Local Food Systems Program Coordinator

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin•Milwaukee, WI

About The Position

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is the leading local hunger-relief organization in the state with locations in Milwaukee and Appleton. Founded in 1982 by the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is a local and independent member of the Feeding America network. Driven by our mission to solve hunger, we are bringing more people together around the table to collaboratively address the root causes of hunger. Together with our network partners, we serve nearly half a million food-insecure people across 35 counties in eastern Wisconsin each year. JOB PURPOSE: The Local Food Systems Program Coordinator supports the organization’s local food strategy by coordinating procurement activities, producer partnerships, and program execution to ensure locally sourced food is effectively integrated into hunger-relief efforts. This role serves as a key cross-functional coordinator for food distributions and local food initiatives, ensuring alignment across internal teams and external stakeholders. The position focuses on working alongside appropriate project leaders, engaging necessary stakeholders, reinforcing established processes, and supporting execution to ensure consistency, compliance, and operational effectiveness. The position balances local food procurement coordination, relationship management, program support, data tracking, and field engagement, operating within a highly collaborative, multi-departmental environment.

Requirements

Experience in procurement, purchasing, sourcing, or supply chain coordination, preferably in food or agriculture
Experience working with farms or food producers across varying scales
Demonstrated ability to coordinate projects or multi-stakeholder initiatives
Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and process adherence
Ability to manage multiple priorities and coordinate across teams
Strong communication and relationship management skills
Valid driver’s license and ability to travel regularly within the service area
Commitment to understand and support FAEW’s mission, vision, and effective actions to end food insecurity and its causes.
Respect for the people FAEW serves and commitment to learn the causes of their food insecurity and need.
Ability to work safely following FAEW safety procedures.
Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed.

Nice To Haves

Background in food systems, agriculture, or nonprofit food distribution
Experience supporting operational events, distributions, or logistics coordination
Familiarity with contract processes and vendor coordination
Experience working within hunger relief or food access networks
Experience with grant-funded programs and reporting
Multilingual skills strongly preferred, especially Spanish and/or Hmong
Experience working with culturally diverse communities

Responsibilities

Local Food Procurement
Coordinate sourcing and purchasing of locally produced food in alignment with organizational demand, funding requirements, and nutrition priorities
Support development and maintenance of procurement pipelines with farms and producers to promote consistent and reliable supply
Coordinate contract execution, pricing documentation, and purchasing processes with producers and internal stakeholders
Facilitate communication between procurement, warehouse, and logistics teams to ensure smooth intake and distribution of local products
Track seasonal availability, producer capacity, and purchasing trends to inform planning and decision-making
Food Distribution Coordination & Project Support
Support planning and execution of food distributions by coordinating across internal teams and external stakeholders as needed
Identify and confirm project leaders, key stakeholders, and roles distributions or initiatives
Ensure alignment with established organizational processes, policies, and operational standards
Coordinate internally with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin event coordinators, warehouse, logistics and volunteer teams
Assist in developing and maintaining project documentation such as timelines, task tracking, and communication plans
Support issue identification and escalation to appropriate leads or sponsors when needed
Contribute to post-distribution reviews to capture feedback and support continuous improvement
Local Producer Relationship Coordination & Development
Maintain regular communication with local food producers to support ongoing partnerships
Coordinate onboarding of new producers, including alignment with procurement processes and expectations
Serve as a liaison to facilitate clear communication between producers and internal teams
Support producers in navigating program requirements, timelines, and logistics expectations
Participate in farm visits, agricultural events, and community meetings to maintain engagement
Program Coordination & Compliance Support
Coordinate activities related to local food programs such as MealConnect, FarmLink, and Local Food for Neighbors
Support implementation of program activities in alignment with procurement and distribution plans
Ensure required documentation, reporting, and compliance elements are completed and maintained
Assist in the development and refinement of processes for local food initiatives
Administration, Data & Financial Coordination
Track procurement activity, program metrics, and product movement using internal systems
Maintain organized documentation for contracts, purchases, and reporting requirements
Support budget tracking and reconciliation activities related to local food procurement and programs
Prepare and compile reports for internal and external stakeholders
Field Work & Supply Chain Coordination
Conduct site visits to farms and producers to support relationship management and assess supply capabilities
Coordinate information related to harvesting schedules, product readiness, and logistics considerations
Support communication between producers and logistics teams to facilitate efficient product movement
Travel throughout eastern Wisconsin and occasionally statewide as required