Temporary Market Assistant

Statement of Duties 

The City of Somerville seeks a Temporary Market Assistant for The Somerville Mobile Farmers’ Market. The market is led by The Office of Food Access and Healthy Communities (OFAHC) within the City of Somerville’s Health and Human Services Department.  The market supports OFAHC’s mission to improve equitable access to healthy, affordable food.  Local farm produce is purchased each week from July through October and then sold at low prices during 2-hour markets held in four neighborhoods of Somerville.  The Market accepts many forms of payment, including nutrition benefits, such as SNAP/HIP and Farmers Market Coupons.  The Temporary Market Assistant plays an integral role in preparing and operating the market each week.  

Employment Details: 

Dates of Hire: June 16thh– November 26th, 2025 

Work Schedule:  

• Tuesday 8:30 am-4:30 pm 
• Wednesday 8:30 am-4:30 pm 
• Thursday 10:30 am-7:30 pm  
• Friday 8:30 am-5:30 pm 
• Saturday 8:30 am-2:30 pm 

** Must be available to work at least 13 out of 15 weekends of the market season.  

Hours will fall within normal city business hours when the market is not in season. 

Pay: $21.00, 40 hours a week. Not benefit eligible. 

Safety Sensitive Position, if eligible with a Massachusetts driver's license.  

Cover Letter preferred 

Essential Functions:

• Help prepare for market season by updating market items, materials and systems.  
• Assist market team with community outreach and promotion of the market, with a particular focus to improve outreach with healthcare partners.  
• Provide administrative help before the season begins 
• Assist on an as-needed basis with non-profit partner Groundwork Somerville to prepare farm and crops, some of which are sold through the market.  
• Work collaboratively with the market manager and sales manager to set up and break down each market. 
• Keep the market site clean and bins well-stocked. 
• Help market manager keep track of produce inventory to ensure sufficient supply at each market. 
• Serve as the second cashier at market sites when needed.  
• Cover other market roles during shifts as necessary 
• Provide excellent customer service and ensure a positive, dignified shopping experience for customers. 
• Help the market manager with accounting and sales reconciliation when necessary  
• Analyze sales and other relevant data and present as visuals for presentations and reports. 
• Help keep weekly ordering up to date and organized. 
• Help add on the ground capacity as needed to manage, outreach and work with food access partners. 
• Help OFAHC staff with communications and promotional work, such as designing flyers, posting to social media and updating websites.   
• Not required, but ability to drive market van a plus. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Comfortable and confident with leadership and delegation roles 
• Cash Management 
• Experience with point-of-sale technology 
• Customer service experience 

Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills 

Knowledge: Retail or customer service; understanding of food systems, health equity, environmental racism and social justice, awareness of and sensitivity to cultural and linguistic diversity; produce knowledge (cooking, farming, health, etc.); experience or interest in farming, gardening, agriculture and/or other outdoor work 

Abilities: Flexibility; taking initiative, teamwork; strength to lift up to 50lbs; MA drivers license and comfort driving van preferred  

Skills: Strong communication and interpersonal skills; technology and computer literacy to learn and utilize Square, Microsoft Office, Canva and other graphic design tools.  Bilingual or multilingual skills preferred; must have the ability to travel within multiple locations within the City.  

Work Environment  

Work requires some agility and physical strength, such as standing or walking most of the work period. The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of working outdoors while exposed to dampness, fumes, odors, dust, dirt, rain, heat, cold, chemicals, and loud noises. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or wet and/or humid conditions. This work requires lifting heavy objects and carrying them.  There may be need to stretch and reach to retrieve materials.  Usually, the work will require extended physical effort over a significant portion of the work day.  Duties generally do not present occupational risk.  Injury could occur, however, through employee failure to properly follow safety precautions or procedures.  Examples of injury include bruises from falls, cuts or burns, or muscular strains from lifting, pushing or carrying heavy equipment or work materials.  May be exposed to wet/humid conditions, extreme temperatures, oils, moving mechanical parts, and/or potentially hazardous agents/chemicals. May be exposed to elevated noise levels. 

Physical and Mental Requirements  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions. 

Physical Skills  

Work effort principally involves standing, reaching, bending and walking to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of sitting.  May be required to lift and carry up to 50 pounds, and push/pull up to 95 pounds. 

Motor Skills 

Must be able to frequently talk/listen, grasp, push, reach, stoop/kneel/crouch, and use repetitive wrist/hand/finger movement. Must be able to regularly move and operate mechanical equipment. Minimal motor skills are also required for activities such as operating a telephone, personal computer and/or office equipment.  

Visual Skills 

Visual demands include clarity of vision, three-dimensional vision, precise hand-eye coordination, and ability to identify and distinguish colors.  Employee will also require visual skills to constantly read documents for general understanding and analytical purposes. 

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The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
• Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

Overview of Total Rewards:

• 4 weeks annual vacation (for non-union positions) union positions vary by contract
• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City
• Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna
• Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP)
• Long term disability through Sun Life
• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual
• Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies
• Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors
• Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health
• Annual cancer screening & wellness release
• Somerville Retirement Pension System
• Tuition reimbursement
• MBTA pass program
• FREE Blue Bikes membership
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.