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Cow-op Online Farmers' Market Assistant

Program stream:
Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages
Job title:
Cow-op Online Farmers' Market Assistant
Organization name:
Cow-op.ca
Job location:
Duncan, British Columbia
Length of assignment:
2019-05-13 to 2019-08-16 (13.57 weeks)
Hourly wage:
$16.00
Position: Online Farmers' Market Assistant
Location: Duncan, Vancouver Island, B.C
Dates: 14 weeks between May and August, 2019

Duration: 14 weeks

Salary: $16.00 per hour + wage increase of $1.35/h + travel expenses covered by Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages Program

The Cowichan Valley Co-operative Marketplace (CVCM), or Cow-op for short, is a non-profit Community Services Co-op incorporated in 2014, guided by a board of members made up of local farmers, business owners, and community partners to develop collective initiatives addressing local food security and farm viability in the Cowichan Region.

The www.Cow-op.ca, the first initiative of the CVCM and a partnership with Cowichan Green Community a leading organization in food security initiatives, is the region's first online farmers' market and Food Hub. The market provides a convenient harvest-to-order system for farmers while consumers can order direct from multiple local farms and other food producers via computer or mobile device.

Reporting to the Market Manager, the Online Farmers' Market Assistant will be responsible for a wide variety of tasks related to managing a farmer and food processor's co-operative Food Hub and online market initiative. The Market has recently expanded to include a second market pick up location in Victoria so a significant amount of the candidate's work will be related to assisting with marketing into both the Victoria and Duncan markets as well as working on the addition of a new bicycle delivery service within Duncan. Duties include but are not limited to Producer/Member/Customer Web Training and Support, Communications and Media campaigns including use of social media, development of press releases, and working closely with the Cow-op board of Directors to develop additional marketing materials. Finally, the Market Assistant will help with hands on management of Market Day which includes receiving farmer drop-offs, quality control, packing orders, and customer pick ups.

As this position involves working with a wide variety of value-chain stakeholders, from customers to wholesale buyers to customers, the ideal candidate will have experience, interest in, or an aptitude for effective communications and leadership.

Since a significant amount of work revolves around marketing, the ideal candidate will have passion, interest and skills in developing unique and effective marketing campaigns using a wide variety of tools including social media, print media and video for example.

The ideal candidate will be proficient with computers including social media management, familiarity with backend website platform management, and database management. Knowledge of the complete Microsoft Office suite is required and any experience with graphic design work especially Adobe Creative Suite and Illustrator program, is an asset.

The ideal candidate will be attentive to detail and enjoy working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment where they are helping lead the way in the development of an new and alternate food system for our region. They will be flexible and adaptable to change, have great initiative and are passionate about local food, farming and sustainability issues.

The ideal candidate will have a working drivers' license and access to a car, if possible.

Duncan is located on Vancouver Island in the heart of the Cowichan Valley. The Cowichan is Canada's Warmland, a place where traditional crops like potatoes, tomatoes and greens thrive alongside goji berries, hops, kiwis, and citrus. This lush agricultural Valley, rich in Cowichan Tribes First Nations history and culture, is located halfway between Victoria to the south and Nanaimo to the North. Quaint & charming oceanside communities, extensive hiking and world-class mountain biking trails, watersports, arts & culture, and award winning restaurants and wineries are ready for you to explore.

Admissibility Criteria

This position is partially funded by Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages. To be eligible, candidates must meet the following criteria:

- Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident or have refugee status in Canada , (non-Canadians holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent status are not eligible);

- Be legally entitled to work in Canada;

- Be between 16 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment;

- Be willing to commit to the full duration of the work assignment;

- Have no other full-time job (over 30 hours a week) during the Young Canada Works (YCW) work assignment;

- Have been a full-time student in the semester preceding the YCW work assignment;

- Intend to return to full-time studies in the semester following the YCW work assignment;

- Have a working knowledge of both English and French;

- Be willing to work in another region in Canada.

Traveling expenses will be paid by Young Canada Works. An allocation allowance of an additional $1.35 per hour will be given to participants who must travel 125 km or more to the job location.

Please send resumes and a cover letter in English detailing why you would make a great candidate for this position to Heather Kaye at marketmanager@cow-op.ca

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