Careers

Description:

The Retail and Foodservice Partnerships (RAFP) Program Manager leads a team that builds and strengthens partnerships between retail food donors and agencies across Western Washington. The RAFP team helps facilitate donations of food and other product from retail grocery corporations, regional grocers, restaurants, and foodservice facilities. The RAFP team ensures smooth delivery of donations from donor sites to our warehouse or partner agency locations. This position manages donor cultivation and retention, and works with partner food banks, meal programs, and shelters to receive donations and maintain the quality and safety of the food in transit. The RAFP Program Manager also collaborates with other departments and helps set organizational strategy that expands the capacity of our agency network.

What you’ll do:

• Lead, coach, and support a team of Retail & Foodservice Partnerships Specialists.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with donors and partner agencies.
• Oversee program operations, including partnership agreements, compliance, and data reporting.
• Manage and improve use of MealConnect, the system that tracks donation pickups.
• Ensure smooth coordination with Operations and other departments to strengthen our impact.
• Serve as an ambassador for Food Lifeline, representing the importance of food recovery and community partnerships.

Skills/Eligibility:

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated understanding of the intersections between hunger, poverty, racial inequity and social injustice. Must have awareness of the issues faced by community members experiencing poverty or facing food insecurity.

• Working experience that demonstrates understanding of retail and foodservice industry practices and food bank operations, including transportation, food safety, and effective distribution practices.

• Experience setting program benchmarks, contingency plans, and independently monitoring program strategic initiatives.

• At least one year of people management experience, including but not limited to coaching, assessing, and correcting the performance of direct reports.

• Ability to read, evaluate, interpret, and update policy based on general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or government regulations.

• Ability to communicate effectively both in writing and in person.

• Excellent customer service experience, including ability to solve problems and mediate conflict through de-escalation and avoidance.

• Experience developing and managing organization-level agreements or contracts.

• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office suite products.

• Up-to-date understanding of food safety regulations. Grocery retail or foodservice experience preferred.

• Establish KPIs to work towards strategic goals.