Food Procurement Specialist

El Pasoans Fighting Hunger•El Paso, TX

17d•Onsite

About The Position

The new Food Procurement Specialist role secures and manages the food that fuels our mission. You will research, identify, solicit, and steward relationships with food donors, vendors, growers, and logistics partners, ensuring our community has access to diverse, nutritious food year-round. Working closely with teams across the warehouse and our programs, you will forecast supply needs, track acquisition metrics, and ensure timely safe handling of all product.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, logistics, nonprofit management, or related field - or equivalent combination of education and experience - with 3-5 years in procurement, supply chain, or vendor/donor relations (food industry and contract negotiation experience preferred)
Self-starting, mission-driven approach with strong organizational skills, sound judgment, and ability to work under pressure and competing priorities with a sense of urgency
Strong relationship-building and people skills, including comfort interacting with community leaders, collaborating across departments, motivating others, and giving and receiving feedback
Excellent written and verbal communication skills - timely, accurate, and professional - including ability to draft reports, business correspondence, and SOPs; make data-driven presentations; respond to questions from diverse audiences; and utilize Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel)
Flexibility to attend events and functions outside normal business hours
Unquestionable character and commitment to serving our community
You must have a valid driver's license and access to a personal vehicle with current insurance, and be able to pass a background check and random drug testing.
This role involves standing and walking in warehouse and partner agency facilities, occasional lifting up to 50 lbs., and moving safely through distribution environments, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Have procurement or sales experience in another industry but bring resourcefulness, relationship-building instincts, and a passion for mission-driven work
Lack a traditional degree but bring equivalent hands-on experience in supply chain, donor relations, or food systems

Responsibilities

Develop and execute strategies to acquire food and non-food product donations from manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, growers, and service providers.
Assist in developing new procurement strategies focusing on expanding donor acquisition of large-scale produce and perishable suppliers such as growers, packers, shippers, and commodity brokers to meet food bank current and future goals.
Research and develop innovative partnerships that address food supply chain challenges.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with Feeding America (CHOICE platform and Meal Connect), Southwest Produce Cooperative, The Collaborative for Fresh Produce, California Association of Food Banks, and partner food banks throughout the Southwest region.
Visit locations to ensure an acceptable quality, condition, and shelf-life of offered product is being met.
Provide exemplary and professional customer service that will attract not only new, but repetitive and reoccurring food donations and vendors.
Maintain consistent and courteous communications with each food donor.
Forecast product needs in collaboration with operations and program teams, anticipate demand, monitor inventory levels, and initiate purchase or donation actions accordingly.
Negotiate purchase contracts and donation agreements to meet cost, quality, and volume targets; analyze bids and vendor options to optimize value.
Coordinates with warehouse manager to manage warehouse space needs, inventory, and transportation logistics.
Assist in budget planning for purchased product lines: tracking spending, value of donated product, and cost avoidance.
Ensure compliance with food safety, quality assurance, regulatory and grant requirements (Feeding America, USDA, and AIB standards).
Maintain accurate records of donations and purchases, prepare reports on acquisition metrics (pounds, cost savings, donation value), donor acknowledgements, and grant reporting.
Generate statistical reports to analyze food donation trends, communicate poundage goals and Food Plan needs to donors, and report back to internal teams.
Work closely with the marketing and communications teams, coordinating internal/external communication and marketing related to food resourcing and food drives.
Develops, organizes, and coordinates food drives with external partners and internal operations, targeting items not being regularly donated.
Engage donors on food donation benefits, state and local sustainability initiatives, food bank initiatives, as well as the organization's mission and values.
Participate in trade organizations and public speaking about community food advocacy.