Join Our Team

Organization: Food Forward, Inc. – a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit
Position: Food Recovery Agency Relations Coordinator
Hours: Full-time, non-exempt hybrid
Salary: $22 – $24 hourly
Location: North Hollywood, CA + Ventura, Bell and various So. Cal locations

Organizational Overview: Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity, and inspiring others to do the same. Fruits and vegetables are collected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from backyard fruit trees, orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market. This recovered produce is provided, free of charge, to hunger relief organizations that serve community members in various ways: food banks, homeless outreach agencies, domestic violence shelters, transitional youth homes, veteran services, family resource centers, LGBTQ+ teen/adult/senior services, college student assistance programs, programs serving people with disabilities, and many more. Since Food Forward’s inception, our staff and thousands of dedicated volunteers have rescued 100’s of millions of pounds of fruits and vegetables. This produce helps to feed millions of people across twelve Southern California counties and six states and tribal lands. See our core values posted below.

Position Overview:  The Agency Relations Coordinator will report to the Agency Relations Manager and play a key role in establishing and deepening relationships with Food Forward’s receiving agency partners across Southern California. The primary goal of this position is to help strengthen ongoing partnerships through outreach and engagement while enhancing support for efficiency and accountability in distributing millions of pounds of fresh produce to receiving agencies across Southern California. This position will be primarily based out of Food Forward’s headquarters in North Hollywood, with occasional work out of our office in Ventura and our warehouse in Bell. The position will also require regular travel to visit receiving agencies, primarily in LA County, but also those located in Ventura County and beyond.

Food Forward seeks an organized, outgoing, and detail-oriented Agency Relations (AR) Coordinator with strong communication and data-management skills. The ideal candidate is passionate about food justice, hunger relief, and community-building. The AR Coordinator will focus their efforts on facilitating the distribution of recovered produce throughout Southern California. The AR Coordinator will achieve this by gaining an intimate knowledge of our receiving agencies and their needs and by collaborating with the Food Forward program staff to understand the timing, quantity, quality, and types of produce being donated to Food Forward. Having a collaborative mindset, with the ability to balance the needs of Food Forward with those of receiving agencies, will be critical to the success of this position. 

Core Responsibilities:

• Support in the onboarding and program placement of all new receiving agencies
• Serve as a point of contact with partner agencies and maintain strong agency-partner relationships.
• Coordinate, schedule, and track receiving agencies produce pick-ups.
• Maintain and update receiving agency data in Food Forward’s data management systems in an accurate and timely manner.
• Assist in the processing of weekly, monthly, and annual reports
• Maintain and update programmatic & administrative materials as they relate to Agency Relations
• Conduct on-site receiving agency visits to deepen relationships, strengthen communications, ensure compliance, and provide feedback on programming
• Ad hoc duties as assigned

Minimum Requirements:

• Bilingual: Proficient in English and Spanish required
• Proven effective data and project management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication, analytical and presentation skills
• Strong ability to prioritize projects and meet deadlines
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Google Workspace
• Willingness to travel regionally regularly and work a flexible schedule, including the possibility of early hours and weekends

BENEFITS

• Medical, Vision, Dental, and Life/Voluntary Insurance coverage, FSA/Dependent Care, Pet Insurance, Retirement Plan with 3% employer matching, Generous Paid-Time-Off policy and Holiday allocation
• Cell phone and internet monthly allowance

How To Apply: 

Send a cover letter and resume in PDF to [email protected]. The subject line should read, Agency Relations Coordinator (Your Name). The cover letter must include answers to the following: 1) Where did you discover this listing? 2) If you were a variety of produce, what would you be and why?

No phone calls. Please follow these instructions to ensure that we process your application.

Food Forward is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strongly encourages applications from people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with protected class backgrounds. We value the individuals we hire and look forward to creating a positive work environment for all identities.

