Open Positions
Community & Operations Coordinator
Position Overview
The Nashville Food Cooperative is seeking its first employee to help build and grow a community-owned local food system in Nashville. This is a flexible, part-time position (approximately 20 hours/week) for someone excited about cooperative development, local food systems, and helping shape a long-term vision for a community-owned grocery cooperative.
This role combines community outreach, membership development, marketing, food distribution logistics, cooperative operations, and strategic organizational development. The ideal candidate is highly self-directed, energized by building new systems, and excited about playing a major leadership role in an evolving grassroots organization.
One day may involve representing the co-op at a community event, another may involve coordinating with local farmers, packing Cooperative Investment Boxes (CSA boxes), helping identify funding opportunities, communicating with members, or supporting the development of future food access initiatives like a mobile market program.
This is more than a traditional part-time position — it is an opportunity to help shape the future of the cooperative itself. The person hired will play a major role in determining how the organization grows, operates, and serves the Nashville community in the years ahead.
About the Nashville Food Cooperative
The Nashville Food Cooperative is building a more resilient equitable, and locally rooted food system in Middle Tennessee. Through programs like our Cooperative Investment Box (CIB) food subscription program, cooperative development efforts, and future mobile market initiatives, we connect consumers directly with local farmers and food producers while working toward a long-term vision of shared food infrastructure and a community-owned grocery model.
Position Details
- Title: Community & Operations Coordinator
- Schedule: Approximately 20 hours/week with flexible scheduling
- Compensation: $25/hour
- Classification: 1099 Independent Contractor
- Location: Nashville, TN (hybrid; community-based work required)
- Mileage reimbursement: Provided for approved work-related travel
- Reports to: Nashville Food Cooperative Board of Directors
While this position begins as part-time, there is strong potential for growth into a larger leadership role as the cooperative expands. If additional funding is secured — particularly related to the co-op’s planned mobile market and food access initiatives — this role could transition into a full-time position within the coming year.
Core Responsibilities
Community Outreach & Membership Development
- Promote the Nashville Food Cooperative through community events, tabling, networking, and relationship building
- Conduct outreach to prospective co-op members, volunteers, and community partners
- Support marketing efforts including social media, email marketing, newsletters, and
community communications - Help grow overall cooperative membership and engagement
- Build and maintain relationships with organizations, neighborhood groups, and local businesses
- Represent the cooperative publicly and help communicate its mission and long-term vision
Cooperative Investment Box (CSA) Operations
- Assist with weekly packing and coordination of Cooperative Investment Boxes
- Help coordinate deliveries and occasionally fill in for deliveries to host sites
- Support relationships with participating farmers and food producers
- Assist with ordering, billing, inventory coordination, and customer communication
- Help recruit and support new host locations and pickup partners
- Contribute ideas to improve and scale the program over time
Cooperative Development & Leadership
- Support the overall development and strategic direction of the cooperative
- Assist with project management and coordination between board members, volunteers, and partners
- Participate in organizational planning and systems development
- Opportunities to assist with grant applications, sponsorships, and fundraising efforts
- Support development of future initiatives, including the co-op’s planned mobile market and broader food access programming
- Help maintain momentum and accountability across cooperative initiatives
Desired Qualifications
Preferred qualifications include:
- Experience in food systems, agriculture, grocery, retail, farmers markets, cooperatives, or community development
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills
- Ability to work independently and manage shifting priorities with minimal supervision
- Experience with project management, operations, or community organizing
- Comfort working in a startup-style or highly collaborative environment
- Interest in cooperative business models and community-owned enterprises
- Familiarity with Nashville communities and local networks
- Experience with marketing, outreach, social media, or member engagement
- Basic administrative and organizational skills
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation preferred
Additional experience that is helpful but not required:
- Grant writing or fundraising
- Business development
- Food distribution or CSA operations
- Mobile market or direct-to-consumer food sales
- Volunteer coordination
- Event planning
Ideal Candidate
- A self-starter who sees opportunities and takes initiative
- Comfortable with ambiguity and excited by building new systems
- Passionate about local food and community-centered economic development
- Interested in helping build a long-term cooperative institution in Nashville
- Able to collaborate with and take direction from a volunteer board while also helping move projects forward independently
- Adaptable, resourceful, and willing to contribute to both strategic and hands-on work
- Excited about shaping the future of a growing organization
To Apply
- A resume,
- A short statement of interest describing:
- Why this work interests you
- Relevant experience or community involvement
- What excites you about cooperative development and local food systems
Applications requested by end of June.
Target hiring timeline by the end of July.