Food Pantry Manager in Madison, Wisconsin at IRWIN A AND ROBERT D GOODMAN COMMUNITY CENTER

Job Title: Food Pantry Manager

Department: Food Resource Programs

Reports To: Director of Food Resources

Position Type: Regular, Full-time, 40 hours/week

FLSA Status: Exempt

Benefits: Eligible

Position Summary

The Goodman Community Center offers a variety of programs designed to nourish and support our community. The Fritz Food Pantry is committed to serving individuals and families experiencing food insecurity by providing a safe, welcoming, and dignified shopping experience for all. As a choice-model pantry, customers are empowered to select the foods that best meet their needs.

The Food Pantry Manager oversees the daily operations of the Fritz Food Pantry and works collaboratively with Goodman staff, volunteers, community partners, and donors to ensure efficient, safe, and welcoming services. This position supervises two part-time staff members and coordinates a large volunteer base. The Food Pantry Manager is responsible for managing inventory, food recovery programs, reporting requirements, and special initiatives, including the annual Thanksgiving Baskets Program and Goodman Groceries

Qualifications

• Exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team
• Supervisory experience, including managing staff and volunteers
• Excellent organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and situations with flexibility
• Experience enforcing policies, providing constructive feedback, and de-escalating difficult situations
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and effectively manage confrontational situations
• Proficiency with computers
• Experience working with staff, volunteers, and families from diverse backgrounds and experiences
• Experience in nonprofit, food service, food distribution, or related fields preferred
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred

Essential Responsibilities

Pantry Operations & Inventory Management

• Oversee pantry operations, food distributions, deliveries, and inventory
• Ensure safe food handling, sanitation, and compliance with food safety standards
• Maintain safety and security procedures

Staff & Volunteer Supervision

• Supervise two part-time pantry staff members
• Train, supervise, and support pantry volunteers; currently more than 100 active volunteers
• Collaborate with the Volunteer Manager and pantry staff to recruit, retain, and engage volunteers

Programs & Community Partnerships

• Manage the Retail Rescue program, recovering and redistributing thousands of pounds of food weekly
• Manage all aspects of the Goodman Grocery program, which provides groceries to families enrolled in Goodman’s summer youth programs
• Support and promote the Friends of the Food Pantry community food drive program, as well as other food drives
• Collaborate with Goodman Menders to facilitate a free public mending program
• Manage the TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) commodities program

Administrative & Compliance Duties

• Maintain policies, procedures, and training materials
• Complete monthly and annual reporting requirements
• Ensure compliance with grant and regulatory requirements
• Maintain confidential customer records and database systems

Thanksgiving Baskets Program

• Work closely with the Thanksgiving Basket planning team to ensure a successful event.
• Coordinate registration processes with the Communications team
• Coordinate inventory and distribution logistics with the Food Resources Director and Lead Volunteers to ensure a smooth distribution process over the course of 3 days
• Work with the Volunteer Manager to identify volunteer needs, schedules, training, and supervision requirements for the 500 + volunteers for the event
• This event requires being available outside of normal hours during a 2 week window in November

Additional Duties

• Perform additional duties as assigned to support Food Resource Programs and organizational operations

Schedule Requirements

This is a full-time, in-person 40-hour per week position. Some hours are predefined based on pantry operations and volunteer schedules. The Food Pantry Manager is expected to be available during all scheduled pantry volunteer shifts and public pantry hours, including Wednesday evenings. Further details about the schedule will be provided.

Occasional evening and weekend events are required and are typically scheduled well in advance.

Additional Requirements/ Physical Demands include:

• Ability to frequently lift up to 40 pounds
• Ability to push equipment weighing up to 500 pounds
• Ability to stand for extended periods, up to 3 hours at a time
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record

Benefits

• Goodman Community Center offers generous health and dental plans as well as vision, life insurance, short-term disability, a 403(b)-retirement plan, and a team member assistance program.
• Free onsite childcare for all employees upon hire, pending program availability (ages 3+)
• Free access to on-site Lussier Fitness Center
• Employee discount on room rental
• Generous PTO

Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, trans, nonbinary, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We value the unique blend of lived experiences and diverse perspectives that comes from non-traditional education pathways and the variety of transferrable skills each candidate brings to the table. We value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Even if every item on the job posting doesn’t match your experience perfectly, we encourage you to apply and share how your skills and experience can best serve our community.

Goodman Community Center (GCC) provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. We strictly prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.