PDF of Job Description Here

​

Job Description: Taste the Acre Coordinator

Location: Acre Neighborhood, Lowell, MA
Employment Type: Part-Time ~20 hours a week 

Compensation: $35 - $45 per hour

This is a temporary position contingent on continued fundraising

 

About the Role

The Taste the Acre Coordinator will play a critical role in strengthening the Acre’s food economy and fostering collaboration among local businesses. This position will focus on supporting the ongoing Taste the Acre initiative, which highlights the Acre’s rich culinary diversity, and expanding efforts to position the neighborhood as a premier food destination. The Coordinator will work directly with neighborhood food businesses, City officials, and community partners to organize events, support business growth, and create programming that celebrates the Acre’s unique identity.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for food and community development, combined with working knowledge of the restaurant industry and small business support.

This is a contracted position. Flexible hours, some nights and weekends are expected. The position will be based out of Mill City Grows offices, paid by the Lowell Plan, and supervised by the Lowell Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Fellow.

 

 

Key Responsibilities

Strengthening the Food Economy

• Collaborate with food business owners to understand their challenges, needs, and opportunities for growth.

• Provide technical assistance and resources to restaurants and other food businesses, including help with marketing, accessing grants, navigating permitting processes, and identifying business development opportunities.

• Foster connections between local businesses and key stakeholders, such as City departments, Entrepreneurship Center @ Community Teamwork, Lowell Finance and Development Corporation, Coalition for a Better Acre and other economic development organizations, to strengthen the Acre’s food ecosystem.

Expanding and Sustaining Taste the Acre

• Lead Taste the Acre programming including marketing, food tours, catering that showcase the neighborhood’s culinary scene.

• Develop new initiatives to engage students, faculty, and staff from UMass Lowell in Acre food businesses, building on existing relationships with the university.

• Support branding and marketing efforts for Taste the Acre to position the neighborhood as a regional destination for food lovers. 

Programming and Events

• Organize and execute neighborhood events such as block parties, pop-up markets, and cultural festivals that celebrate the Acre’s diversity and bring the community together.

• Partner with neighborhood stakeholders to create collective programming that aligns with broader community goals, including public art projects and outdoor dining enhancements.

Business and Community Engagement

• Organize regular meetings with food business owners and City officials to address challenges, share updates, and build consensus around neighborhood priorities.

• Work closely with local business community to create and steer the Taste the Acre

Reporting Requirements

• Identify key performance measures

• Create a presentation of work accomplished

 

Qualifications

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about local food, community development, and supporting small businesses.

• A self-starter with creative problem-solving skills and a collaborative mindset.

• Flexible and adaptable, with a willingness to work evenings and weekends as required for events and meetings.

• Familiarity with Lowell is a plus 

• Spanish or Khmer fluency is a plus

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong understanding of small business challenges, particularly for food businesses, including knowledge of restaurant operations, marketing, and municipal permitting processes.

• Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders, including business owners, City officials, and community members.

• Proven ability to organize events, manage multiple projects, and meet deadlines.

• Familiarity with grant writing, sponsorship development, and fundraising is a plus.

Education and Experience

• 2+ years of experience in community development, small business support, or event programming, with experience working in or with restaurants or the food industry strongly preferred.

 

 

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume to director@acrepartnership.com. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

 

The Acre Neighborhood is a vibrant, inclusive, and diverse community. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.