CORE VALUES

• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Working together, we inspire and are inspired by the people in the communities we serve.
• EQUITY AND INCLUSION We cultivate a diverse workforce that nurtures equity and inclusion.
• FOOD JUSTICE We share the abundance of fresh produce and prevent food waste because everyone deserves access to fresh and nutritious food.
• INTEGRITY We are honest, accountable, and authentic in our words and actions.
• JOYFULNESS We embrace a creative, spirited, and fulfilling environment

Organization: Food Forward, Inc. – a 501 (c)(3) non-profit
Position: WRP (Wholesale Recovery Program) Truck Driver
Hours: Full-time, non-exempt
Hourly Rate: $24.04
Location: City of Bell, CA

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW: Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity, and inspiring others to do the same. Fruits and vegetables are collected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from backyard fruit trees, orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market. This recovered produce is provided, free of charge, to hunger relief organizations that serve community members in various ways: food banks, homeless outreach agencies, domestic violence shelters, transitional youth homes, veteran services, family resource centers, LGBTQ+ teen/adult/senior services, college student assistance programs, programs serving people with disabilities, and many more. Since Food Forward’s inception, our staff and thousands of dedicated volunteers have rescued 100’s of millions of pounds of fruits and vegetables. This produce helped feed millions of people across eleven Southern California counties, throughout seven states, and in tribal lands in the Southwest annually. See our core values posted below.

POSITION OVERVIEW: Food Forward seeks an organized, energetic, and detail-oriented WRP Truck Driver to join our team. The Driver will report to the WRP Manager and be responsible for early-morning produce pick-ups from donors at the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Terminal and surrounding areas, delivery of donations to receiving agencies, and accurately entering incoming donations into Food Forward’s inventory management system.

The Driver is expected to provide excellent customer service, constantly contact the dispatch team, and enter invoices daily. The schedule will be five days a week, from as early as 3 am to as late as 6 pm, depending on program needs. The ideal candidate is passionate about improving food systems and eradicating hunger in a fast-paced environment and is a skilled driver and communicator. They must think critically, demonstrate strong decision-making and time management skills, and have a solid working knowledge of the produce industry and general growing seasons.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

● Complete daily routes in a safe and time-efficient manner, taking direction from the dispatch team

● Decipher quality and perishability of 100 varieties of produce

● Load and Unload produce donations

● Process orders in Food Forward’s Inventory management system, maintaining accurate records

● Ensure staff members follow proper food handling and safety protocols

● Assist warehouse staff as needed during busy windows of operation in moving produce in and out of the warehouse or refrigerator

● Perform other duties as assigned

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

● Produce handling experience 5+years

● Current experience driving a 53-foot tractor-trailer in compliance with traffic and safety laws

● Valid Class A driver’s license and clean driving record

● Bilingual, Spanish and English

● Good geographical knowledge of Greater Los Angeles

● Ability to operate heavy equipment such as Pallet Jack and Electric Pallet Jack

● Must be willing to work a flexible schedule and early hours.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

● Ability to repeatedly lift and carry materials weighing up to 75 pounds.

● Ability to sit, stand, walk, climb stairs and ladders, bend, lift, twist, kneel, crouch, crawl, pull,

push, carry, grasp, reach, and stoop as needed.

● Ability to work both indoors and outdoors.

Benefits:

● Medical, Vision, Dental, and Life Insurance coverage, Retirement with 3% employer matching. Generous Sick Days, Paid-Time-Off, and Holiday allocation

● Cell phone allowance,

How to Apply:

Send a cover letter and resume in PDF to [email protected]. The subject line should read,

WRP Truck Driver- (Your Name). In the body of the cover letter, include 1) Where did you discover this listing, and 2) If you were a variety of produce, what would you be and why?

No phone calls. Please follow these instructions to ensure that we process your application.

Food Forward is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strongly encourages applications from people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with protected class backgrounds. We value the individuals we hire and look forward to creating a positive work environment for all identities.

CORE VALUES

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Working together, we inspire and are inspired by the people in the communities we serve.

EQUITY AND INCLUSION We cultivate a diverse workforce that nurtures equity and inclusion.

FOOD JUSTICE We share the abundance of fresh produce and prevent food waste because everyone deserves access to new nutritious food.

INTEGRITY We are honest, accountable, and authentic in our words and actions.

JOYFULNESS We embrace a creative, spirited, and fulfilling environment.