Market Liaison (Part-time, seasonal position)

The Downtown Farmers Market is a seasonal event hosted by the Downtown Committee for the past 50 years. In 2024, the market will take place in Clinton Square every Tuesday from 8am to 2pm, starting on June 11th and ending on October 8th. In total, there will be 17 market days during the 2023 season, because there is no market scheduled for September 3 (day after Labor Day).

The Market Liaison is responsible for recruiting and engaging with vendors at the Downtown Farmers Market, with a goal of ensuring consistent vendor presence and maintaining a broad availability and variety of affordable, locally produced farm products in downtown Syracuse.

This position includes a great deal of interaction with farmers, produce vendors, food stand/truck operators, and crafters. Responsibilities include: Soliciting applications; coordinating vendor selection; scheduling vendors for the Market season; weekly communication with vendors, including phone check-ins; answering Market-related questions; compiling records and submitting to New York State; and learning about seasonal produce to help inform Downtown Committee communications initiatives. The Market Liaison reports to the Deputy Director and coordinates with Environmental Maintenance staff members on market days to perform duties as needed and ensure an excellent vendor and customer experience.

This position will require 5 hours per week from early May through mid-June; then, for the 17 Farmers Market events (starting June 11 and ending Oct. 8), the position will require 12.5 hours/week.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

The Market Liaison is responsible for:

• Cultivating vendor relationships
• Managing supplemental vendor recruitment, application, and selection process from mid-May through early June
• Communicating and reinforcing market expectations to vendor participants re: attendance; hours of operation; signage; opportunities to use state incentive programs
• Interacting with market staff, fellow vendors, customers, and the public
• Communicating with each vendor each week to verify attendance for the subsequent week and anticipated product mix
• Coordinating with the Market Manager to report vendor attendance and facilitate market layout each week
• Coordinating with Market Manager on visitor experience and any signage or groundskeeping activities that are needed to ensure the event is welcoming and well-maintained
• Facilitating vendor affairs each market day, including booth sitting as needed, and coordinating with Downtown Committee staff to address any issue in an efficient and respectful manner
• Coordinating with the Downtown Committee Communications team to share “Item of the Week” and “Vendor of the Week” ideas and updates for newsletter and social media marketing
• Gathering feedback from vendors before, during, and after market days and sharing it with the Market Manager in a timely fashion, including administering year-end survey
• Organizing Vendor Appreciation Event for Tues., Oct. 8
• Tracking % products locally produced in New York State
• Tracking SNAP and CNY Health Bucks sales each week, and coordinating with Downtown Committee staff to report pertinent information to the respective agencies
• Facilitating donations of excess produce to the Food Bank of CNY

Qualifications:

• Proven self-starter with a personal dedication to the community
• Collaborative and positive approach to problem-solving
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a culturally diverse setting
• Familiarity with New York State agricultural products, farmers, and vendors
• Familiarity with New York State food access incentive programs accepted at the Downtown Farmers Market (SNAP, CNY Health Bucks)
• Ability to communicate professionally with vendors in person, by email, and by phone
• Organized with high attention to detail; proven ability to follow through and execute
• Ability to keep weekly records of attendance, product mix, % New York made; incentives used
• Ability to positively represent the Downtown Committee of Syracuse in external meetings
• Excellent attention to detail, time management skills, and timeliness

Work Environment

Work is performed in a mix of environments: office/desk, and outdoors in rain-or-shine conditions. Due to the nature of Downtown Committee initiatives and events, there will be times when the Market Liaison will need to work before and after normal business hours to attend meetings and provide service for market events.

Wages and Benefits

Wage is $26/hour.

To Apply

Interested applicants must email a letter of interest and current resume to Heather Schroeder, Deputy Director and Director of Economic Development, at hschroeder@downtownsyracuse.com. Applications are due by Friday, April 26. For questions about this job opportunity, please call (315) 470-1958.