Produce Sourcing Specialist

Function: The Produce Sourcing Specialist position is responsible for ensuring fresh produce and farm donations in the amount and quality necessary for the operations of the Community Food Bank (CFB) and its partners agencies across CFB’s 5-county service area. They will provide farm resource development that coordinates and services farm/produce donation account customers to ensure close cooperation and coordination between the Sourcing/Procurement and the Agency Partnerships Teams. The Specialist also ensures timely follow-up and resolution to inactive and problematic donation accounts and ensures that all account reporting is completed in an accurate and timely manner. They will be expected to regularly travel across CFB’s 5-county service area.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for establishing, developing, and maintaining produce donor relationships with farm and produce donors, organizations, and individuals to facilitate the donation of food products in support of CFB’s mission and at the levels needed to support distributions.
• Responsible for ongoing solicitation, site visits, and account follow-up to ensure donor development, the growth of the donor relationship, and the timely resolution to any problems with donor accounts.
• Responsible for maintaining all donor account records and files, including the food bank database of donor accounts and their activity.
• Ensures farms/warehouses are prepared for driver pick up and follow all donation guidelines.
• Provides weekly activity report on donor visits and farm level interactions to Director of Procurement. Assists with providing data and metrics to facilitate the evaluation of operational activities, with a focus on product sourcing.
• Provides personal follow up and recognition for farm/produce donors, partner with Development as needed.
• Engages with Southwest Produce CO-OP (SPC) to ensure a continued source of fresh produce and manages governmental agencies produce sourcing from such entities.
• Cultivates and maintains relationships with other food banks, the Association of Arizona Food Banks, Feeding America, and other partners to facilitate CFB’s mission. Assesses and communicates resource needs that will allow CFB to reach its sourcing and distribution goals.
• Supports established logistical processes and procedures to facilitate timely product arrival and shipment. Create new processes/procedures as needed.
• Provides support to the operations and logistics teams in all matters of food resourcing to ensure that highly perishable products are handled correctly and in the most efficient manner to limit waste and to ensure that all products will be of the highest quality possible when they reach the client.
• Assists in the development of policies, procedures, methods, and standards of best practice for department activities and operational functions.
• Reviews produce/farm product recalls and disseminate notices and details to appropriate channels and to relevant operations and other CFB staff members and partners.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of establishing, developing, and maintaining produce donor relationships.
• Knowledge of facilitating the donation of food products and maintaining donor account records and files.
• Ability to prepare reports and assist with data and metrics for evaluation of operational activities.
• Skills in solicitating and following up on donor development and the growth of the donor relationship.
• Ability to work without a high-level of direction.
• Self-motivator and takes initiative.
• Life-long learner and ability to incorporate new information.
• Demonstrated interest in learning internally and externally and incorporating new information into role.
• Ability to work with people from diverse economic, social, and political backgrounds.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A high school diploma or equivalent.
• Two (2) years of experience in grocery/farm, product sourcing, warehouse operations, and/or outside sales/customer service.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Office 365, and aptitude to learn other software platforms.
• For company insurance purposes, at least 21 years of age; possess a current Arizona Driver’s License with a safe driving record.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Logistics or Supply Management or a related field or relevant experience.
• Experience in project management, ERP, food safety, product handling and warehouse operations.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Physical Requirements:

Medium Work ability to exert 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.