Director of Food Procurement

Position Summary

The Director of Food Procurement is responsible for leading the strategy, development, and execution of Weld Food Bank’s food sourcing, procurement, and donor partnership strategies in partnership with the Chief Operating Officer. This role is centered on building and sustaining strong, long-term relationships with food donors, growers, ranchers, retailers, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, food banks, government partners, Feeding America network partners, USDA/TEFAP, and the Choice System to ensure a consistent, cost-effective, and highly nutritious food supply for neighbors across Weld County.

This position prioritizes donated food whenever possible while strategically managing the food purchasing budget to fill nutritional and volume gaps, stabilize inventory, and support all Weld Food Bank programs. The Director ensures procurement decisions are aligned with warehouse capacity, transportation logistics, food safety requirements, and program distribution needs.

The role also ensures system-wide alignment across procurement, inventory, transportation, and program operations, with a strong focus on food safety, operational feasibility, cost efficiency, and continuous improvement. This position ensures a consistent, diversified, and cost-effective food supply that supports all Weld Food Bank programs and distribution partners.

Core Responsibilities

Donor & Partner Relationship Management (Primary Focus)

• • Build, maintain, and expand strong relationships with food donors including grocery retailers, growers, ranchers, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, food brokers, and community partners.
  • Serve as a primary organizational representative in donor engagement, stewardship, recognition, re-engagement of lapsed donors, and development of new sourcing and donor relationships.
  • Educate donors on donation opportunities, food safety expectations, pickup procedures, and methods to increase healthy, high-quality donations.
  • Strengthen donor retention through consistent communication, site visits, follow-up, stewardship, recognition, and strategic partnership development.
  • Respond to food drive and donor inquiries and coordinate with Development, warehouse, and transportation teams to ensure successful execution and logistics.

Food Procurement Strategy & Execution

• • Develop and execute annual and long-term food procurement strategies with the Chief Operating Officer to maximize donated food and cost-effective purchased food.
  • Diversify procurement channels including retail recovery, agricultural partners, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, USDA/TEFAP, Feeding America, food banks, government programs, and the Choice System.
  • Stay current on industry trends, food banking best practices, agricultural cycles, and procurement innovations.

Operational Alignment & System Integration

• • Work closely with warehouse, transportation, agency relations, and program teams to align procurement with:
  • Inventory levels and storage capacity
  • Product mix and nutritional targets
  • Distribution programs including Mobile Food Pantry, Farms to Families (F2F), backpack programs, and summer feeding initiatives
  • Logistics feasibility and timing constraints
  • Ensure procurement decisions reflect real-world operational capacity and distribution needs.

Budgeting, Purchasing & Cost Management

• • Manage food purchasing strategy using cost analysis, competitive procurement, vendor evaluation, and negotiation.
  • Monitor cost per pound, budget performance, purchasing efficiency, and inventory balance.
  • Use purchased food strategically to fill gaps in donated supply while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
  • Authorized to execute food purchasing decisions within approved budget parameters in coordination with leadership.

Data, Reporting & Compliance

• • Track and report key performance indicators including:
  • Donated and purchased pounds
  • Produce and perishable volumes
  • Cost per pound
  • Donor acquisition and retention metrics
  • Inventory trends and procurement mix
  • Food waste reduction metrics and opportunities
  • Provide regular reports to leadership on procurement activity, donor trends, purchasing performance, budget status, inventory needs, and growth opportunities.
  • Maintain accurate donor, vendor, donation, purchasing, and procurement records across all systems, databases, and spreadsheets.
  • Must be proficient in the Ceres system for managing food sourcing and procurement data, inventory tracking, reporting, and operational decision support.
  • Ensure compliance with USDA, Feeding America, AIB, TEFAP, and all applicable federal, state, and local food safety and health regulations.

Food Safety, Quality & Operational Integrity

• • Ensure all procurement activities align with food safety standards and internal safety protocols.
  • Collaborate with warehouse and transportation teams to ensure product integrity from procurement through distribution, including timely and efficient pickup of donations and purchases.
  • Monitor incoming food quality, strengthen donor practices, and actively support reduction of food waste.
  • Support continuous improvement in food handling, quality control, and operational efficiency.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Representation

• • Coordinate with Development on shared donor relationships, food drives, grants, recognition, and community engagement opportunities.
  • Represent Weld Food Bank at food industry events, food shows, conferences, committees, community meetings, and networking opportunities.
  • Support expansion of food drives by coordinating logistics, priority needs, and cross-departmental execution.
  • Maintain strong collaboration with Transportation to ensure efficient pickup and delivery of all donated and purchased food and purchased food.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience preferred.
  • Experience in food procurement, purchasing, food banking, agriculture, retail grocery, distribution, nonprofit operations, sales, or related field.
  • Strong relationship-building skills with donors, vendors, growers, ranchers, retailers, distributors, food banks, staff, and community partners.
  • Strong negotiation, communication, sales, customer service, and presentation skills.
  • Ability to develop strategy, set goals, analyze data, manage budgets, and track performance metrics.
  • Experience with Feeding America, USDA programs, TEFAP, Choice System, or other food sourcing and distribution systems preferred.
  • Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and accuracy in data and reporting.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) and ability to learn internal systems and databases.
  • Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel locally as needed.
  • Some evening and weekend work may be required.
  • Flexible and adaptable personal style.
  • Experience in a non-profit or food bank environment preferred but not required.