Position Title: Vendor Support Manager

Position Type: Full Time, salaried. FLSA status: exempt. Some evenings and weekend hours are required. Outdoor market work required.

Salary Range: $40,000-$55,000 annual salary range

Benefits: 12 Paid holidays, and Paid Time Off. Health and dental insurance (Market Umbrella funds 75%); vision, life, AD&D and short term disability insurance (Market Umbrella funds 100%). 401K retirement plan (up to 4% Market Umbrella annual match). FSA (125 plan) and HSA: eligible the following month after a 1 month waiting period.

Organizational Overview:

Market Umbrella is a 26-year-old community non-profit that operates the Crescent City Farmers Markets, provides community education related to nutrition and healthy eating, and offers a robust array of food access programs. Our work supports Southeast Louisiana foodways and culture, serves as a small business incubator and supporter of the local economy, and provides food access programs to help all New Orleanians have greater access to fresh, local foods. The Crescent City Farmers Market operates weekly farmers markets in the New Orleans area, hosting over 75 local small farmers, fishers, and food producers, and more than 100,000 shoppers annually. In addition, Market Umbrella recently launched Greaux the Good, a new program supporting farmers markets around the state to offer matching programs related to SNAP and FMNP.

General Position Description:

This full-time staff member is a new position that will increase Market Umbrella’s vendor support programming for prospective and seasoned vendors. The Vendor Support Manager will foster connections with other small business support providers throughout New Orleans to create a pipeline of services, as well as providing direct assistance in vendor application processing for CCFM and proactive vendor recruitment. This position will be responsible for providing vendor technical assistance, with the ultimate goal of increasing producer sales at market. The Vendor Support Manager will initially be expected to work market shifts at CCFM year round, rain or shine markets. Market schedules include evening, weekend and early morning hours. This position answers to the Director of Markets.

Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

70% Vendor Support - Work to identify vendor needs from pre-application to those of seasoned market vendors, and create tools and practices to support and increase sustainability of vendor businesses.

• Technical assistance - beginning at recruitment/application phase, offer one-on-one assistance in market and through office hours as needed for vendors and prospective vendors on a range of topics that support business sustainability and growth, including building the pipeline from Direct to Consumer to wholesale for interested vendors.
• Formalize TA practices through creation of toolkits, webinars, instructional videos, and other guides and resources, and create schedule for class/webinar offerings.
• Consumer behavior analysis - establish a schedule of evaluation, recruit, coordinate and train volunteers, supervise data collection, perform analysis and share results with vendors.
• Marketing/Merchandising/design consulting and support for vendors and prospective vendors to maximize sales at market.
• Monthly vendor newsletter - create a new vendor newsletter for monthly distribution tocommunicate internal and external news and opportunities
• Network building - connecting with other community partners and service providers to connect vendors and prospective vendors to their resources/content, and share MU content with their audience(s).

20% Grows the market community and contributes to consumer education through formal and informal outreach programs & activities.

• Offer one-on-one assistance as needed for vendors to achieve licensing, certification and insurance required for market entry.
• Working with the Director of Markets and Market Manager, recruits vendors, tracks and responds to vendor inquiries, and processes vendor applications.
• Identify vendor needs/barriers to entry.
• Timely processing of vendor applications.
• Networking, including travel to local and regional events, to identify and recruit new producers.
• Act as point of contact for FMPP collaborative partners.
• Identify market gaps and target recruitment to curate a market experience consistent with market and organizational priorities.
• Form partnerships with other small business support orgs in the city to develop programs/referrals/vendor pipeline.

10% Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

A bachelor’s degree or at least two years work experience in agriculture, customer service, local food systems, local food businesses, community organizing, non-profit, marketing, or other related field required.

Self-starter with strong organizational and planning skills.

Strong interpersonal, relationship, and facilitation skills.

Strong communicator required. Must possess strong written, verbal, skills and feel comfortable with presentations to groups.

Ability to manage or contribute to several simultaneous projects.

Demonstrated knowledge of and/or passion for local food systems.

Expertise in small business management, product merchandising, marketing, brand building, or consumer behavior strongly preferred.

Professional work experience with diverse populations (consumers, farmers, community partners, program participants – people of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds) strongly preferred.

Spanish and/or Vietnamese language skills a plus.

Familiarity with financial concepts and budgets a plus.

Experience with design software (such as Canva or Illustrator) and/or logo development a plus.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination required.

We actively encourage a diversity of applicants to apply. Market Umbrella provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, or veteran status.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references (at least one a current or former supervisor) to employment@marketumbrella.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.