Project Coordinator - The Agroecology Center

               

The Agroecology Center Project Coordinator

Part-time Contract (CST) August 1, 2025-January 31, 2026 

($6,000 contract for 20-40/hrs per month)

Accepting Applications June 24-July 11, 2025, 11:59P CST


As the National Black Food and Justice Alliance (NBFJA or the Alliance) continues to grow, we are now seeking applications and nominations for a part-time contract The Agroecology Center Project Coordinator position that aims to coordinate the preliminary planning of establishing an agroecology center at Tuskegee University in partnership with NBFJA. 


Under the guidance of Tuskegee Department Agricultural and Environmental Sciences leadership and  NBFJA National Agroecology Center Director, this position will design and lead strategy explorations and community engagement with on and off-campus Tuskegee community leading to the design and creation of an agroecology center at Tuskegee University, seeded by NBFJA. 


The ideal candidate will, first and foremost, be committed to the mission NBFJA and Tuskegee University and located within 30 minutes of Tuskegee University and embedded with the local community. They will have 1-3 years’ experience in community engagement, organizing, nonprofit operations, project management, administrative support, and other related fields. They will be an exceptional interpersonal communicator with a growing understanding of food, land, and environmental justice. They will be a curious, proactive leader with demonstrated success in translating ideas into action and providing stakeholders with clear summaries, follow ups, and next steps. They will be patient, thoughtful, compassionate, empathetic, flexible and responsive to the questions, communication styles. Lastly, candidates with lived-experience as a Black American or a member of the African Diaspora are particularly suited for this role.


ABOUT NBFJA

National Black Food and Justice Alliance is a coalition of Black-led organizations working towards cultivating and advancing Black leadership, building Black self-determination, Black institution building and organizing for Black liberation through food sovereignty and land justice. 

The Alliance seeks to achieve this by,

  • engaging in broad based coalition organizing for Black food and land

  • increasing visibility of Black led narratives and work

  • advancing Black led visions for just and sustainable communities, and 

  • building capacity for self-determination within our local, national, and international food systems and land rights work.

Our areas of focus include Black food sovereignty, self-determining food economies, and land. We approach food sovereignty, land and self-determining food economies via the lens of healing, organizing and resistance against anti-Blackness.


Blackademics is the research arm of the NBFJA devoted to developing resources and initiatives to advance and preserve the legacy and impact of Black agrarianism and other food sovereignty aims. It is an interdisciplinary group of scholars that partners to lead research, publish data, and develop public messaging around Black farmers’ and communities’ regenerative practices, local histories, and impacts amidst climate change. The Blackademics within the NBFJA umbrella, launched The Agroecology Center initiative in 2022 with an inaugural center at FAMU. The Agroecology Center promotes Black food sovereignty and land justice through education, research, and cultural preservation, functioning as a constellation (or network) of hubs seeded at HBCUs to foster collaboration and support regenerative practices grounded in ancestral wisdom to build and sustain the climate resilience our communities deserve.


DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PROJECT COORDINATOR

  • Serve as the liaison between Tuskegee University and the NBFJA throughout the project life cycle. 

  • Meet with university leadership, faculty, staff, students, community members, and alums to assess their needs and define program and focus areas. 

  • Manage administrative tasks related to hosting community events and other engagement activities.

  • Collaborate with stakeholders to understand project objectives, timelines, and budgets and provide provision updates to project stakeholders throughout the project life cycle. 




Potential Outcomes

  • Create a portfolio or action plan to align The Agroecology Center with the strategic plan of the University and the regional community.

  • Define organizational structure and develop vision, mission, and operational plan for key processes and focus areas. 

  • Outline long-term MOU between NBFJA and Tuskegee University and 

  • Public launch of The Agroecology Center through effective promotion. 


IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PROJECT COORDINATOR

  • Prior experience and background committed to community service and development.

  • Strong analytical skills with experience in organization and project coordination.

  • Demonstrate leadership potential and a strong interest in the sustainability of Black-led resilience hubs or community-led organizing and initiatives. 

  • Ability to effectively communicate, verbally and in writing and work with a diverse population both, in-person and virtually

  • Willingness to collaborate with lateral, senior and junior peers, share in decision-making processes, support authentic spaces for collectivism and navigate and resolve conflict as a natural aspect of collective work

  • Ongoing, general study of the history of local and federal public policy with the skills to analyze how those policies impact the lives and land of Black Americans and peoples across the diaspora.

  • Commitment to addressing/confronting anti-Blackness; strong racial, gender, class, disability, environmental/social justice lens and equity and practice of consistently applying anti-oppression principles and practices

  • The ability and desire to deemphasize perfectionism and lean into a new process in a non-traditional working environment.

  • Keen attention to detail and highly developed organizational and project development skills.

  • A collaborative working style that includes flexibility, curiosity, responsiveness, adaptability, high Emotional Intelligence, sense of humor, healthy boundaries and willingness to seek support from colleagues


Additionally, this person should bring a commitment to the values of the Alliance as outlined in our community agreements. Please review them ahead of submitting an application.




COMPENSATION AND POSITION DETAILS

The compensation for this contract position is a $6,000 stipend which will be paid in equal monthly payments of $1,000 per month over 6 months. 


General Details

  • On-site position at Tuskegee with flexible work schedule (expected 20-40 hours per month mostly weekday with some weekends and evenings),

  • Contract dates:  August 1, 2025 to January 31, 2026

  • Reimbursement for pre-approved mileage and supplies for project and engagements. 

  • Attendance at TBD periodic check-ins with designated Tuskegee and NBFJA lead.


HOW TO APPLY

Please share your resume and a personal statement (about half to 1 page) that describes your philosophy, approach, and previous experience with community engagement and Black agriculture, land justice and food sovereignty to careers@blackfoodjustice.org. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until July 11, 2025, 11:59p CT. 


ANTI-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The National Black Food & Justice Alliance is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, and gender expression, religious creed, disability (mental and physical) including HIV, AIDS, and AIDS-related conditions, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, age, marital status, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

NBFJA