Now Hiring: Food Recovery & Access Manager 

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Reports to: Executive Director 

Schedule: Full Time (40 hours, generally Monday - Fridays, some weekend or evening hours 

Compensation: $27 - $32/hour 

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Position Summary 

The Food Recovery & Access Manager oversees all aspects of Comfort Food Community’s food recovery, access, and distribution systems. This position is responsible for purchasing fresh food from farms, local vendors and the Regional Food Bank; tracking and reporting metrics for incoming and outgoing food; overseeing the aggregation and distribution of food through a network of community partners; and ensuring efficient, client-centered pantry operations in both Greenwich and Cossayuna. The Manager provides overall leadership and supervision of the Recovery & Access Team and is an integral part of the Leadership Team which provides coordinated, strategic direction for the organization to oversee major functions, ensuring alignment, accountability, and communication across all areas of work.

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Essential Duties & Responsibilities 

• Cross Program Food Purchasing 

  • Collaborate across programs for weekly ordering of food.

  • Manage order placement, pickup, allocation, distribution, and data recording of purchased product from farmers, producers and vendors, updating grant trackers as appropriate.

  • Manage order placement from the Regional Food Bank for Greenwich and Cossayuna pantries. o Follow purchasing policy to ensure organizational and budget alignment.

  • Identify and recruit new farms and food vendors as needed.

  • Maintain strong communication with existing farms/vendors to ensure that expectations are being met and purchasing systems are working effectively.

  • Coordinate with farms, vendors, and internal staff on availability and pickup logistics.​

• Oversee Food Recovery Programs 

  • Work with the Food Recovery Coordinator to ensure all programmatic activities are effective and efficient. o Ensuring a consistent schedule of on-farm gleans during harvest season.

  • Help coordinate pick-up of surplus (donated) food from farms and vendors.

  • Ensure that all recovered food is weighed, recorded, and tracked for monthly reports and any other relevant data.

  • Coordinate the transport, washing, storing, and inventory management systems required to move food from source to consumer in a safe, timely, and efficient manner.

  • Oversee relationships with current retail partners and engage new retail partners as appropriate.​

• Oversee Food Access Programs 

  • Provide leadership for all food access programs, including pantries, mobile distributions, and partner agencies, programs and initiatives.

  • Support the development and implementation of equitable, inclusive food access strategies across programs.

  • With the Food & Farm Hub Operations Manager, help coordinate logistics among pantries, Hub operations, recovery routes, and partner sites.

  • Monitor inventory levels and support creation of efficient food flow across programs.

  • Following the decision-making matrix, assist with identifying and developing relationships with existing/new partner sites.

  • Oversee accurate data collection and recording.

  • Ensure smooth, client-centered pantry operations in Greenwich and Cossayuna, including systems for receiving, organizing, and distributing food.

  • Provide back-up to pantry services in absence of Pantry Coordinator.​

• Team Leadership & Management 

  • Supervise the Food Access, Food Recovery and Pantry Coordinators.

  • Provide regular 1:1 meetings, annual performance reviews, and team meetings.

  • Support staff in developing strong operational systems, communication, and problem-solving skills.

  • Ensure staff have resources, training, and support needed for safe and efficient operations.

  • Collaborate with the Executive Director to implement annual organizational goals.

  • Be an active and engaged member of the Leadership Team.​

• Program Planning & Organizational Responsibilities 

  • Participate in cross-program planning aligned with the Strategic Plan.

  • Engage in big-picture thinking and continuous improvement processes.

  • Contribute to organization-wide collaboration and communication.

  • Perform other duties as assigned.​

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Minimum Qualifications 

• Experience and demonstrated ability to meet job responsibilities.

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (such as food systems, agriculture, public health, nonprofit management, or a similar discipline) or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience is preferred.

• Physical ability to pack, load, drive, and deliver orders (up to 50 lbs.).

• Clean driving record and comfort with larger vehicles and pallet jacks.

• Ability to learn and implement technology systems (Microsoft Excel, Office 365, etc.).

• Strong organizational and project management skills with attention to detail.

• Ability to independently prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.

• ServSafe or equivalent certification (or willingness to obtain 

• Supervisory experience preferred 

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Physical Demands and Work Environment

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

 

While performing the duties of this position, the employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers; handle or feel objects. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Employee should be comfortable driving larger vehicles and using manual and power pallet jacks. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

 

The physical environment is a warehouse with walk-in coolers and freezers, as well as all weather conditions outside of the facility. The employee must be able to tolerate temporary heat and cold while performing their duties. Noise levels are not anticipated to be a concern. Hearing protection will be provided if that should change.

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How to Apply

Send a cover letter and a resume to hiring@comfortfoodcommunity.org. We will be conducting rolling interviews until the position is filled