Let’s Talk Coffee® Event Coordinator

Sustainable Harvest is a social enterprise that sources and imports specialty coffees from the finest producers around the world. We create transparent and sustainable supply relationships, investing in training for farmers and ensuring that coffee arrives reliably in its highest quality state to roasters. We have offices in Mexico, Peru, and Tanzania.

Let's Talk CoffeeTM is Sustainable Harvest's annual non-profit gathering, bringing together bring our supply chain partners together to discuss sustainability in the supply chain, communicate stakeholder needs, and calibrate quality expectations. Let's Talk CoffeeTM assembles farmers, cooperative leaders, roasters, industry visionaries, market analysts, and business experts, providing a forum for 250 participants from thirteen countries to receive industry-specific training, listen to expert presentations designed to help improve supply chain quality, and share best practices among peers.

Position Overview:

Sustainable Harvest seeks a Let's Talk Coffee® Event Coordinator to lead the planning and implementation of the Let's Talk Coffee® annual conference, to be held in EL Salvador in October 2011. The position will be based at Sustainable Harvest's headquarters in Portland, Oregon, and will include travel to El Salvador.

We are looking for a professional with experience in event planning with strong organizational skills and initiative to proactively manage this event. The candidate should be detail oriented with strong writing skills. Fluency in Spanish and English required. Sustainable Harvest is looking for a well spoken, organized and detail-oriented individual.

Responsibilities:

• Creating and following a strategic plan that incorporates all financial and logistical planning and implementation, and highlights goals and milestones for the LTC event.
• Helping to develop curriculum, materials, training plans, and program for the LTC event.
• Communicating and documenting plans and activities for reporting purposes, and for the LTC team and Sustainable Harvest staff.
• Managing event budget.
• Planning dates for the event, booking hotels, working with local hospitality groups in country.
• Managing marketing, registration, and communications for the event.
• Assisting other staff members as necessary with fundraising for the event.

Qualifications:

• Fluency in Spanish and English (both in writing and speaking).
• Event planning experience and/or project management experience.
• University degree (BA or BS).
• Strong ability to multitask and take initiative with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work well both individually and within a team, and ability to take a leadership role to delegate tasks as necessary.
• Well organized with good attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a variety of cultural contexts, including Central America.
• Availability to work extended hours, as needed, to achieve deadlines;
• Ability to travel for an extended period of time (15 or more days in advance of the event) to El Salvador; as well as ability to make other, shorter duration trips to El Salvador in preparation for event.
• Ability to work in coffee farmer training and relationship development as needed.

Preferred Abilities:

• Knowledge of the specialty coffee industry

Application deadline: April 22, 2011

Start date: May 1, 2011. This is a 7 month position, starting in May and ending in November upon completion of the event.

To Apply:

Please apply by email with subject line "LTC Event Coordinator." Please provide as PDF attachments:

1. A cover letter describing your interest.
2. Resume or Curriculum vitae of no more than 2 pages.
3. 3 job references.