Food Bank Orchard Assistant 2026-2027 Academic Year

We value our students! If you see an open position that is right for you, we encourage you to apply!

Position start/end dates: August 2026 - May 2027

Position description: The Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank (GPFB) is looking to pay students to assist in managing their orchard located on the Eden Hall campus of Chatham University. In this role, a student will be monitoring the orchard weekly and reporting findings to Laura Livingston and Marc Rattay of the GPFB. Additionally, the student will observe prior and prospective weekly precipitation trends and irrigate the trees accordingly. Students will use Integrated Pest Management practices (IPM) and scouting materials as a part of orchard management best practices. After conducting the IPM and irrigation work, the student will send a short email with the IPM report, irrigation hours, and any other important details to Livingston and Rattay.

Position learning outcomes: The student participating in this position will learn about orchard management, specifically the topics of IPM, phenology, and irrigation. Specifically, students will learn to observe fruit trees and weather conditions across the growing season, paying attention to insect, disease, and weed pressures as well as beneficial populations. The student employee will have the optional opportunity of visiting the GPFB to shadow Rattay and learn more about the organization.

Hours/week: The amount of hours required will start in March with 2-3 hours a week. As the season progresses, additional hours will be needed each week peaking in July and August with a projected 5 hours a week required. The number of hours a week will decrease in September, October, and November, with 2-3 hours per week projected during the fall semester.

Position requirements: The student employee must be certified to drive university vehicles. This means that they must be above the age of 20, have a valid driver’s license, and pass the university driving approval process.

All current student employees should notify their other manager(s) if you work multiple jobs on campus at the same time. Additionally, students may not work more than 20 hours per week (combined between all campus jobs) during the academic year. Students may not exceed 980 work hours per calendar year.

Student jobs do not automatically roll over to the next academic year or summer.

Chatham University strives to promote a campus environment that understands and embraces multiculturalism while increasing individuals' intercultural competence. We actively work to build and sustain a diverse and culturally vibrant campus, which promotes employee and student success and retention.

Chatham University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. Chatham University does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, age, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital or family status, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.