Community Market Coordinator

Socket.dev; Calgary; On-site; CAD 18,000 - 30,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

3 weeks vacation

Medical and Dental Coverage

Health / Wellness Spending Accounts

RRSP / Mortgage support (5% match)

Personal Days

Floating Holiday

Sick / Wellness Days

EFAP

Job summary

The Alex Community Food Centre in Calgary, AB is seeking a part‑time Community Market Coordinator to lead the Fresh and Fare Market and related food skills programming. You will empower volunteers, work with staff to align market activities with food access goals, and help design community‑centered learning experiences around seasonal harvests.

Applicants should have a related degree and at least three years of experience in program development and community engagement, plus strong facilitation,

Qualifications

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in a related field such as horticulture, culinary, nutrition or social work.
• Three years of experience in program development, group facilitation, and community engagement.
• Demonstrated knowledge of food security and healthy food skills.
• Experience working with volunteers and supervisory skills.
• Ability to move people from knowledge to action and empower community learning.
• Excellent facilitation and communication skills, adaptable across diverse populations.
• Class 5 driver’s license, personal vehicle for business use, and a clean 3‑year driving abstract.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate all aspects of the Fresh and Fare Community Market program.
• Empower volunteers and facilitate market planning and learning activities.
• Collaborate with staff to integrate market initiatives with food access and food skills programs.
• Develop processes to ensure community voice informs market design and educational activities.
• Develop and implement plans to preserve seasonal harvests and incorporate preserved foods.
• Engage volunteers in market planning processes and program adaptations.
• Collect feedback to keep the market responsive to community needs.
• Track market statistics and support evaluation processes.

Skills

Program development

Group facilitation

Community engagement

Food systems knowledge

Education

Related field degree

Job description

Are you a passionate advocate for social justice and food security? Do you value the power of good food and a strong local food system? Do you believe that collectively, we can create social justice and build an empowered community? If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!

What We Do

Since 1973, The Alex has been a community-based, not-for-profit organization providing integrated primary health care, community support services, and housing-focused programs to individuals and families who experience barriers to accessing traditional health, housing, and social service systems. Services are grounded in principles of health equity, low-barrier access, trauma-informed practice, cultural safety, harm reduction, and person-centered care.

The Alex Community Food Centre (CFC) is a welcoming place where people come together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food for all. The CFC provides people with access to high-quality food in a dignified settingthrough healthy meals, an affordable produce market, and integrated and responsive programming.

Reporting to the Program Manager, the Community Market Coordinator is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the Alex CFC’s Fresh and Fare Community Market program and facilitating related food skills programming. Using a community development approach, they empower community members to co-design market initiatives, increase knowledge and skills related to healthy food preparation and consumption, and build capacity and leadership through meaningful volunteer and skill-development opportunities.

The ideal candidate is passionate about the power of good food, deeply knowledgeable about local food systems and market operations, and skilled at facilitating projects and learning experiences for diverse community members. They provide collaborative leadership to volunteers and peers, and work closely with staff to integrate Market initiatives into food access, food skills, and community‑engagement programs. They believe that people experiencing food insecurity are experts in their own lives and that, together, we can strengthen local food systems, improve health, and build an empowered community.

This is a permanent, part-time position.

What You Will Do

Fresh and Fare Community Market

Planning

• Review and update the Fresh and Fare Community Market business plan annually.
• Collaborate with staff to integrate seasonal food‑growing and procurement practices into food‑access and food‑skills programs.
• Work with the local urban farm to plan crop production for the market.
• Develop processes to ensure community‑member voice informs market design and educational activities.
• Develop and implement a community‑centered plan for preserving seasonal harvests and incorporating preserved foods into community meals and programming.

Finance and Administration

• Maintain an appropriate expenses‑to‑revenue ratio for the market; ensure cost‑effective purchasing aligned with Good Food Rules and Principles and maintain pricing principles for goods sold.
• Establish and maintain market business practices (e.g., operating the POS system, tracking cash flow, managing deposits).
• Work closely with Finance to troubleshoot issues as they arise.

Sourcing and Managing Food

• Establish and maintain affordable, sustainable sources of food for the CFC.
• Collaborate with CFC staff to integrate food purchasing through the Centre’s food stream.
• Build relationships with local growers and incorporate seasonal crops into the market and food stream.
• Develop and implement plans to utilize excess food from the market.

Volunteer Leadership

• Provide training, supervision, and ongoing support to approximately 15 regular market volunteers, ensuring the experience builds capacity and supports learning goals.
• Engage volunteers in market‑planning processes and ongoing program adaptations.
• Provide leadership to the Scrappy Prep volunteer team, responsible for processing excess food into new items for the market or the CFC’s food stream.

Community Member Experience

• Ensure the market experience aligns with principles outlined in the market plan, creating and maintaining a dignified and educational experience for participants.
• Effectively troubleshoot concerns or conflicts that may arise as community members access the market.
• Collaborate with staff and community members to incorporate learning experiences during market operations (e.g., food demonstrations, featuring local growers).
• Collect ongoing feedback from community members to ensure the market remains responsive and relevant to their needs.

