Local food business incubator

The Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust is hiring! If you want to join a dynamic and warm team who love good food and building community, please consider applying with a resume and cover letter to info@ssifarmlandtrust.org . Please mention you saw this at FoodWork.ca.

Job Posting: Root Operations Manager
Organization: Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust
Location: The Root Food Hub (near Ganges, Salt Spring Island, BC)
Hours: Part-time, 20 hours per week
Wage: $30/hour

About the Role

The Root Operations Manager is the primary point of contact and operational lead for the Root Food Hub, a vibrant local food business incubator that includes a commercial kitchen, permaculture garden, and serves as HQ for the Food Share gleaning program and Farmland Trust Operations. This role ensures that day-to-day operations run smoothly while also stewarding the long-term vision of the Root as a nexus for community food vitality.

This position balances hands-on coordination (kitchen operations, business support) with systems-building, infrastructure planning, and relationship management. The ideal candidate is passionate about local food and growing island social enterprises, and has a proven ability to manage complex projects while working within a highly cooperative team.

You are highly organized, a proactive problem solver. You lead with love, and are passionate about making Salt Spring’s community food system strong.

Core Responsibilities

1. Kitchen Management

• Responsible for ensuring a safe, efficient, and well-functioning shared kitchen.
• Work with stakeholders to develop and uphold agreements; ensure all activities are VIHA-compliant and to the highest sanitation and safety standards. Maintain and grow infrastructure to meet current and future needs.
• Collaboratively recruit and onboard new kitchen users, manage invoicing, scheduling, usage-based billing.
• Build and maintain a kitchen schedule accommodating all users, including the Food Share program and instructors with the Root to Bloom Centre.

2. Tenant Management, Administration and Finance

• As primary liaison for all Root tenants including residential tenant, Food Truck, commercial kitchen users, and the Seed Sanctuary you will:
• Maintain up-to-date yearly MOUs, field new rental inquiries, support tenant onboarding and transitions, serve as first point of contact for operational issues, and coordinate communication between tenants and FLT as needed.
• Work with the Development Director to develop and maintain a quarterly operational budget.

3. Grounds & Infrastructure Management

• Overseeing the physical care and improvement of Root facilities.
• Ensure regular maintenance and coordinate outside contractors as needed .
• Support planning and execution of upgrades for barn, apple juicing facility, and Root Cellar space.
• Contribute to long-term planning to maximize potential and make the Root accessible and sustainable.

4. Programs & Community Activation

• Bringing energy, purpose, and programming into the Root.
• Work with the Food Share to develop food programs using local produce, support hosting events at the Root, support creation and maintenance of Food Safety Plans for community programs, and work in support with the Food Share and Burgoyne Valley Community Farm to develop the Root Permaculture Garden.

Qualifications

• Experience managing shared spaces, kitchens, or community facilities
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Comfort enforcing policies respectfully and consistently
• Familiarity with food safety standards
• Ability to juggle short-term operational needs with long-term planning
• Values-aligned interest in local food systems and community infrastructure
• Bonus if you have experience with managing contractors and building upgrades.

This is an on-site, part time role on Salt Spring Island.

Please apply with a resume, cover letter, and references to: info@ssifarmlandtrust.org by February 6th at 10 am.

Please mention you saw this at FoodWork.ca.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.