Mothers' Milk Bank Northeast: Chief Operating Officer

NRG Consulting Group•Newton, MA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Mothers' Milk Bank Northeast is a nonprofit human donor milk bank, providing the critical medical resource of screened and pasteurized donor milk to hospitalized medically fragile babies. We seek an experienced leader to oversee our operations, ensuring that the core competencies of receiving and storing donor milk, pasteurizing milk, microbiological testing (at a third-party lab), IT and data operations, human resources and team culture, and facilities oversight and management all run smoothly and effectively. This requires strict adherence to safety regulations, developing and maintaining systems to track supply and demand, and building a workplace culture that is both positive and committed to excellence. Our milk bank is experiencing rapid expansion in demand for our services, and we seek a leader who is excited to help us plan for strategic growth and be ready to roll up their sleeves as a key player in the execution of that plan, working closely with our board of directors and our whole staff team. The ideal candidate has a background in healthcare, lab sciences, public health, or food safety and is looking to work for a purpose-driven nonprofit. Exceptional staff management skills, meticulous attention to detail, data management, exemplary communication skills, experience in facility management, and a commitment to excellence are requirements of the role.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required + minimum of 10 years professional experience overall, with a minimum of 5 years senior leadership experience including extensive supervisory experience
Demonstrated experience in regulatory compliance and safety management required
Demonstrated data management and analysis
Meticulous attention to detail
Computer skills including MS Office Suite and familiarity with databases.
Strong collaboration and communication abilities.
Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI), ServSafe, and Food Safety Manager certifications required, can be fulfilled upon hiring.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of Salesforce a plus.
Good sense of humor and flexibility a huge plus

Responsibilities

Supervision of all lab staff and/or supervisor(s) of lab staff, ensuring proper training, continuous quality improvement, positive teamwork, and adherence to all regulations.
Oversee and track raw milk intake and safe storage, pasteurization lab operations, documentation and management of product, dispensation of product to clients, ensuring proper documentation and safety procedures are consistently in place.
Ensure adherence to all relevant regulations including Good Manufacturing Practices, FDA, Food Safety Program requirements, and Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) accreditation guidelines. Act as liaison to oversight bodies.
Accountable for fiscal and production goals and managing to minimize waste, be responsive to client demand, and focus on continuous quality improvement.
Develop and maintain inventory and demand forecasting systems to promote steady operations able to respond to client demands.
Assessment of current equipment and technology uses and implementation of new equipment and tech to promote better efficiency, better work experiences for staff, and complete compliance with health and safety regulations.
Stay abreast of current best practices in nonprofit milk banking and work with CEO to incorporate improvements into milk bank.
Represent the milk bank, as requested, to promote understandings of human milk banking to wide range of stakeholders both at the milk bank, in meetings and conferences, and to the board of directors.
Manage physical facility ensuring adherence to safety, best hygiene practices, physical layout of operations, and incorporation of new technologies and equipment to improve practices.
Manage physical cold storage units to promote access, organization, and accuracy
Identify new equipment needs and balance return on investment with budgetary realities
Work with property managers and external vendors to resolve any facility or equipment issues that arise.
Manage all inventory and supplies, ensuring we have all the necessary resources on hand and work environment is optimally maintained.
Work with other parties (both internal and external) to develop new facility layouts for improved and/or expanded operations and lead implementation once approved.
Ensure FT business hours on-site coverage for emerging needs of physical operations
Ensure coverage for off hours emergency issues
Lead organizational efforts to promote a positive and inclusive workplace
Ensure milk bank employee policies are adhered to and regularly review for necessary updates (with expert HR advice when needed)
Provide for all staff a strong day-to-day leadership presence and support an open-door policy among all staff.
Liaison with IT consultants and ensure that IT needs of the organization are fully met and security protocols are managed.
Ensure that documentation and data systems are established and maintained enabling the effective use of data driven decision making
Develop dashboards and reports for a wide range of internal and external stakeholders providing visibility into operations and developing proposals for future quality improvement and growth
Close collaboration with all other team leaders and staff throughout the organization, ensuring that operations are aligned with and supportive to all other divisions and programs at the milk bank. Shared leadership commitment to high staff morale, accountability and positive work culture.
Develop and share regular data reports to manage milk supply, operational efficiency and safety, and forecast.
Participate in setting budget projections, adhere to approved budget, Manage budget, track expenses, maintain records, and assess current and future expenditures to ensure balance of necessary tools with fiscal responsibility.
Optimize the purchasing program to ensure we have high quality supplies at the best possible rate.
Other duties as required.