Food Donations Coordinator

Arkansas Foodbank team members will demonstrate a commitment to our mission and to the fight against hunger in Arkansas. They must have a clear understanding of and ability to articulate the mission and vision of Arkansas Foodbank and a desire to work with diverse populations. Team members must exemplify Arkansas Foodbank values while representing the organization at public, social, and business settings.

Responsibilities

• Directly oversee the development, retention, and enhancement of food donation accounts.
• Work in conjunction with Retail Rescue and Procurement Manager to formulate strategies, develop, and implement a work plan to solicit food and products from food industries including manufacturers, distributors, farmers, and grocery stores to meet distribution needs.
• Visit donor sites to develop and enhance food donor relationships. Cultivate current food donors with the goal of increasing donation quality, expanding participation, improving donation quality, and increasing donation frequency.
• Identify and cultivate new food donation opportunities within the assigned territory.
• Maintain donor files and visit logs.
• Maintain donor recognition programs and awards for major food donors as provided by the Retail Rescue and Procurement Manager.
• Investigate and resolve donor concerns, scheduling conflicts, or barriers that may impact successful food recovery.
• Stay informed on food safety regulations, donation best practices, and organizational policies to provide accurate guidance to donors.
• Exercise sound judgment, diplomacy, and tact when handling sensitive situations or difficult conversations.
• Help foster relationships between agencies and retail sites.
• Collaborate with Operations staff to make the most efficient use of transportation and other logistics needed for handling donations.
• Monitor retail donation program progress, including but not limited to pounds per store per pickup and donation readiness including stores enabled to agencies. Work with the Retail Rescue Manager and Procurement Manager to identify any potential issues and opportunities for improvement.
• Monitor the quality of donations received and monitor the percentage of trash pounds generated by these donations.
• Provide information and tours of Foodbank to visitors, donors, and other interested parties.
• Provide training and/or coaching to donors, staff, or agency personnel that promote food safety, best practices, efficiency, and increased donations.
• Represent the Foodbank professionally; maintain positive public relations and exceptional customer service.
• Represent Arkansas Foodbank at select food industry events including food shows as needed.
• Keep up to date and knowledgeable about Foodbank related issues and trends as they pertain to increasing location donations.
• Carry out general office duties, as they apply to the aforementioned areas of responsibility on an as-needed basis, including photocopying, filing, faxing and preparation and distribution of correspondence.
• Attend required staff meetings, training, and conferences.
• Travel up to 75% of work schedule.
• Occasionally work nights and weekends.

Requirements

• Associate degree (Bachelor's degree preferred).
• At least three years’ experience in food industry, sales, or marketing.
• Familiarity with computer operations including Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Valid Arkansas driver’s license and proof of insurance required.
• Must pass a background check and preemployment drug screening.
• Good driving record.

Physical 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 class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly required to sit, walk, and stand; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone.
• Use hands repetitively to finger, handle, feel, or operate standard office equipment.
• Reach with hands and arms; and lift/move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Frequently required to operate vehicles.

Working Conditions

This job operates in the community and a professional office environment. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet to humid conditions; extreme cold or heat; and general outside weather conditions. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.