Client coordinator

Seeking a Client Coordinator to shepherd our five phase grant writing process.

This position will work closely with our small farm clients through our one-on-one and group grant writing services. They will have daily contact with and report to our lead consultant, Ellen Rawley. The focus of this work is preparing submissions for the USDA Value Added Producer Grant which focuses on projects that increase sales revenue for farms that have a “value added” product. Our process is methodical and structured so that we can focus our energy on delivering high-quality work that gets our farm clients the funds they need to pull off their dream projects.

 Crucial activities of the position include

  •  Fielding questions about grants and our services that come in through our website and social sites

  • Onboarding new clients and mentees

  • Being the main point of contact for clients and mentees throughout grant writing season

  • Pro-actively assisting clients to meet their deadlines

  • Reviewing client submissions for accuracy and completeness

  • Shifting work timelines as needed when clients don’t meet their deadlines

  • Organizing information from clients into template spreadsheets

  • Organizing application materials into our final submission format

Additional activities we hope you’ll be great at

  • Performing market research that supports the feasibility of the proposed grant project and the projected sales growth

  • Writing select informational sections of the grant proposal, for example, succinct summaries of the project partners’ relevant experience and bullet point summaries of letters of support

This could be a great position for you if

  • You like helping others succeed. It brings you joy to make it easier for other people to get their work done. You feel accomplished finding ways for a group to work better towards a goal. If you were in theater in high school, you were probably a stage manager. You’ve probably set up the chairs at many events or stayed to wash the dishes.

  • You’re a details person. You thoroughly read instructions and double check your work. You have learned how to hold your concentration on a task until it is fully complete. Grants can be tossed out because of one missing piece of information, so fastidiousness is key.

  • You’re a systems person. Maybe you enjoyed the game Mouse Trap as a kid. Maybe you give yourself little challenges, like how can I set the table in as few trips as possible. Most likely, doubling back on an errand-run drives you a little crazy.

  • You are proactive and adaptable. You’re a recovering perfectionist (a lifelong process), not an active control freak. You can extend grace and compassion to our clients when they fall behind.

  • You think of yourself as a “helpful reminder” rather than a “nag.” You can handle the discomfort of reminding a client (again!) for the document you’ve asked for twelve times already.

Required experience & skills

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience;

  • 4 years’ of relevant work experience;

  • Skilled with word, excel, google docs, google sheets, Dropbox (QuickBooks invoicing, Instagram, Squarespace, and Accuity Scheduling all pluses);

  • Basic knowledge of business financial terminology;

  • Prior employment in agriculture, food manufacturing, retail sales a plus;

  • Prior customer service or project management experience a plus;

  • Time-management skills;

  • Interpersonal communication skills, solution-oriented, and patient;

  • Able to work in front of a computer screen and/or perform typing for approximately; 100% of a typical working day; and

  • U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is legally able to work in the U.S.

About Ellen Rawley Creative & Strategy, Inc.

Ellen Rawley Creative & Strategy, Inc. has been working with farmers on business development projects since 2016. We mimic the care our clients have in planting seeds and tending their growth – our seeds are strategies and systems and the growth we tend is towards financially sustainable farm operations. As such, we have secured nearly $7 million in grant funding for small farms and farmer support organizations. Our work is collaborative – our clients have deep knowledge – we bring a new perspective and a different skill set, but we trust them to make the decisions that are right for their farm.

The application and interview process

  1. Send your resume and cover letter to projects@ellenrawley.com

  2. The team reviews your cover letter and resume

  3. Ellen Rawley will reach out to conduct a 40 minute phone interview to assess your skill set, personality fit, and ask, “Why ERCS?”

  4. You’ll participate in a 40 minute technical screen in which you are asked to complete a number of tasks to assess your technical skill at completing the position’s tasks

  5. We make a final decision and notify you

Location

Remote, ability to attend meetings from 1-5 PM Eastern Time and work with clients throughout the United States.

Employment type

Part-time seasonal (15-30 hours a week; average approximately 20 hours a week). Initial employment runs from January until the end of April at which time we can assess the possibility for extended employment.

Details

  • $25/hour

  • Fully remote

  • Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning December 5th, 2024. The position will remain open until filled. We’re looking to fill the role to start no earlier than January 6th.

 

Position reports to: President and Lead Consultant