What are the responsibilities and job description for the Program Manager position at Sharing Excess?
Sharing Excess is a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing surplus food and redistributing it to communities in need. While millions face food insecurity, nearly 40% of the nation’s food goes to waste. By working with grocery stores, wholesalers, and farmers, we’ve delivered over 100 million meals to a network of food banks and community organizations. Our team thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic, and mission-driven environment. If you're passionate about relationship building, logistics, and community impact, and want to play a key role in launching our Chicago operations, this role is for you!
Role Summary:
As the Program Manager, you will develop and oversee food rescue operations in Chicago, focusing on building vendor relationships, securing donations, supporting team growth, and ensuring the efficient movement of surplus food. You’ll play a hands-on role in setting up a new location, developing partnerships, and ensuring all rescued food is distributed effectively.
Key Responsibilities:
- Vendor & Partner Relations: Build and maintain strong relationships with food donors, vendors, and distribution partners to secure consistent food donations.
- New Location Setup: Support the launch and expansion of Sharing Excess operations in Chicago, including logistical planning and coordination.
- Team Development: Assist in recruiting, training, and managing a small team of staff and volunteers to execute food rescue operations.
- Operations & Logistics: Oversee the daily movement of food donations, ensuring efficient storage, transportation, and distribution.
- Quality Control & Tracking: Monitor food donations for quality, track inventory in digital tools, and ensure smooth distribution to community partners.
- Community Engagement: Cultivate relationships with local food banks, shelters, and community organizations to distribute rescued food.
- On-the-Ground Support: Step in as needed for hands-on tasks, including sorting produce, managing warehouse space, and coordinating deliveries.
Qualifications:
- 3 years of experience in program management, logistics, food distribution, or nonprofit operations.
- Strong relationship-building skills with a track record of engaging vendors, partners, and donors.
- Hands-on operational experience in logistics, inventory management, or food rescue.
- Team leadership experience in managing staff or volunteers in a fast-paced environment.
- Adaptability & problem-solving skills—able to adjust to fluctuating food donation streams.
- Comfortable using technology (Google Sheets, inventory tracking tools, communication apps).
- Physical ability to lift up to 40 lbs, work on your feet, and operate warehouse equipment (pallet jacks, forklifts preferred).
- Reliable transportation required.
Compensation & Benefits:
- Competitive hourly wage (based on experience).
- Flexible scheduling (4 hours per day, part-time).
- Mission-driven, collaborative work environment.
Join Us!
If you’re excited about launching our Chicago operations, building partnerships, and making a tangible impact on food insecurity, apply today!
About Sharing Excess:
Sharing Excess is one of the fastest-growing food rescue organizations in America, built on a simple but powerful mission: to reduce food waste through scalable and sustainable solutions. What started as a grassroots movement now operates across the country—moving nearly 2 million pounds of food every week, 100 million pounds annually, to thousands of community partners nationwide. Our work is visionary, impactful, and deeply human. We move quickly, think creatively, and operate like a high-growth startup—with the heart of a grassroots movement. From building custom technology to rethinking the food supply chain, we’re actively reshaping how food reaches communities. If you're looking for a career with purpose - where your daily efforts make the world a better place - look no further than team SE.
