About Common Ground Project

Common Ground Project is a regenerative community farm and social enterprise located in Freshwater Creek, Victoria on a mission to connect and empower the community.

As farmers and members of the local community, we recognise our role in changing the food system. We envision a more resilient and thriving regenerative farming and food ecosystem, where all people have access and are connected to land, food, culture and community.

We work to connect the local community to food and farming through these core business and charity areas:

• Regenerative Farming and Food Hub Markets - growing nutrient-rich food and working on regenerating our small pocket of land; connecting the local community to our regenerative produce and producers from around the region, and supporting new and emerging producers;

• Education Programs - school programs, internships and placements, community workshops, community volunteering, corporate volunteering, farm tours and collaborations with other organisations and businesses across our region;

• Training and Employment Programs - Our Staying Grounded program exists to support people facing disadvantage in the community.

Role Description & Opportunity

As we have received funding to support more roles in food and farming systems and continue our program offering, we are excited to welcome new members to our team!

As a Program Facilitator, you will have the opportunity to take a supported role in the delivery of the education and programs offering at Common Ground Project, based around food and farming systems. This will include the facilitation and delivery of school programs, school holiday activities, activities for workshops/other educational opportunities, corporate volunteering, farm tours and offsite bespoke programs.

Additionally, this role will support the Education Manager with administration, monitoring & evaluation of programs and marketing. For the right candidate, horticulture input to the programs garden will be incorporated (having received a small amount of funding to create a cultural garden within our Programs Garden).

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and deliver engaging and inspiring programs for school groups, corporate groups, farm tours and partner organisation or bespoke programs.
• Programs team admin; including managing email accounts, Google Suite, managing bookings, and reporting. This will include monitoring and evaluation of programs as directed by the Program Manager.
• Complete marketing and storytelling to promote education and program offering to schools and wider community.
• Attend some offsite Markets with the Staying Grounded Coordinator as and when required. Working Staying Grounded events when required.
• Delivering the fortnightly newsletter for Common Ground Project, collating input from all teams.
• Work with the wider CGP team towards our mission and strategy across the project. Including working alongside and supporting placement/work experience students in a peer to peer capacity.
• If applicable for the right candidate: gardening in the new cultural garden, as part of the Programs Garden (a raised garden bed area).

Key Skills & Experience

• Experience facilitating programs for people of all ages, (particularly youth), with a focus on, or experience within an education or cross-cultural environment.
• Experience facilitating outdoor/environmental programs, including working alongside livestock and wildlife.
• Passionate about building resilient food and farming systems, and a drive to educate future generations.
• Self-driven with the ability to work within a small, agile team, as well as delivering programs autonomously. Being open-minded, curious and demonstrating capacity to manage competing work priorities.
• Very good communication skills, a natural communicator, including written and verbal, as well as a confident level of English.
• Proficiency with administrative software, or willingness and ability to thoroughly learn. Including; Google Suite (multiple email accounts, calendar and Drive), Slack, Xero, Airtable, Canva, Linktree, Humanitix, Trello, Squarespace, Dext and Microsoft Word/Excel.
• Acute attention to detail including that which is needed in administration and in a small organisation.
• Experience with or eager to communicate stories and updates via marketing channels; including website and social media.
• Monitoring and evaluation or data collection experience, including reporting.
• A commitment to the principles of equity, access and community participation.
• Farm or horticulture experience, including being physically able to work outdoors in various weather conditions (desirable but not required).
• Current Australian driver’s license, ability to drive manual, and a clean driving record.
• The right to work in Australia.
• Current Victorian Working With Children Check and National Police Check, or willingness to obtain.
• Tertiary qualification in relevant fields; Environmental Science/Studies, Education, Food Systems, Agriculture, Horticulture, Humanities, Community Development, Social Work, Youth Work, Psychology (desirable).

Values, Culture & Conditions of Employment

We are an inclusive team and value diversity in all its forms. Women, LGBTQIA+ folks, anyone who identifies as Indigenous or any other racialised groups, those from ethnically diverse communities are welcome in our team. In your role, we hope you will express yourself, inspire others and contribute to the dynamism of the Common Ground Project culture.

You will be an ambassador for our culture, and we expect you to:

• Share and embody Common Ground Project’s vision for a more resilient, fair and thriving regenerative farming and food ecosystem;
• Inspire, lead by example, be passionate about your work;
• Take responsibility for your own work and continually look for ways to improve existing approaches;
• Commit to reflection and learning, including sharing failures and uncertainties;
• Ensure the well-being of staff, and take care of each other;
• Agrees to abide by all health and safety rules and requirements, policies and procedures of the employer that may be amended from time to time;
• Common Ground Project is an equal opportunity employer and a child safe organisation.

Any questions can be directed to [email protected] using the subject line: Program Facilitator enquiry via EthicalJobs. As an entry level role, if you don’t have all skills and experience listed, please still apply!

A position description is attached.