Programs Manager

Job Description

Job Title: Programs Manager

Reports to: Senior Director of Partners & Programs

Direct Report(s): Equitable Access Supervisor, Senior Youth and Family Programs Coordinator, Community Healthcare Programs Coordinator, and Registered Dietitian

FLSA Status: Exempt

Job Location: 70 Corporate Woods Dr., Bridgeton, MO 63044

General Description/Position Summary

The Programs Manager is an innovative and collaborative leader dedicated to advancing the St. Louis Area Foodbank's vision of a nutritionally secure Missouri and Illinois. Through community needs assessments, data analysis, research, and collaboration, the Programs Manager leads the development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of programs designed to increase equitable access to nutritious and culturally appropriate food and other resources throughout the Foodbank's 26-county service area.

The Programs Manager provides strategic and operational leadership to the Equitable Access and Health and Wellness teams, establishing goals, measuring outcomes, and developing innovative and replicable program models that address immediate needs while reducing barriers to long-term food and nutrition security. This position works collaboratively across the organization and with community stakeholders to identify emerging needs, implement evidence-informed practices, evaluate impact, and continuously strengthen the Foodbank's programs and services.

Objectives

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the geographic, economic, systemic, and individual barriers affecting food and nutrition security throughout the Foodbank's service area, including awareness, stigma, transportation, and physical access.
• Establish strategic direction, priorities, goals, key performance indicators, and desired outcomes for the Equitable Access and Health and Wellness teams.
• Lead the creation, development, piloting, evaluation, and continuous improvement of programs designed to increase access to nutritious and culturally appropriate food and reduce barriers in communities experiencing high rates of food insecurity and limited food access.
• Stay informed of emerging research, trends, and evidence-informed practices related to hunger relief, nutrition security, health and wellness, and strategies to address the root causes of food insecurity.
• Provide leadership, coaching, goal setting, performance management, and ongoing professional development to the Equitable Access and Health and Wellness teams.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Partner with organizational and departmental leadership to establish outcome-based goals that increase equitable access to nutritious and culturally appropriate food throughout the Foodbank's 26-county service area.
• Identify gaps and barriers in access to hunger relief programs and collaborate with the Partner Services team to develop solutions, including strengthening the capacity of existing community partners and identifying opportunities for new partnerships.
• Lead the development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of programs and services aligned with identified community needs and the Foodbank's Strategic Direction.
• Direct and administer program strategies, plans, goals, and objectives to ensure alignment with the Foodbank's mission, vision, and organizational priorities.
• Develop and lead programmatic strategies, including goals, measurements, and desired outcomes, that advance food and nutrition security. This includes initiatives such as food insecurity screenings in healthcare settings and follow-up services designed to connect neighbors with appropriate resources.
• Incorporate evidence-informed nutrition strategies, education, outreach, client choice, and Healthy Eating Research (HER) guidelines into appropriate programs and partner models.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures, policies, program criteria, logic models, evaluation tools, and other resources that improve program consistency, efficiency, effectiveness, and impact.
• Monitor program operations and activities to ensure compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, grant requirements, organizational policies, and established program standards.
• Analyze program and community data to evaluate outcomes, identify trends and opportunities, measure effectiveness, and develop improvement plans when needed.
• Collaborate across departments to gather input and support the development and implementation of programs and services that address identified community needs.
• Partner with Philanthropy and Marketing and Communications to clearly communicate program outcomes and community impact to donors, stakeholders, and community members and provide programmatic support for fundraising proposals and other funding opportunities.
• Monitor grant requirements, program budgets, and applicable deliverables to ensure appropriate stewardship of resources and fulfillment of donor intent.
• Represent the Foodbank in community meetings, collaborative initiatives, public forums, and other external settings. Develop relationships with stakeholders and community leaders who can help advance the Foodbank's mission and strengthen community impact.
• Develop an in-depth understanding of the resources, capacity, challenges, opportunities, community conditions, and relevant data across the Foodbank's service territory.
• Support network and neighbor needs assessments, surveys, focus groups, and other opportunities to gather community input and feedback.
• Champion the effective adoption and utilization of Foodbank tools, technology, software, and systems throughout the department.
• Develop, execute, and maintain annual departmental work plans, including budgets, calendars, goals, key initiatives, and performance measures.
• Lead and support implementation of the Foodbank's Nutrition Policy and applicable Healthy Eating Research guidelines across programs and departments.
• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain a talented and diverse team capable of achieving organizational and departmental goals.
• Establish clear performance expectations and provide ongoing feedback, coaching, professional development, and performance management for direct reports.
• Identify opportunities to meaningfully incorporate volunteers, interns, and AmeriCorps members into appropriate programs and services.
• Actively participate in the Foodbank's disaster preparedness and response efforts, including supporting preparedness of community partners and overseeing emergency food distributions and programmatic response activities when needed.
• Serve on organizational and strategic committees as designated, including the Partners and Programs Committee of the Board, Disaster Response Team, and applicable Feeding America committees.
• Attend relevant trainings, conferences, workshops, and professional development opportunities as appropriate.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit administration, public health, nutrition, social work, community development, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience preferred. Advanced education or coursework in management, program evaluation, public health, nutrition, or dietetics is a plus.
• Minimum of three years of experience in program management, including demonstrated experience developing, launching, managing, and evaluating programs. Experience in a nonprofit, community-based, public health, or human services environment preferred.
• Minimum of three years of experience supervising, coaching, developing, and motivating staff.
• Demonstrated experience in program development, project management, compliance, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of program evaluation methodologies, outcome measurement, and key performance indicators.
• Experience utilizing data to evaluate program effectiveness, identify trends, inform decisions, and communicate impact.
• Experience developing and managing program budgets and grant-funded initiatives preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to influence across organizational boundaries, build consensus and trust, and inspire action toward shared goals.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, and conflict-management skills.
• Strong business acumen, initiative, adaptability, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a changing environment.
• High level of integrity, sound judgment, flexibility, and accountability.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills with a demonstrated community and customer focus.
• Passion for the Foodbank's mission and demonstrated ability to embody SLAFB's Core Values: Evolve, People-Centric, Integrity, and Courage.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and web-based applications, with the ability to quickly learn and adapt to new technology.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex program information and outcomes to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse community partners, stakeholders, colleagues, and other constituencies.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Bilingual skills are a plus.
• Must be able to successfully complete required pre-employment screening.

