistributing over 40,000lbs of produce gleaned from hundreds of backyards across the region. The role of the Harvest Coordinator is primarily focused on volunteer coordination, with a secondary focus on helping with harvests, sorting and redistribution. The majority of the tasks are: finding, training, supporting and coordinating volunteers, team leaders & community members and engaging them in gleaning and food redistribution projects. We are looking for someone who is personable and highly organized to help us run our community-powered harvest program. This requires regular use of our fruit tree database and harvest scheduling systems. The Harvest Coordinator also regularly fields inquiries from tree owners, volunteers and farms, manages the collection of harvest data, and helps facilitate volunteer orientations.

This position will work with, and be directed by, Fruit Tree Project Manager. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Volunteer Training/Support 

• Support the orientation and training of volunteer Harvest Leaders to lead general volunteers on fruit tree picks using best harvesting practices, namely through online and in person volunteer trainings sessions

• Support the orientation, training and ongoing direction of volunteer pickers and sorters

• Liaise with tree owners, answer questions, confirm picking schedule and solicit feedback

• Oversee the sign-up of fruit trees and volunteers – ensure all systems are running smoothly 

• Follow up regularly with key volunteers to ensure they feel supported in their volunteer work

Harvest Support

• Oversee harvest – support Harvest Leaders in signing up for picks and ensure communication with volunteers and homeowners is consistent, clear and timely

• Source boxes and other materials needed for fruit picks and farm gleaning

• Lead fruit picks and farm gleans as needed and learn to assess trees for picking suitability

• Communicate across different mediums with all project participants to set clear expectations and provide updates

• Ensure our vans, tools and other supplies are kept clean, restocked and in good working condition

• Support tree assessment and ensure all newly registered trees are appropriately assessed, either by volunteers or through analysis of previous year’s records

• Oversee data collection of picks and volunteers

Food Distribution and Social Enterprise

• Manage the efficient storage of fruit and ensure the walk-in cooler is organized

• Coordinate the redistribution of fruit including for special requests/events

• Run weekly or twice weekly fruit sorting sessions and move fruit to partner organizations

• Track and record all data related to food distribution

• Support social enterprise operations by integrating incoming food with product and service opportunities

Administration and Communications

• Support the administration of LifeCycles, including tasks as necessary to keep records, agreements, and projects organized

• Contribute to the social media and communications strategy of the organization as needed - take photos of project activities

• Contribute content to organizational communications such as newsletters and social media

• Contribute content to End of Season Report

• Assist in the maintenance of partnerships with community associations including hosting some juicing days, kitchen space, van sharing and other events. 

Desired Qualifications and Attributes:

• Experience with and/or interest in fruit trees (knowledge of fruit varieties, harvesting best practices and fruit tree pollinators would be an asset)

• Experience working with community-based projects and non-profit organizations

• Ability to work with a diversity of people

• Excellent organizational and communication skills

• Experience recruiting and coordinating volunteers

• Good computer skills

• A valid BC Class 5 or 7 Driver’s License and comfortable driving a large vehicle

• Must work well independently and as part of a team

• Commitment to and awareness of food, health, poverty and transforming our food systems - awareness of food security issues and sustainability on Vancouver Island

• Ability to liaise with the community and help run special events 

• Must be able to lift and move up to 40 pounds 

• Problem solver - you learn quickly; you can spot problems or gaps and are excited to find solutions to make systems more efficient/impactful

TO APPLY, email your resume and cover letter (as a single PDF) to Alex McArdle at info@lifecyclesproject.ca by May 15, 2025. Please use the subject line: “Harvest & Volunteer Coordinator.” 

Please include your last name in the filename(s) of your application materials .

LifeCycles Project Society is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage women, people of Indigenous ancestry, people of colour, LGBTQIP2SA 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 runs programs on unceded Coast Salish Territories, specifically of the Kosapsum, Songhees and WASÁNEC Peoples.

We thank everyone for their interest, but only those selected for interviews will be contacted.