Job Opportunity: Food and Logistics Coordinator for a Thunder Bay Student Nutrition Program
Posted: November 14, 2013
Categories: Edible Education Network / News from Sustain Members / Volunteer. Job and Writing Opportunities
Food and Logistics Coordinator for a Thunder Bay Student Nutrition Program
Duration: 1 year contract
Employer: The Canadian Red Cross Society, a non-profit, humanitarian organization dedicated to helping Canadians and the most vulnerable throughout the world is seeking a 1 year contract employee to facilitate the efficient sourcing, purchasing, storage, and distribution of food within Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program (SNP) through the development of regional and local partnerships with industry, municipalities, and non-government organizations.
Position details: This position provides a broad range of supports so that community partners and local sites can maximize SNP funding for the purchase of nutritious, local food. Reporting to the District Branch Manager, the successful candidate will work with a provincially funded initiative to build and support student nutrition programs in the Thunder Bay District.
Responsibilities include:
- Undertake a review of sourcing, purchasing, storage, and distribution of food products amongst existing local programs to identify opportunities to drive efficiencies based on knowledge of local and regional food distribution channels and key industry or community members.
- Develop resources and strategies to improve the supply chain logistics, purchasing, inventory management, distribution and transportation of food products amongst existing local programs by fostering partnerships, aggregating products and people, and building economies of scale.
- Support the efficient sourcing, purchasing, and aggregation of food products within SNP by:
- Facilitating wholesale or bulk orders;
- Negotiating favourable pricing from local and large-scale businesses;
- Facilitating economies of scale by bringing together growers or businesses to aggregate products;
- Acquiring food donations; and
- Delivering training to program volunteers around effective food purchasing strategies
- Support the efficient storage, and distribution of food products within SNP from vendors/donors to central locations and/or program sites by:
- Inventory management;
- Leveraging regional or community food hub infrastructure (e.g. cold storage, trucking);
- Leveraging other local food system infrastructure, such as farms, cooperatives or retailers (e.g. cold-storage, trucking);
- Leveraging existing foodservice or retail distribution channels; and
- Negotiating in-kind transportation options from large-scale donors and/or other partners.
- Promote the consumption of locally and sustainably-produced foods, when available and practical by:
- Sourcing from Ontario farmers (e.g. farmers’ markets, on-farm markets, cooperatives) and processors;
- Seeking vendors, such as retail or foodservice distributors, that offer and supply Ontario food products; and
- Leveraging other local farm-to-school initiatives.
- Provide broader support to SNP Lead Coordinators and Community Development Coordinators as required.
- Carry out other duties as assigned by the Lead Coordinator to support SNP expansion-related activities.
- Provide broader support to enhance program sustainability as locally required.
Qualifications:
- Minimum of three years of related experience working in food purchasing, warehousing, and distribution within Ontario;
- Post-secondary education in dietetics, foodservice, cafeteria management, food or agricultural economics, or related study an asset.
- Knowledge of public food procurement processes;
- Knowledge of procedures used in the ordering, receiving, storing and inventory of food and supplies;
- Knowledge of local and regional retail and foodservice distribution channels;
- Knowledge of food safety and traceability protocols and practices, such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP);
- Knowledge of health and safety regulations pertaining to food establishments, including sanitation and maintenance regulations;
- Demonstrated knowledge of and maintaining effective past working relationships with key agri-food industry members, including commodity associations, food processing, retail, foodservice, and distribution.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team;
- Able to effectively present recommendations, obtain buy-in and commitment of partners;
- Demonstrated ability to negotiate effectively to secure preferential pricing;
- Experience in managing or setting up a new distribution centre(s) an asset;
- Community development experience an asset;
- Experience in school-nutrition related pro
grams an asset;
Interested candidates may submit their resume in confidence no later than November 22, 2013 to:diane.lajambe@redcross.ca