Welcome Center & Farm Store Assistant Manager

Position Title: Welcome Center & Farm Store Assistant Manager

Supervisor: Welcome Center & Farm Store Manager

Employment: Year Round, Full Time Salary

Location: On-site, Shelburne, VT

Start Date: Immediate opening

Salary Range: $45,00 – $50,000

Schedule: We are open 7 days a week

This position is typically 5-days/week with a rotating schedule, including weekends  and holidays, that is coordinated and scheduled in advance.

Who We Are

Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. Our vision is cultivating a healthy and just world rooted in stewardship and community through educational, farm-based experiences and programs. Our Farm Store is a part of our mission and provides our visitors with the opportunity to experience our Farm products, discover other local farm-based goods, and learn more about our mission and campus offerings. Our home campus is a 1,400-acre working farm located on the traditional, unceded, and contemporary homelands of the Winooskik band of the Abenaki.

What We Do

• Engage youth and people of all ages in learning experiences that inspire them to build just, diverse, resilient, caring communities.
• Steward our working lands and heritage buildings as we embody values of place and community through caring for and sharing our natural, agricultural, cultural, and human resources.
• Collaborate with educators and other local, national, and international partners to advance education for sustainability worldwide.

Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Shelburne Farms recognizes that justice, equity, and access are central to sustainability. We are committed to translating these values into action across the organization by improving equitable outcomes in our place, culture, programs, and services. Shelburne Farms is working to create experiences of belonging for all people from historically marginalized communities and people of all economic realities. We are passionate about building and sustaining a diverse and welcoming working and learning environment for all program participants, guests, and team members.

Who We’re Looking for

This position will directly support the mission of Shelburne Farms by connecting our visitors and guests with our local farm products, the programs offered across the farm, and the many ways to explore the farm. You have a passion for agriculture and, while you may not have previously worked on a farm, you’re enthusiastic about sharing farm products with the community. Our Welcome Center and Farm Store is more than a place to learn about Shelburne Farms and buy local food, but also where we inspire learning about sustainability. Working with the Welcome Center and Farm Store Manager and with the Visitor & Guest Experience Coordinator you will support the team in providing exceptional, culturally responsive customer service practices.

What You’ll Do

• Work closely with Manager as Floor Lead/Key Holder
  • Complete the store opening and closing checklist each day. Tasks include cash-out, and overseeing staff as they tidy the space, restock items, store produce, and clean common spaces and restrooms.
  • Train new key holders on opening/closing procedures.
• Provide seasonal team leadership
  • In partnership with the Welcome Center & Farm Store Manager, hire, train, and coach seasonal team members.
  • Provide direct feedback for seasonal staff including addressing gaps in training, skills, and community engagement.
  • Encourage and support team members to engage in activities to deepen learning about the farm.

• Foster community engagement
  • In partnership with the Welcome Center & Farm Store Manager and the Visitor & Guest Experience Coordinator, work to deepen the visitor engagement experience.
  • Keep seasonal team members updated on farm-wide engagement opportunities.
  • Solicit visitor feedback and use it as an opportunity for supporting team learning and improving guest services.

• Provide general operational support
  • Operate and manage the back-end of our Point of Sales system (Square) with guidance from the Welcome Center & Farm Store Manager.
  • In partnership with Market Garden team members, learn and coach team members on the proper storage and merchandising methods to maintain high standards of food safety guidelines, produce and other perishable products.
  • Under the guidance of the Welcome Center & Farm Store Manager and the Market Garden Manager, merchandise products to highlight farm products and services and other local community producers.
    • Maintain a safe working environment for team members and visitors, report guests/team members’ injuries and incidents, alert the maintenance team of physical adjustments needed to the Welcome Center and Farm Store to help maintain a safe space.

Skills and Interests You Will Bring

• Inclusive & welcoming to all: Committed to the values of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Be comfortable working, learning from, and engaging with individuals and groups of diverse backgrounds.
• Leadership: Lead by example and set the highest standard of visitor service experience. Train, guide, and mentor team members with varying levels of retail experience and knowledge of Shelburne Farms operations, mission, and engagement opportunities.
  • Mission-Aligned: Your primary focus is listening to, learning from, and supporting all folks who engage with our Welcome Center & Farm Store in a meaningful way that aligns with our mission and core values.
• Organized: Alongside the Welcome Center and Farm Store Manager, you will help manage all the moving parts within the Welcome Center and Farm Store. Flexibility is key in this often fast-paced and busy retail environment.
• Receptive & open: Skilled in graciously receiving feedback from both team members and open to continued professional learning.
• Passion for Agriculture: Interest in farming, gardening, food systems, or related fields.

Additional Valued Skills

• Tech: Comfortable working with computers, including databases and web-based systems (you’ll primarily work in Google Suite for internal communication and Square for our POS system).
• Retail: No formal retail experience is required; some related retail skills will be helpful as you begin learning this role. Other engagement-focused experience is equally as valuable.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Carrying and moving inventory up and down stairs.
• Unloading and processing deliveries.
• Carrying items weighing approx. 40 lbs.
• Commitment to contribute to and maintain a tidy shared workspace.
• Facility maintenance functions, including cleaning floors and restrooms.
• Other duties related to providing retail and guest services indoors and outdoors.
• Indoor and outdoor work environment.
• Working in varied weather conditions.
• Ability to move over uneven terrain.

Benefits

Benefits for full-time, year-round employees include:

• Medical, long-term disability, and life insurance, a 401(k) with a potential annual match, and paid time off.
• More details about our full benefits package is available upon request

To Apply:

If you’re passionate about creating a welcoming environment, assisting others, and sharing our farm products with the community, we’d love to hear from you.

Submit your application to jobs@shelburnefarms.org with “Welcome Center & Farm Store Assistant Manager” in the subject line.

All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential.

• In your application, please include responses to the following questions. These are not meant to be a writing exercise but to introduce yourself in a meaningful way.
  • How did you hear about the position, and what draws you to it?
  • Tell us about your unique characteristics and life experience that will help you thrive in this role.
  • What stands out to you about the Farm’s commitment to Equity & Inclusion, and how do you see your role contributing to this ongoing work?

Shelburne Farms is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Candidates with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences are strongly encouraged to apply.

The duties and responsibilities described herein are not intended to be a complete and comprehensive list; additional tasks may be assigned to this position from time to time, and the scope of the position may change based on operational demands. Any potential changes in scope will be discussed accordingly with the person holding this role.