Food Recovery Agency Relations Coordinator

Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity, and inspiring others to do the same. Fruits and vegetables are collected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from backyard fruit trees, orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market. This recovered produce is provided, free of charge, to hunger relief organizations that serve community members in various ways: food banks, homeless outreach agencies, domestic violence shelters, transitional youth homes, veteran services, family resource centers, LGBTQ+ teen/adult/senior services, college student assistance programs, programs serving people with disabilities, and many more. Since Food Forward’s inception, our staff and thousands of dedicated volunteers have rescued 100’s of millions of pounds of fruits and vegetables. This produce helps feed millions across twelve Southern California counties, six states, and tribal lands. See our core values posted below.

The Agency Relations Coordinator will report to the Agency Relations Manager and will play a key role in establishing and deepening relationships with Food Forward’s network of hunger relief organizations with whom we partner across Southern California (we refer to these as receiving Agencies). The primary goal of this position is to help strengthen ongoing partnerships through outreach and engagement while enhancing support for efficiency and accountability in distributing millions of pounds of fresh produce to receiving agencies across Southern California. This position will be primarily based out of Food Forward’s headquarters in North Hollywood, with occasional work out of our office in Ventura and our warehouse in Bell. The position will also require regular travel to visit receiving agencies, primarily in LA County and those located in Ventura County and beyond.

Food Forward’s Agency Relations (AR) department seeks an organized, outgoing, and detail-oriented Coordinator with solid communication and data-management skills. The ideal candidate is passionate about food justice, hunger relief, and community-building. The AR Coordinator will intimate knowledge of our receiving agencies and their needs and collaborate with the Food Forward program staff to understand the timing, quantity, quality, and types of produce donated to Food Forward. Having a collaborative mindset, with the ability to balance the needs of Food Forward with those of receiving agencies, will be critical to the success of this position. 

Core Responsibilities:

• Support in the onboarding and program placement of all new receiving agencies
• Serve as a point of contact with partner agencies and maintain solid agency-partner relationships.
• Coordinate, schedule, and track receiving agencies produce pick-ups.
• Maintain and update receiving agency data in Food Forward’s data management systems accurately and timely.
• Assist in the processing of weekly, monthly and annual reports
• Maintain and update programmatic & administrative materials as they relate to Agency Relations
• Conduct on-site receiving agency visits to deepen relationships, strengthen communications, ensure compliance, and provide feedback on programming
• Ad hoc duties as assigned

Minimum Requirements:

• Bilingual: Proficient in English and Spanish required
• Proven adequate data and project management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication, analytical and presentation skills
• Strong ability to prioritize projects and meet deadlines
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Google Workspace
• Willingness to travel regionally regularly and work a flexible schedule, including the possibility of early hours and weekends

Food Forward is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strongly encourages applications from people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with protected class backgrounds. We value the individuals we hire and look forward to creating a positive work environment for all identities.

CORE VALUES

• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Working together, we inspire and are inspired by the people in the communities we serve.
• EQUITY AND INCLUSION We cultivate a diverse workforce that nurtures equity and inclusion.
• FOOD JUSTICE We share the abundance of fresh produce and prevent food waste because everyone deserves access to fresh and nutritious food.
• INTEGRITY We are honest, accountable, and authentic in our words and actions.
• JOYFULNESS We embrace a creative, spirited, and fulfilling environment

BENEFITS

• Medical, Vision, Dental, and Life/Voluntary Insurance coverage, FSA/Dependent Care, Pet Insurance, Retirement with 3% employer matching, Generous Paid-Time-Off policy and Holiday allocation
• Cell phone and internet monthly allowance