Food Sourcing Strategist

Description

Job Summary 

Under the direction of the Chief Operating Officer, the Food Sourcing Strategist is responsible for the design, execution and maintenance of a comprehensive food acquisition strategy to locate and maximize donated food products. They will secure and develop new donors to provide products and maintain existing relationships. They will also monitor and maintain all operational data to report and evaluate progress toward food bank goals and participate in product acceptance decisions.

About Second Harvest

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is a member of Feeding America – the largest charitable domestic

hunger-relief organization in the United States. Second Harvest Food Bank secures and distributes food and grocery

products to more than 870 local nonprofit feeding partners throughout Central Florida. With the help of food and financial donors, volunteers and a caring, committed community; the food bank distributes 300,000 meals every day to a seven-county service area, which includes Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia. Feeding neighbors facing hunger is only the beginning. By investing in job training programs, advocating for access to nutritious foods, and inspiring our community to get involved, Second Harvest Food Bank is leaning into the root causes of hunger and helping our neighbors thrive.

Department Overview

The Sourcing and Strategy Department is an integral part of the Operations department. This department is responsible for securing products from all donated sources and developing and maintaining the relationships that are associated with it. This involves interacting with Feeding America on the national level, Feeding Florida at the state level and individual donors at the local level. It involves food that is both shelf stable, frozen and perishable, and can extend to non-food items as well. They will be constantly seeking new sources of food and new donated food partners. They maintain and lead relationships with local retailers as well and will be involved with any issues with those donors. They will coordinate the timely delivery of donated truck loads with the Warehouse and are responsible for donor receipting of that product.

Work Hours

• Office Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:00 pm. Occasional after-hours responsiveness (e.g., text or email) may be required to address time-sensitive matters.
• Ability to travel regularly within the service area to meet with donors, vendors, and partner agencies
• Occasional travel required for industry events, Feeding America meetings, and conferences, which may include overnight travel

Job Responsibilities 

Donor Development & Relationship Management

• Prospect new and lapsed donors to expand and reengage the food bank’s donor base
• Meet regularly with current donors to strengthen relationships, support retention, and grow donations
• Respond to ad-hoc donor requests in a timely and professional manner
• Keep donor accounts current in Primarius, ensuring accurate and complete records

Food Sourcing & Program Management

• Source donated food, including excess products, to supply FANO Network members within our service area
• Develop and maintain standards and procedures for existing donors (receipting, donor recognition); adhere to annual plan for expected receipts, shared maintenance revenue and program expenses including tracking monthly KPIs and poundage reports
• Report to operational staff on donor issues, adjust reporting needs and standards when appropriate
• Manage Meal Connect for Disney Harvest, coordinating donations and reporting
• Monitor the Feeding America Choice Donation Portal to identify sourcing opportunities and trends
• Track USDA Shipping Point Prices for fresh produce to inform sourcing decisions
• Monitor the F2E Ranking Program and perform related internal maintenance
• Inform supervisor and organization management of issues involving Product Sourcing

Strategy, Planning & Financial Management

• Forecast donation needs in alignment with the organization’s strategic goals
• Lead strategic planning for food sourcing initiatives
• Create and manage the sourcing budget
• Establish, maintain, and explain department variances to sourcing goals
• Manage grant spend-down and reporting to ensure funds are used effectively and in compliance with requirements
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities that support sourcing efforts

Logistics & Compliance

• Work with Operations to coordinate donations and purchased product inventory as well as secure and coordinate inbound freight for donations
• Ensure food safety compliance with donors and vendors
• Coordinate with Operations on routing, re-routes and/or routing changes and data

Network & Industry Engagement

• Participate in Feeding America virtual and in-person meetings
• Attend relevant industry events to build partnerships and stay current on trends
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain management or equivalent combination of experience and education
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in non-profit management or Sales/Marketing
• Proficient in Microsoft programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) 
• Expert-level knowledge of industry standards, regulations, and compliance requirements, including the ability to interpret ambiguous or evolving guidance and apply it within the function
• Ability to anticipate and assess emerging trends, advancements, and innovations, and to apply them to programs, projects, or departmental approaches
• Mastery of advanced analytical, technical, and problem-solving techniques, including data analysis, program evaluation, and process improvement
• Comprehensive understanding of departmental goals and the ability to develop and execute programs that advance them
• Knowledge of change management principles and how to support adoption of new programs, policies, or approaches
• Advanced proficiency with role-related tools, systems, and software, including the ability to evaluate and recommend new solutions
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information and recommendations to senior leadership and external stakeholders
• Advanced project and program management skills, including planning, executing, and evaluating complex initiatives end-to-end
• Skilled in preparing complex reports, business cases, and recommendations that inform leadership decisions and resource allocation
• Skilled in designing data collection approaches and synthesizing complex, multi-source information into actionable insights
• Ability to resolve a wide range of issues for self and others, including adapting policies and programs or developing new models or approaches
• Ability to diagnose ambiguous, multi-layered problems and develop effective, evidence-based solutions
• Ability to plan, prioritize, and schedule own work — and indirectly the work of others — to meet program and project commitments
• Ability to manage multiple high-visibility priorities and competing demands while maintaining quality and accuracy
• Ability to collaborate with and influence cross-functional teams and stakeholders without direct authority
• Ability to operate with limited supervision; receives general instruction on routine work and only general direction on new assignments
• Ability to visit warehouse, cold storage, and food distribution environments, which may include exposure to varying temperatures (refrigerated and freezer conditions)
• Ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 25–30 lbs.
• Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods depending on daily activities