Job Opening: Compost Marketing and Sales Specialist
ASUA Compost Cats, Tucson, AZ
Description
Start Date: February 12th, 2015
Business Area: Marketing/Sales/Sustainable Agriculture
Location: UA Main Campus & San Xavier Co-op Farm, Tucson, AZ
Major: Any
Pay rate: $9/hr.
Application Due Date: 11:59pm, Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
Job Summary
The ASUA Compost Cats are looking to hire 1-2 part time student marketing and sales
specialists as soon as possible. Compost Cats, a student-operated program with an emerging
green business model, seeks to rapidly expand its marketing and sales efforts and seeks student
staff with the creativity, technical and organizational skills, and environmental commitment to
help us develop our business model, turning would be landfill waste into high-quality soil
amendment products. Job duties will be performed mostly at the UA main campus and
occasionally at San Xavier Co-op Farm, where the composting facility is located. This is a parttime position, not to exceed 20 hours per week except on rare special occasions. A regular work
schedule will be determined, but every effort will be made to accommodate students’ academic
schedules. Marketing and Sales Specialists report directly to the Compost Cats Project Director.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
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Marketing and Sales Specialists are responsible for working with a small team on market
research and development and outreach to retail outlets (nurseries, hardware stores, farmers
markets, etc…) for compost sales
Developing both online and print educational and sales materials related to Compost Cats and its
activities (brochures, flyers, stickers, website, social media pages, etc…)
Arranging and giving campus and community presentations on Compost Cats. Presentations may
be either general information on the program or business plan presentations to solicit support
Widespread distribution of educational and marketing materials online and in physical locations
Help coordinate and take part in “compost coaching” at campus restaurants, during the
downtown Tucson Meet Yourself event in October, and at other events as assigned
Attendance at biweekly Compost Cats general staff meetings as well as all assigned committee
meetings
Secondary Duties and Responsibilities
While Marketing and Sales Specialists will not primarily fulfill the duties of Compost
Technicians, Marketing and Sales Specialists are expected to go through training and be willing
to serve as occasional back ups for farmwork and other duties. These responsibilities include:
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Work with a partner to pick up and deliver truck loads of food scraps to San Xavier Co-op Farm
Operate heavy equipment including a manual transmission stake truck, skip loader, tractor, water
truck and compost screener (training provided) to dump, turn, water, monitor, and otherwise
efficiently maintain a large windrow compost system
Required Skills and Qualities
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Strong written and oral communication skills and an outgoing, friendly personality for
interacting with customers, students, faculty, administrators, co-workers, and the general public
Knowledge of effective marketing and sales techniques and ability to think critically and
creatively about marketing approaches
Familiarity with a range of social media marketing and networking tools and graphic design
software
An environmentally conscious, entrepreneurial spirit
Information management and organizational skills including familiarity with spreadsheet and
bookkeeping software
Strong research skills
Must be a self-starter with the ability to be on time and on task with both independent and group
work
Must possess a valid drivers license and good driving record.
Physical Demands
Note that, for Marketing and Sales Specialists, these physical responsibilities are of
secondary importance. The physical demands and work environment described here are
representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential
functions of this job:
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Compost Technician work involves walking, standing, sitting, and stooping. Must have the
ability to perform moderately strenuous physical labor.
The employee may be required to push, pull, or lift 50 pounds or more in cooperation with one
other staff member.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet in the office and moderately
loud in the field.
To apply, please send
1) a resume, 2) cover letter describing relevant experience and expressing why you feel you
would be a good fit for the position, and 3) your committee interest ranking form (see next
page) to compostcats@gmail.com and to Chester Phillips, Compost Cats Project Director
at cfp@email.arizona.edu. Email the same addresses for more information.
Compost Cats Committee Preference Form
Compost Cats Marketing and Sales Specialists will primarily focus on sales and marketing,
outreach, and business development, but we still want to know what interests you most. Our
student staff gain valuable job experience in a diverse range of subject areas, but not every
student staff member does the same things or has the same skills. To properly gauge how your
interests and skills fit our program, please rank the following 6 committees from 1-6, with your
top area of interest being 1st, your second choice 2nd, etc…
You may provide your ranking in the space below:
-Sales and Marketing Committee
Role: Researches and organizes sale locations and prices; manages our brand, advertising, and
image; communicates with potential customers, etc.
-Outreach Committee
Role: Organizes education and outreach events, including public events like Gem and Jam,
speaking at schools, organizing tours or partnerships with high school or college classes, etc.
-Operations and Maintenance Committee
Role: Manages daily operations, including run logistics and schedule, truck issues, supply
purchasing, etc.
-Farm Committee
Role: Manages the layout of the farm; researches and sets up new methods of composting;
manages farm work logistics and issues, etc.
-Finance Committee
Role: keeps financial records; makes income statements and balance sheets; makes financial
projections, etc.
-Business Development Committee
Role: Plans future paths for our business, such as working with the city and diverting waste from
Nogales; will also include alumni relations and grant applications