Essential Job Duties:

This position will specifically support a new 3 year grant CEFS has just been awarded. It will be housed in the general Business Office of CEFS and report both to the CEFS Business Manager and the Grant Project Director. This position will be dedicated to supporting the administrative needs of the incoming grant as well as part of the Events Logistics Team and will participate in the logistics of assigned CEFS events. This position will be part of the Administrative Working Group and will support the CEFS Business Manager in supporting the business functions of the specific grant as well as general business functions of CEFS and the 50+ CEFS employees.

The grant work will specifically be for Empowering Mountain Local Food Systems grant. This is a federally funded grant targeted to coal impacted regions of Appalachia. Our goal is to help develop the local food and farming economy through supply chain enhancement, technical training, infrastructure development, agritourism, value-added production, business planning and an apprenticeship program.

Major job responsibilities include:

Management of various projects at once
Communicating with a wide range of stakeholders and the general public through email and phone
Federal grant management and administrative duties
Event planning assistance and logistics
Management and reconciliation of company credit card
Processing financial paperwork, including paying invoices through the NCSU invoice payment system
Management of state travel paperwork for individuals, large conferences, and events
Constant follow up to ensure paperwork has been processed by the state
Data entry

Assignments will often be delivered remotely from agents in the field via email and candidate will need to prioritize based on upcoming deadlines. Superior organization and time management skills are necessary. Attention to detail, excellent follow-through, ability to think on your feet, and communicate effectively are vital to success in this position. Candidate must be able to hit the ground running, and be ready to jump into to a busy team. Only candidate with an exceptional work ethic will be considered.

Sense of humor and pleasant demeanor is helpful as the events team works long days in tight spaces. www.cefs.ncsu.edu for more information on CEFS.

Work schedule – 20-30 hours per week. Some nights, early mornings and weekend work will be required during events or busy season. Some overnight travel will be required for events. The project is based in Southwestern NC and occasional travel will be required. With exception to certain event blackout dates, schedule is somewhat flexible.

Minimum Education/Experience:

B.S. in Communication, Business Administration, Accounting, Marketing, Sustainability, Environmental Science, Agroecology, Agriculture or a related field preferred, students graduating in Spring 2019 will be considered.

All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Departmental Required Skills:

Excellent oral and written communication skills
Superior follow-up, time management, and computer and database management skills
Must possess an interest in sustainable agriculture
Extremely reliable
Ability to be a team player in a fast paced environment
Excellent work ethic and genuine interest in the work of CEFS
Must be able to lift at least 25 pounds and stand or sit for extended periods of time

Preferred Experience, Skills, Training/Education:

Experience in a busy office setting
Experience in an agriculture related field

Primary Function of Organizational Unit:

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) is a partnership of NC State University, NC A&T State University and the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Center for Environmental Farming Systems develops and promotes just and equitable food and farming systems that conserve natural resources, strengthen communities, improve health outcomes, and provide economic opportunities in North Carolina and beyond.

Apply at https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/115967.  You will be prompted to upload a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references.