Evaluation

• Complete an annual market survey.
• Track market statistics in appropriate databases.
• Support the Annual Program Survey and other evaluation processes as required.

Food Skills

• Regularly facilitate food‑preserving workshops for community members.
• Provide learning opportunities for volunteers and community members to reduce household food waste by adopting circular‑economy food practices.

General

• Support team functions and responsibilities, including engaging community members during drop‑in programs, assisting other staff with program delivery as needed, and responding to critical incidents.
• Network with other agencies and individuals to offer programs and services in collaboration with other CFC programs.
• Participate in broader CFC activities, including planning, evaluation, fundraising and public relations, communications, special events, and team initiatives.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

What You Bring

• Post‑secondary degree or diploma in a related field of study (horticulture, culinary, nutrition, social work).
• Three years of experience in program development, group facilitation, and community engagement; ideally in food systems, nutrition and community learning environments.
• Demonstrated knowledge of food security and healthy food skills.
• Experience working with volunteers and supervisory skills.
• Demonstrated ability to move people from knowledge to action; ability to inspire, teach and empower community members to engage in positive change.
• Excellent group facilitation, interpersonal, communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Experience working with marginalized people and people of diverse cultures and abilities in a community‑based setting.
• Retail experience, particularly in a farmers market environment, is considered an asset.
• Class 5 driver’s license, personal vehicle for business use, and a clean 3‑year driver’s abstract are required.
• Must be at least 21 years of age and have a minimum of three (3) years of driving experience to drive an Alex fleet vehicle.
• Standard First Aid – Level C CPR & AED within 30 days of hire date; certification must be valid for a minimum of 6 months upon hire.
• Satisfactory vulnerable sector police clearance and child welfare intervention check are required.
• Demonstrated knowledge, understanding and commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action is an asset.

Work Environment and Hours

• The Alex Community Food Centre: 4920 17 Ave SE, Calgary, AB.
• Monday 11:30 am to 7:30 pm; Tuesday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm; Thursday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Friday 7:00 am to 3:00 pm; occasional evenings and weekends are required.
• Community-based setting working with diverse populations experiencing food insecurity and barriers to community life.
• Continuous extended periods of sitting, standing, and walking.
• Requires regular physical action including the ability to bend, crouch, reach above shoulder height, kneel, and carry objects (up to 40 lbs).
• Occasional driving as part of work duties.

What We Offer

Pro-rated based on FTE

• 3‑weeks’ vacation
• Medical and Dental Coverage
• Health / Wellness Spending Accounts
• RRSP, Student Loan Repayment Program, and/or Mortgage Accelerator Payment Program (up to 5% match)
• Personal Days
• Floating Holiday
• Sick/Wellness Days
• Employee Family Assistance Plan (EFAP)
• Professional Development

Driving on Behalf of The Alex

This position requires the use of a personal vehicle for work-related purposes and driving an Alex fleet vehicle. Successful candidates must show proof of a class 5 driver's license, a personal vehicle, and a clean 3-year drivers abstract. Incumbents must consent to the possibility of an annual driver's abstract review to meet our insurance provider’s requirements. To drive an Alex fleet vehicle, incumbents must be at least 21 years of age and have a minimum of three (3) years of driving experience. Mileage will be reimbursed in alignment with the CRA guidelines.

The Alex is committed to embedding the principles of equity, inclusion, and diversity across the organization. We are committed to removing barriers to employment that are faced by equity-seeking groups and encourage (but not require) members of these groups to self‑identify as such in their cover letters.

In accordance with our strategic priorities, we particularly encourage applications from individuals who self‑identify as racialized or Indigenous (First Nation, Metis, or Inuit).

*The term “racialized” is used here instead of the more outdated and inaccurate terms “racial minority, “visible minority”, “person of colour”, or “non-White”.

For further information about The Alex and its programs, we encourage you to visit our website at www.thealex.ca.

At The Alex, we place a high value on strong, ethical, and professional relationships between clients and primary care providers. Clear boundaries are essential to ensuring safe, respectful, and effective care. To protect clients, medical professionals and staff, employees and contractors of The Alex are not permitted to access internal physicians, nurses, mental health clinicians, or other allied health professional services during their employment.

We recognize that some applicants may have had, or may currently have, meaningful care relationships with The Alex at the time of applying. If you are currently a client and wish to continue in our recruitment process, you are asked to disclose your service provider relationship. Should you be hired, you will be required to transition your care to an external provider within your first 90 days of employment and maintain this external care relationship for the duration of your employment. Reasonable extensions of the 90-day deadline may be considered where absolutely necessary and in the sole discretion of The Alex.

This approach helps us maintain clear boundaries, uphold professional standards, and protect our workers’ rights to privacy and confidentiality.