The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan serves as a common solicitor, storehouse and distributor of food on behalf of its Partner Agencies which are non-profit, charitable organizations serving those in need.

Today the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan provides over 40 million pounds of food each year to those in need through more than 700 partner agencies. Partner Agencies consist of local soup kitchens, shelters, and food pantries who strive to feed the more than 300,000 people in eastern Michigan who are food insecure. The excellent relationships established within the Food Bank’s 22 county service area and throughout the state has allowed for numerous programs and initiatives to help fight hunger.

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Network Services and Programs has direct responsibility for managing all activities of the culinary and programming departments. This is achieved by working closely with the Programs Manager, Culinary Manager, and Program Coordinators, who exercise significant latitude and independence in their assignments. Ensure superior customer service to all internal team members and other stakeholders of the organization. All activities will support the organization’s mission, culture and strategic plan objectives.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Create and maintain a positive work environment in alignment with the Company core values.

• The Director will manage all state and federally funded programs, providing primary interface with both program site and state agency.

• Ensure all applicable regulations are being adhered to

• Ensures appropriate oversight of daily food service operations including menu evaluation and planning, purchasing, inventory, receiving, food preparation and storage.

• Maintains kitchen and storage facilities to meet/exceed sanitary conditions; monitors internal quality assurance and food safety audit process (including HACCP record keeping).

• Supervises day-to-day work activities by delegating authority to managers, assigning, and prioritizing activities, and monitoring operating standards.

• Accountable for the execution of product and service quality by maintaining the highest level of delivery.

• Provide input and manage budget by increasing revenue and controlling unit expenditures to ensure accuracy of operating and administrative budget.

• Assist with making food projections, work with procurement and vendors to negotiate pricing.

• Oversee program development and implementation of child nutrition and community food programs.

• Maintain oversight of Outreach regulations and efforts with agency relations.

• Submit annual application for CACFP; make appropriate amendments and submit/certify with state as changes deemed necessary.

• Establish and maintain relationships with state agencies and foundations.

• Work with sites or districts to develop a plan for food service, ensuring that the nutritional standards required by CACFP and SFSP are strongly adhered to; comply with formal and informal procurement procedures outlined by USDA-FNS and MDE.

• Ensure the management of all administrative responsibilities (i.e., training, agency and program monitoring, paperwork, reimbursement)

• Oversee the coordination of all program aspects including flow of administrative record keeping, etc.

• Work cooperatively with staff and administrators to ensure program efficiency.

• Provide corrective action to sites/staff when necessary.

• Work to identify potential new sites for after-school and summer programs.

• Establish meetings with potential new sites to present options for partnership.

• Develop, implement, manage training programs for capacity building. Other Responsibilities

• Supervises day-to-day work activities by delegating authority, assigning, and prioritizing activities, and monitoring operating standards.

• Manage, motivate, and develop program staff. Conduct performance appraisals, coach employees in the development and execution of strategic plans. Oversee and evaluate performance of all department employees.

• Establishes a safe work environment for employees by performing safety and sanitation audits and inspections, conducting safety-related training, and maintaining on-going communications with employees.

• Prepares and updates statistical reports to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.

• Works with other departments to develop a business plan for clientele that establishes a positive rapport, promotes partnership, and fulfills the clients’ needs and exceed expectations.

• Executes strategic plan by implementing short and long-term goals that align with the scope of service, mission and values set by senior leadership.

• Collaborate with other departments to assist in the application of grant opportunities, track spending, and report on departmental grants.

• Assists in the following human resource responsibilities (selection, orientation, training, and development of employees, including training personnel actions, such as the hiring and termination of employees, scheduling).

• Promotes and supports workplace diversity initiatives.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree Preferred or Credit/Experiential Equivalency Certification Requirements: SERV Safe Certification, and Civil Rights Training Required.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Supervisor/Managerial Experience: 4 years Previous program and food service experience, highly preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES

Demonstrated tact and diplomacy when working with diverse populations

Analytical thinking, interpersonal relations, diversity awareness, customer focus, drive and dependability, stress tolerance and flexibility, delegating and directing, planning, team building, and communication.

Communication and Influence: Requires verbal and written communication skills to convey complex and/or detailed information to multiple individuals/audiences with differing knowledge levels. Role may require strong negotiation and influence, communication to large groups or high-level constituents, representation of the organization, advanced tact, and diplomacy, etc.

Fiscal Skills: Manages set budgets for multiple programs/projects and maintain accurate spending records. Track spending, and report on departmental grants, working with Finance department to provide spending reports.

Technical Knowledge: Full use and application of standards, principles, theories, concepts, and techniques in area of specialty. Focuses primarily on own area of specialty. Exposure to related disciplines.

Analytical Thinking: The ability to systematically gather information from a variety of sources, analyze information, identify implications of data, draw appropriate conclusions, generate viable, alternative solutions to a question or problem, and evaluate the consequences of choosing each alternative.

Interpersonal Relations: The ability to develop and maintain professional, trusting, positive working relationships with clients, supervisors, staff, managers, customers, and vendors.

Diversity Awareness: The ability and willingness to be aware of, understand, respect, and value the diverse cultural, ethnic, gender, age, educational, professional, etc. backgrounds and styles of others and to adapt one’s own behavior based on that understanding.

Customer Focus: The ability and willingness to provide excellent service to external/internal customers and clients. This includes seeking to meet customer needs, expectations, and demands quickly and effectively; remaining calm and professional when dealing with difficult internal or external customers; reviewing complaints from internal/external customers and taking action to remedy the complaint; and treating the customer as valuable.

Drive and Dependability: The ability and willingness to demonstrate eagerness, enthusiasm, optimism, and passion when working. These includes demonstrating commitment, persistence, and heighten personal effort in the face of obstacles and adversity; pursuing excellence for self and organization; having a sense of urgency; and possessing ambition.

Stress Tolerance and Flexibility: The ability to work productively and effectively in a fast paced, stressful, demanding, and/or ambiguous work environment.

Delegating and Directing: The ability and willingness to delegate the authority to complete work activities, giving clear direction as to what needs to be done, and monitoring performance against a predetermined deadline and/or measure of quality to ensure quality and timely completion of assignments.

Planning: The ability to set priorities, plan, and coordinate work activities. This may include developing plans with long-range horizons based upon a sound knowledge of corporate expectations (policies, budgets, strategic plans.)

Team Building: The ability to motivate and guide others to work hard by building a sense of teamwork and commitment. This includes clearly communicating and reinforcing aims and goals of team, unity, cooperation and excellence.

Communication: The ability to speak clearly and politely to management, associates, and customers when conveying information, using correct grammar when speaking and not using slang terms; and targeting the amount, style, and content of the information to the needs of the receiver.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works indoors. The employee will work near or with food preparation equipment. The employee may occasionally work with toxic or caustic chemicals such as degreasers and sprays. The employee must be able to meet deadlines with severe time constraints. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands: This position will be based in a typical office setting and may require travel throughout the service area. There will be periods of driving, sitting, standing and or bending. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk; use hands and fingers to handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms.

The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer