Allocations Manager

Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona•Tucson, AZ

About The Position

The Allocations Manager leads the daily allocation and movement of donated and purchased food—particularly produce and bread—across the Community Food Bank (CFB) network. This role makes real-time allocation decisions, coordinates across sourcing, logistics, warehouse, and programs, and ensures food is placed on orders and moved quickly to reduce waste and maximize impact. The Manager owns day-to-day allocation execution, leads the development and refinement of allocation frameworks, and provides functional leadership and coaching to team members involved in allocation and food flow, ensuring consistent, equitable, and efficient distribution.

Requirements

A high school diploma or equivalent.
Two (2) years of experience in grocery/farm, product sourcing, warehouse operations, and/or outside sales/customer service.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Office 365, and aptitude to learn other software platforms.
Valid Arizona Driver’s License with a clean driving record; ability to travel to CFB locations.
Ability to obtain and maintain required food safety certification and equipment certifications, including electric pallet jack and forklift certification, within 90 days of employment.
Ability to work without a high-level of direction.
Self-motivator and takes initiative.
Life-long learner and ability to incorporate new information.
Demonstrated interest in learning internally and externally and incorporating new information into role.
Ability to work with people from diverse economic, social, and political backgrounds.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Logistics, Supply Management or a related field.
Experience in project management, ERP, food safety, product handling and warehouse operations.
Bilingual English/Spanish.
Knowledge of establishing, developing, and maintaining produce donor relationships.
Knowledge of facilitating the donation of food products and maintaining donor account records and files.
Ability to prepare reports and assist with data and metrics for evaluation of operational activities.
Skills in solicitating and following up on donor development and the growth of the donor relationship.
Ability to adapt to changing operational needs.
Flexibility to work varied schedules, including early mornings, evenings, or weekends as required.
Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered if applicable and must be directly related to the functions and body of knowledge required to successfully perform the job.

Responsibilities

Allocation Leadership & Order Management Lead daily allocation execution by ensuring produce, bread, and other allocation items are placed on agency and mobile orders in alignment with established frameworks (e.g., households served, agency or mobile capacity).
Make real-time decisions regarding quantities, timing, substitutions, and placement of perishable food to ensure rapid movement and minimize waste.
Adjust allocations as conditions change, including donation surges, late arrivals, quality issues, and capacity constraints.
Ensure allocation practices are consistent, equitable, and aligned with program priorities and operational realities.
Cross-Team Coordination & Operational Leadership Provide cross-functional coordination to ensure alignment on: Product that needs to be allocated or moved quickly At-risk or aging product requiring rapid action Space, labor, or capacity constraints impacting intake or distribution
Serve as a primary point of coordination and escalation for allocation and food flow issues.
Establish and maintain daily and weekly communication routines that improve clarity and reduce last-minute disruptions.
Donation Enablement & Capacity Planning Coordinate closely with Food Sourcing on secured and pending donations by: Communicating real-time space availability (cooler, freezer, dry) Supporting decisions on whether and when donations can be accepted Recommending appropriate distribution pathways (agency partners, mobile distributions, CFB resource centers)
Help increase the volume of donated produce and other food CFB can accept by improving intake readiness, routing decisions, and allocation speed.
Logistics & Receiving Alignment Coordinate with Logistics/Transportation on retrieval of donated product, including pickup timing, volume expectations, and sequencing.
Coordinate with Warehouse Operations to prepare for receiving incoming product and prioritize handling of perishable or time-sensitive food.
Create pre-receipts as needed to support timely receiving and allocation, ensuring pre-receipts reflect: Accurate product descriptions Expected quantities Units of measure aligned with how product will be ordered and distributed Donation-specific restrictions or handling notes
Partner with Inventory and Operations staff to ensure product setup supports accurate ordering and allocation (without owning item card creation).
Ensure allocation-related product is staged, rotated, and moved efficiently using appropriate warehouse equipment (e.g., pallet jacks, forklifts, carts), in coordination with Warehouse Operations.
Waste Reduction & Flow Optimization Monitor aging and distressed product and initiate rapid movement actions to reduce shrink and compost.
Analyze drivers of waste, delays, and allocation breakdowns; recommend and implement corrective actions.
Conduct after-action reviews following donation surges or operational disruptions to reduce repeat issues.
Framework Ownership & Continuous Improvement Lead the development, documentation, and refinement of allocation frameworks, particularly for produce, bread, and other perishable items.
Establish guardrails and decision rules for daily allocation execution and exception handling.
Monitor indicators that frameworks may need adjustment (repeat exceptions, space constraints, product not moving, agency capacity mismatch).
Present recommendations to the Food Pathways group and implement approved changes with clear communication and documentation.
Coaching & Functional Leadership Provide guidance and coaching to team members involved in allocation execution, modeling sound decision-making and consistent application of frameworks.
Support training and knowledge-sharing related to allocation processes, systems, and expectations.
Help prepare the organization for future staffing growth by clarifying roles, workflows, and standards.
Data, Reporting & Performance Management Track and monitor performance indicators aligned to organizational priorities, including: Produce and bread shrink/compost trends Time-to-placement of perishable product Volume of donated produce distributed Frequency and causes of allocation exceptions
Provide regular updates to the Director of Supply Chain and relevant leaders regarding trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
Other Perform other duties as assigned.