PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro fights hunger by mobilizing neighbors, building community, and providing fresh, healthy food. 

Position Summary

PORCH is seeking an organized, dependable, and personable individual to lead the management of our new Community Hub, including procurement and distribution for our new client-choice food distribution model. The ideal candidate will have experience managing multiple streams of inventory and working closely with a diverse team of coworkers, volunteers, and participants. Spanish language skills, experience providing basic needs services, and prior food inventory management experience are highly preferred. The selected candidate will assist with designing and refining inclusive and client-centered processes and procedures, volunteer engagement, and data management.

We’re looking for a proven ability to manage changing priorities, to attend to numerous details in multiple projects, to provide programmatic leadership, to work both independently and collaboratively, and to elevate challenges for additional support and problem-solving among the team. Adaptability, data management skills, strong oral communication, and a passion for food justice and serving our local community will be key to this role. Those with expertise from lived experience are strongly encouraged to apply. Safe food handling training, knowledge of local food security organizations and food systems, and familiarity with Chapel Hill and Carrboro will also prove very beneficial. 

Essential Responsibilities

Market Management (90%)

•    Lead daily operations of the PORCH Market, including receiving, inspecting, sorting, and stocking dry, refrigerated, and frozen foods

•    Lead food stock procurement and management, including the acquisition, safe handling, processing, and storage of nonperishable, fresh, and frozen items

•    Lead day-to-day management of our Community Hub facility to maintain a clean and healthy food environment and ensure safety and security of staff, volunteers, participants, and visitors

•    Plan and manage utilization of volunteers to accomplish food procurement, management, and distribution goals

•    Develop sources of free, reduced-cost, or bulk pantry stock through strategic partnerships and maintain positive relationships with current partners

•    In collaboration with participant advisors and team members, design, record, and utilize inclusive and client-centered processes and procedures for food procurement and distribution

•    Manage and analyze pantry data by following inventory management best practices, maintaining accurate and up-to-date records, tracking and reporting on various streams of donations and purchased product, and sharing information in team meetings, reports, grant applications, and presentations

•    Regularly analyze Market data to inform program improvements, generate reports, and submit required data to food banks, grant funders, and other collaborators 

•    Manage annual food allocations by planning and tracking spending, monitoring budget to ensure Market expenditures remain within budget, and communicating regularly with the Executive Director about questions, concerns, or trends with Market spending

•    Follow safe food handling guidelines and train others in local, state, and federal requirements and best practices

•    Collaborate with Volunteer and Communications Manager to design and conduct volunteer trainings, schedule volunteer shifts, and advertise volunteer opportunities

•    Train, manage, supervise, and support volunteers to assist with receiving, procurement, food stock management, waste management, and other basic food pantry activities 

•    During distribution, serve as the Back of the House manager by directing part-time employees and volunteers in required duties and communicating effectively with the Front of the House manager

•    Maintain all food displays, storage, and equipment, including refrigerators, freezers, and vehicle; ensure compliance with inspection requirements and maintenance servicing; and train others in appropriate and safe use of equipment

•    Coordinate with other key roles within the organization including participant engagement, volunteer management, and communications to ensure seamless and effective delivery of quality services and product for participants

•    Maintain and process Market financial records by uploading receipts, organizing invoices for payment, tracking contracts, and communicating with other team members about financial documentation and required procedures

•    Other duties as assigned

Organizational Operations (10%)

1.    Actively participate in staff meetings

2.    Collaborate with staff in planning, coordinating and strategic decision making

3.    Engage in professional development

4.    Support other operations and roles as needed

What We’re Looking For

•    Minimum of 2 years' work experience in food inventory management, food distribution, or food pantry operations

•    Experience providing basic needs resources to marginalized populations

•    Experience in food justice work

•    Spanish language fluency

•    Safe food handling training and certification

•    Working knowledge of risk mitigation and risk management, particularly concerning volunteer management and/or warehouse activities

•    Familiarity with Chapel Hill and Carrboro communities

•    Proficiency in Google Docs, Sheets, and Gmail

•    Strong verbal communication skills

•    Personal integrity, honesty, and the ability to maintain confidentiality

•    Possession of a valid driver’s license

•    Ability to remain flexible, adapt to changing priorities and unexpected situations, and solve problems with creativity, good judgment, and awareness 

•    Self-motivation, self-direction, and capability of successfully managing multiple projects with deadlines, with and without direct supervision

•    Excellent organization skills, follow through, proactive communication, and an eye for tracking details, improving efficiencies, and managing logistics

•    Exhibited history of positively contributing to a collaborative work environment

•    Commitment to the values and mission of PORCH CHC, including knowledge of and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice principles

•    Passion for creating community and improving systems to better serve our participants

•    The ability to frequently stand, walk, stoop, bend, reach, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) weights up to 50 pounds; ability to drive a box truck to procure food regularly; ambulatory skills to utilize carts, jacks, and other equipment to move large quantities of food of 50 pounds or more; good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to operate office and warehouse equipment; and the ability to spend lengths of time working on a computer, reading from a computer screen, and talking and hearing on the phone, in person, or in virtual meetings.