Program Coordinator- Food Distribution

Who are we looking for?

We are currently looking to hire a Program Coordinator to support our Food Sourcing and Distribution. We are looking for an enthusiastic and reliable person to be in charge of the Marché Dépôt,  our emergency food distribution program which operates as a grocery store 4 days a week for members of our community who are experiencing food insecurity.

This job is physical, and requires strong coordination and oversight. It requires someone with a  calm temperament who can anticipate and adapt to change, with good organizational skills, good judgment and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. The person will be responsible for the operations of our Marché Depot (material handling, inventory and stock management),  display and logistics, customer service with our participants, and supporting a team of volunteers. This position reports to the Food Sourcing and Distribution Manager.

Who are we?

Founded in 1986, The Depot Community Food Centre is a community-based non-profit organization that works collaboratively with its community to address the root causes of hunger and poverty in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) and the surrounding areas in a manner that ensures dignity, engagement and the development of human potential. We offer over 20 food-based programs to support the food security and healthy eating habits of youth, families and individuals. Our activities are built around four main pillars: share, grow, cook and mobilize. To learn more about us.

The Depot is working towards creating an organizational culture based on dignity, respect, care and openness, where anti-oppression and anti-racism are living and embodied practices. To achieve this, we aim to recruit a team that is representative of NDG’s diverse identities and lived experiences in order for our work to be by and for our communities. 

Key Responsibilities and Tasks:

• Lead the Marché Dépôt service in terms of managing flow,  employees, volunteers and material resources.
• Coordinate the human operations of the Marché Dépôt: plan the work schedule; schedule and welcome volunteers, prepare meetings with team…);
• Ensure the implementation of protocols for welcoming and communicating with participants;
• Coordinate the Marché Dépôt operations (weekly planning, upcoming deliveries, scheduling and welcoming and supporting volunteers etc…)
• Ensure the quality of our Marché Depot services in collaboration with the teams involved in ‘ service day’ . This includes but not limited to: cleanliness of the premises, fluidity of the service, availability of products, marketing,  updating price labels and sales tablets, prices accuracy, distribution of all relevant information to the teams and participants;
• Coordinate grocery orders, upcoming deliveries, and purchases for the Marché Depot  and other Depot programs;
• Verify invoices with delivery slips and follow up on payments;
• Liaise with local farmers for ordering seasonal fruit and vegetables;
• Establish and maintain good collaboration and communication between The Depot and its suppliers;
• Coordinate  our  home deliveries : ensure weekly preparation of baskets and coordinate delivery with team;
• Analyze inventories to ensure proper quantities and regularly monitor the program budget;
• Coordinate  marketing for the Marché Depot (update posters, flyers, signage and labels, create promotional content)
• Pick up food orders: fruit and vegetables and dry goods  (drive a  12 foot truck)
• Participate in researching new products and sources of supply;
• Participate in the building maintenance and in any other related duties as requested by manager
•  Participate in team meetings and with the manager, ad-hoc support of other programs etc.

Specific skills and experience required:

• Excellent organizational skills, punctuality, and proven ability to problem solve and prioritize.
• Strong self-motivation, leadership, initiative and ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a diverse community environment.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills in English and French, both written and spoken in order to interact with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Experience in developing and maintaining strong relationships with partners.
• Comfortable leading and supporting teammates
• Ability to guide, train and support the volunteers who interact with our programs on a daily basis. As our food distribution program operates with 5 volunteers per team, there is a certain turnover that requires flexibility and the ability of the coordinator to adapt, train… new volunteers on a regular basis.
• Possess a driver’s license and be comfortable driving a 12 foot truck
• Comfortable with the Office Suite and proficient or comfortable handling computer programs (such as Canva, to prepare and update price tags)
• Very good physical ability and be comfortable lifting up to 50 pounds on a regular, daily basis.
• Must be available to work two evenings per week (Tuesday and Wednesday until 8pm)

Attributes:

• Passion for issues related to poverty, food security, social justice
• Experience in logistics and/or in the field of fruit and vegetable distribution
• Additional languages: Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Farsi, Arabic
• Resident of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce or experience working in community organizations
• Lived experience of poverty or marginalization

Working conditions:

• Salary of $25/hr, 35h/week, two years contract with possibility of renewal;
• 15 days of vacation per year from the start of the position (of which one week is reserved for the Depot’s summer vacation in August) and approximately 1 week of paid time off in December during the holiday season. 9 paid holidays, 6 sick and 3 personal days.
• Group health insurance and (partial dental) after a 3-month probation period.
• A friendly team and a stimulating work environment in our office situated in NDG (Montreal)  
• Starting date: March 2024 

To apply: 

To apply, please fill in the attached form: https://form.jotform.com/210064531780044

This is a rolling application process – we will be reviewing applications as they come in, so please apply as soon as possible!  We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Tips for applying: click here

If you have questions about the jobs or the application process,  Please contact us  at [email protected] 

We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet ALL of the qualifications we’re looking for. Let us know why you are up to the task.