TK Program Manager

Community Servings actively engages the community to provide medically tailored, nutritious, scratch-made meals and medically tailored groceries to individuals and families living with chronic and critical illnesses. We are committed to advancing racial and economic justice and health equity in all aspects of our work.

As a leader in the Food Is Medicine movement, Community Servings delivers more than one million medically tailored meals annually throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In addition, we support the local food system, provide nutrition education, and operate an on-site culinary workforce development program. Over the past 36 years, Community Servings has prepared and delivered more than 15 million free, scratch-made meals.

Summary: Reporting to the Chief Program Officer (CPO), the Program Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management, performance, and continuous improvement of the Teaching Kitchen workforce development program. This role fosters an inclusive and supportive environment for program participants while overseeing staff, program operations, community partnerships, and participant outcomes.

The Program Manager works collaboratively across the organization to ensure program goals are achieved, compliance requirements are met, and participants receive the support needed to successfully complete training and secure employment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned. 

Program Leadership and Operations

• Manage the daily operations of the Teaching Kitchen program to ensure high-quality service delivery and participant success.
• Implement program goals, initiatives, and operational plans established in partnership with the CPO.
• Monitor program performance and participant outcomes, using data to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Ensure program activities align with organizational goals and workforce development best practices.
• Supervise program staff and foster a positive, collaborative, and inclusive team culture.
• Ensure compliance with Community Servings policies, funding requirements, and workforce development standards.
• Coordinate participant orientations, graduations, and other program activities.
• Respond to participant concerns and support staff in addressing barriers to successful program completion.
• Collaborate with Nutrition Services, Production Kitchen, Delivery, and other departments to ensure alignment of program activities and participant support services.

Staff Leadership and Development

• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate Teaching Kitchen staff.
• Provide regular coaching, feedback, and professional development opportunities.
• Promote a culture of accountability, continuous learning, teamwork, and participant-centered service.
• Support staff in effectively serving participants from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Facilitate regular team meetings and cross-functional communication.

Partnerships and Community Engagement

• Maintain relationships with referral partners, employers, workforce development organizations, and community-based organizations.
• Support participant recruitment efforts in collaboration with community partners.
• Work with employer partners to expand job placement opportunities for graduates.
• Participate in workforce development coalitions, industry meetings, and community partnerships as assigned.
• Collaborate with internal departments on outreach, communications, and participant engagement strategies.

Program Administration and Fiscal Oversight

• Monitor program budgets and expenditures in partnership with the CPO and Finance Department.
• Support grant and contract compliance by tracking participant outcomes, collecting data, and preparing reports.
• Assist with contract administration, invoicing, audits, and funder communications.
• Maintain accurate program records and performance metrics.
• Ensure operational processes support program effectiveness and participant success.

Social Enterprise Support

• Partner with the Teaching Kitchen Culinary Instructor to support operations of TK Eats.
• Assist with customer service, operational coordination, marketing efforts, and program integration activities.
• Monitor performance and identify opportunities to strengthen both workforce development and revenue-generating goals.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the experience, knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Commitment to Community Servings’ mission and values of health equity, inclusion, and social justice.
• Demonstrated leadership and staff management experience.
• Experience working with individuals facing employment barriers, including substance use recovery, justice involvement, housing instability, limited work history, language barriers, or other life challenges.
• Strong interpersonal, coaching, conflict resolution, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience developing partnerships with employers, community organizations, and workforce development agencies.
• Experience managing programs, grants, contracts, or community-based initiatives.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Salesforce, Zoom, and other workplace technologies.
• Lived experience reflective of the participant population is strongly encouraged.
• Bilingual skills are a plus.

Nutrition and Workforce Development Knowledge

• Familiarity with current nutrition and healthy food access practices, dietary trends, and community-based nutrition programming preferred.
• Understanding of the role nutrition plays in health outcomes, workforce readiness, and community well-being preferred, though clinical nutrition credentials are not required.
• Ability to stay informed of emerging nutrition, food security, and workforce development best practices and apply relevant insights to program operations and curriculum.
• Ability to work collaboratively with Nutrition Services, Production Kitchen, Delivery, and other organizational teams to support program quality, participant success, and organizational goals.
• Demonstrated ability to incorporate feedback from nutrition professionals and operational teams to strengthen participant learning experiences and program effectiveness.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, Workforce Development, Education, Culinary Education, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.
• Minimum of three to five years of experience in workforce development, social services, nonprofit programming, education, or a related field.
• Minimum of two years of supervisory or program leadership experience.
• Experience managing grant-funded programs and tracking participant outcomes preferred.

Supervision

• Teaching Kitchen Employment Specialist
• Trainee Services Specialist
• Teaching Kitchen Culinary Instructor

Responsible for hiring, training, coaching, scheduling, performance management, and professional development of assigned staff.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Primarily office-based with regular interaction in classroom, training, kitchen, and community settings.
• Frequent collaboration with program participants, staff, employers, and community partners.
• Occasional travel to partner sites, employer locations, and workforce development events.
• Noise level is generally quiet to moderate.

Physical Demands

• Frequent sitting, computer use, speaking, and listening.
• Occasional standing, walking, and lifting up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to travel locally as needed to support program activities and partnerships.

Benefits

Community Servings offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Medical Insurance
• Free Dental Insurance
• Free Life Insurance
• Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Vacation, Holidays, Sick Time, and Personal Time
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Medical and Dependent Care)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Free Daily Community Lunch
• Free Parking

Equal Opportunity Employer

Community Servings knows that diversity drives excellence. We are a place where everyone is welcome. We celebrate, promote, and derive strength from a diversity of lived experiences. We actively seek and encourage an inclusive workforce.

Community Servings participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. Please refer to the E-Verification Poster (English/Spanish) and Right to Work Poster (English/Spanish) for additional information. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Community Servings is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before any action is taken against you, including terminating your employment. Community Servings can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed Form I-9.