**This position is ONLY being offered to current University of Regina students, including those at Campion College, Luther College, and the First Nations University of Canada**

The RPIRG Green Patch is a 5400 sq ft vegetable garden behind the Dr. John Archer Library at the University of Regina. It’s a source of locally grown organic food – part of a campus movement for community engagement and efforts toward sustainable development. The Green Patch also includes an adjacent perennial orchard that was planted in spring 2019.

The Green Patch is run by the Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG), a student-run, student-funded non-profit organization dedicated to community-based research, education, and action. RPIRG exists to provide its members with the resources to be active and engaged campus and community members and has been in operation since 2007.

We are seeking a knowledgeable and motivated student to supervise and maintain the RPIRG Green Patch and adjacent campus orchard. This position requires some administrative reporting work, management of volunteers and staff, and a considerable amount of physical labour – not necessarily heavy lifting, but lots of bending, squatting, handling produce, and more. Please note that the Green Patch and campus orchard beds are not currently accessible to most wheelchair or other mobility devices.

For more Green Patch information, please visit our website https://rpirg.org/rpirg-green-patch/ or follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RPIRGGreenPatch

 

Responsibilities (with support of other RPIRG staff)

• Lead spring planting and final fall harvest
• Manage general maintenance (watering, weed management, harvesting, etc.) and tidiness of the garden and orchard throughout the growing season
• Participating in and reporting to regular staff meetings
• Volunteer management - recruiting, training, scheduling, and supervising
• Direct the work of up to 2 other seasonal garden staff
• Garden outreach and promotion (communications, social media) with campus and community partners
• Documenting work and preparing end of season reports including a summary of activities and future recommendations

Skills and abilities needed (in rough priority order)

• Willingness to work in a leadership role with volunteers and garden staff
• Ability to work with little supervision is an asset
• Project management
  Experience planting and harvesting a variety of plants and vegetables an asset
• Knowledge of planting seasons and ideal growing conditions for various plants and vegetables in the southern prairies is an asset
• Knowledge of organic garden upkeep and maintenance, including watering, weeding, fertilizing, perennial pruning, pest management an asset
• Outreach and training strategies an asset
• Volunteer management, recruitment, and retention
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, social media) are an asset
• Event and workshop planning an asset

RPIRG does not expect a successful candidate to have strong levels of experience in all of the above-listed skills, and will provide any needed training and support to the candidate we feel is the best fit.

RPIRG actively encourages and prioritizes applications from people who self-identify as being part of groups, communities or having identities that experience barriers to equity. Self-identified equity-seeking candidates who meet the core skill and ability requirements for this position will be prioritized for hiring.

Contract Period: approximately April 11 – Sept 24, 2022

Hours of Work: 30 hours per week. Hours are flexible, and space for doing administrative work can be arranged or can be done from home with some reimbursement for work from home expenses.

Location of work: University of Regina main campus – Regina, Saskatchewan

Remuneration: $20/hour plus vacation pay and paid sick days. Opportunities for professional development are also available.

Application Deadline: 9am Friday, March 25, 2022

To apply, please prepare the following:

• Resume and brief cover letter, all in one document - please include your name in the title of the document. Your cover letter should explain how your skills and experience will benefit you specifically in this role, and ideally speak to how you would approach coordinating this project
• Contact information of two references
  And send it to:

Krystal Lewis, Executive Director (pronouns: she/her)

Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG)

info@rpirg.org

If you would prefer to apply in a different way or have questions about this position, please contact Krystal with the email address above to discuss.

 

Hiring process and timeline

After the application deadline, the RPIRG hiring committee will review all applications and create a shortlist of candidates. All candidates will be notified if they have been accepted to the shortlist or not, with the opportunity to ask for additional details upon request. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the interview process, with the ability to request alternative interview methods if accommodations are needed. After interviews and any reference checks are completed, the RPIRG hiring committee will make a hiring recommendation to the RPIRG board for consideration.

**This position is ONLY being offered to current University of Regina students, including those at Campion College, Luther College, and the First Nations University of Canada**