Regional Program Director- Kansas City

Food Connect is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the gaps in our food system to build healthier communities. We are passionate about leveraging technology and existing community efforts to bring about a more thoughtful, sustainable, and connected food system. There are amazing initiatives happening all over the world, but so much momentum is lost when there is no easy way to connect and collaborate in real time. We are building solutions to help lower the barriers to collaboration and increase efficiencies in food distribution and collaboration to drive better health outcomes for communities and individuals.

The Regional Program Director will be responsible for building, overseeing, and managing programs and projects in the Kansas City area. This position will be remote, with some travel required to key program locations within Kansas City and surrounding areas. The Program Director will report directly to the Executive Director and will work closely with the Executive Leadership team that oversees Partnerships and Fundraising. The Regional Director will also collaborate closely with the Logistics team to develop, implement, and manage food programs and projects that support our organization's mission and goals. Additionally, the Director will contribute to the fundraising process by identifying funding opportunities, supporting the development process, and stewarding existing funding relationships.

The role is based in Kansas City and will require on-the-ground community engagement in and around the Kansas City metro area. This individual must be a self-starter with proven experience in establishing footholds in new markets and building small, high-performing teams.

Schedule: Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM CST

Responsibilities:

Program Management

• Oversee and manage existing programs and projects, ensuring alignment with the organization's strategic plan and mission.
• Provide high-level oversight of program operations in the region, in collaboration with our team.
• Develop budgets, timelines, and evaluation plans in collaboration with the Executive team.
• Support evaluation efforts to measure effectiveness of programs and projects.
• Conduct research on best practices and trends relevant to program development.
• Lead regular meetings with partner organizations; share recaps and action items as needed.
• Maintain program records, documents, and databases.
• Review and approve program invoices and follow up with the accounting team.
• Create donor stewardship plans to sustain surplus food donation streams.
• Develop and share impact reports with support from the Data Analyst.
• Generate and manage program contracts and oversee renewals.

Partnership Development

• Research and build a pipeline of target program prospects.
• Conduct outreach and follow-ups to engage new partners.
• Develop relationships with nonprofits, government agencies, and other community stakeholders.
• Represent Food Connect in local coalitions, conferences, and professional groups.
• Onboard new partners and programs into daily operations.
• Collaborate with other Regional Directors and the National Partnerships team on shared goals.
• Support the development team in cultivating relationships with funders and sponsors.

Regional Expansion & Fundraising Support

• Analyze local food rescue trends and food-as-medicine strategies to identify growth opportunities.
• Create a multi-year regional growth strategy.
• Implement food donor outreach plans and track performance.
• Align regional strategy with fundraising activities to ensure program sustainability.
• Identify new funding opportunities and support stewardship of current funders.
• Ensure that local efforts align with national organizational goals.

Candidate Qualifications and Traits

• Bachelor’s degree preferred (fields like Non-Profit Management, Public Health, or Social Work).
• Experience in non-profit, hunger relief, or food distribution strongly preferred.
• Strong multitasking, organization, and communication skills.
• Self-starter with the ability to manage ambiguity and drive progress independently.
• Deep attention to detail and commitment to high-quality service delivery.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Tech-savvy and proficient in Google Suite.
• Must have a personal laptop and stable internet connection.
• Passionate about people, community, and making an impact.

Our Values

• Awareness – You make wise decisions despite ambiguity
• Courage – You’re vulnerable in pursuit of truth
• Passion – You care deeply about the people we serve
• Curiosity – You challenge norms to discover better solutions
• Integrity – You’re reliable, consistent, and honest