Community Connections Specialist

Good Shepherd Food Bank•Hampden, ME

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Community Connections Specialist (CCS) supports Good Shepherd Food Bank’s statewide network of community, school, and healthcare partners and retail donors in a designated service area. As a primary partner liaison, the CCS builds relationships, provides direct support and compliance guidance, and helps strengthen partner capacity and program success. The role works with partners to promote a safe, compliant, and accessible charitable food network that meets the diverse needs of people experiencing food insecurity. It includes frequent travel within the service area, including partner site visits, team meet-ups, and occasional GSFB office visits. The position may be performed by telecommuting from a home office, with occasional meetings at administrative offices in Auburn or Hampden, Maine. Candidates who live within the service area are strongly preferred. The CCS reports to the Senior Manager of Community Partnerships and works across departments including logistics, operations, research and evaluation, and advancement. Responsibilities include relationship management and community engagement; partner onboarding, account management, and capacity building; compliance monitoring and file management; partner data tracking and evaluation; and support for food rescue, retail pickup logistics, grant-related activities, and organizational funding requirements. The position is hourly and nonexempt, full-time at 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, with flexible full-time hours and infrequent weekend and evening work. The hiring range is $52,000–$57,668; the Grade 06 salary range is $52,000–$63,336. The position start date is January 6, 2027, and the closing date is November 8, 2026.

Requirements

Proven experience in relationship management, community engagement, or a customer service-oriented role; nonprofit or community-based experience is ideal.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex information, policies, and guidelines and adapt communication to diverse audiences.
Comfort and competency with public speaking and facilitating meetings.
Strong diplomatic skills and a solutions-oriented approach to problem-solving and innovation.
Cultural competency and sensitivity, with the ability to work with diverse communities and understand barriers to food access.
Ability to self-manage and work effectively both as a team member and independently.
Excellent time management, accountability, timely follow-up, and ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines under pressure.
Ability to perform detailed documentation and record-keeping related to relationship sustainability and strategic planning.
Experience analyzing data to track trends, assess partner performance, and provide program-improvement insights.
Proficiency in data entry, Microsoft Office Suite, and virtual applications, plus ability to learn new software and systems.
Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for travel within the assigned service area.
Ability to meet the role’s physical demands, including extended periods of walking, standing, and sitting; extensive computer use; reading, comprehension, and communication; and use of hands and arms.

Nice To Haves

Candidates who live within the assigned service area are strongly preferred.
Experience in a nonprofit or community-based setting is ideal.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain trust-based relationships with partner agencies, retail donors, and community-based organizations in the assigned service area.
Collaborate with partners and community organizations to understand and reduce barriers to food access and support a safe, compliant, accessible food network.
Conduct outreach to address service gaps, expand partnerships, and strengthen hunger-relief efforts.
Represent GSFB at events, conferences, food distributions, and community gatherings.
Connect partners with GSFB departments, including logistics, operations, research and evaluation, and advancement.
Facilitate onboarding, account management, and ongoing support for new and existing partners.
Identify and share resources and opportunities, support capacity building, and foster connections among partners and community organizations.
Provide administrative support, data entry, and system navigation for partner operations.
Support the Retail Donation Outreach Manager with food rescue and retail pickup logistics.
Assess partner resource needs and collaborate with sourcing teams to align resources with community-specific priorities.
Conduct regular site visits and compliance monitoring to assess adherence to Feeding America, IRS, and GSFB network standards.
Complete monitoring reports, document compliance activity, collaborate on corrective action plans, and follow up as needed.
Develop efficient maps and schedules for partner site visits.
Maintain accurate, compliant partner files and document partner and retail donor interactions, communications, and compliance activities.
Collect and analyze partner statistics, identify trends, and recommend practices to strengthen network capacity and impact.
Gather and report qualitative and quantitative data to support improvements in partner operations, neighbor experience, and service accessibility.
Support grant-related tracking, coordination, and general activities.
Collect partner data, testimonials, and survey responses to support funding requirements and organizational goals.
Provide cross-departmental feedback on partner and neighbor experience, needs, and services.
Learn and use NetSuite to access partner and retail donor information and document interactions.
Travel frequently to partner agencies and other locations within the assigned service area.