Work Schedule

This role follows a Monday through Friday schedule during standard business hours and is primarily onsite to support collaboration and operations. As an eligible position under our Work From Home policy, this role offers the flexibility to work remotely up to two days per week after 90 days of employment. Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required to support events and community engagement activities.

Work Environment

The St. Louis Area Foodbank operates on a dynamic, single-campus environment that brings together our office spaces, warehouse, Volunteer Center, and Agency Dock-all in one location. Work is primarily performed in a professional office setting, with extended periods of sitting, computer use, and communication. This integrated environment offers regular interaction across teams and mission-driven operations, with occasional exposure to active work areas, including forklift activity. The role may require frequent walking between spaces, including on concrete surfaces, as well as standing, bending, and reaching as needed. Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling of up to 20 pounds may be required. Frequent interaction occurs in person, by phone, and through virtual platforms.

The Impact You'll Make

At the St. Louis Area Foodbank, every role contributes to building a stronger bi-state region by nourishing people, strengthening communities, and transforming systems. Guided by our EPIC values- Evolve, People-Centric, Integrity, and Courage -we show up each day committed to making a meaningful difference for those we serve and for one another.

Working alongside nearly 600 hunger-relief partners, we help provide food and support to more than 400,000 people each year across 26 counties in Missouri and Illinois. As the region's leading organization in food distribution and hunger relief, we continuously evolve by learning, adapting, and finding better ways to serve our neighbors and communities. We put people at the center of our work, act with integrity in the relationships we build, and demonstrate the courage to challenge the status quo in pursuit of greater impact.

When you join our team, you become part of a mission-driven organization where your skills, ideas, and passion contribute to creating lasting change throughout our region.

What We Can Offer You

At the St. Louis Area Foodbank, we lead with a people-centric approach, ensuring dignity and compassion are at the heart of every interaction and decision. Our commitment to culture is reflected through employee-led groups like our Culture Workgroup and Employee Experience Committee, where voices are heard, ideas are valued, and continuous improvement is part of how we work together.

In addition to meaningful work that supports our community, we offer a competitive total rewards package designed to support you both personally and professionally, including:

• Competitive pay based on experience
• Generous paid time off, including PTO, floating holidays, a birthday holiday, and occasional early release days
• 403(b) retirement plan with company match
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Company-paid life insurance
• Short-term disability coverage
• Opportunities for professional growth and development

Social Responsibility Statement

You are welcome at the St. Louis Area Foodbank (SLAFB) for who you are. At the SLAFB, we strive to empower our team to embrace and celebrate who they are. We cultivate a fair work environment that fosters belonging and respects and values people with varied backgrounds, demographics, identities and disabilities. Doing so strengthens our organization, cultivates a culture where everyone feels valued and can bring their best selves to the SLAFB. This enables us to nourish people, empower communities, and transform systems. At the SLAFB, we cultivate a respectful and empowered workplace that embraces a broad range of lived experiences and viewpoints. We are committed to building a team that reflects the neighbors and communities we serve in the bi-state region to enhance engagement and connectivity with all key stakeholders.

This job description does not list all the duties of the job. Performance of other duties may be requested. Evaluations will be in part based upon performance of the tasks listed in this job description. St. Louis Area Foodbank has the right to revise this job description at any time. The job description is not an employment contract.