Director of Food Rescue Operations

Position Overview

Here at WasteLess Solutions, we are seeking an experienced, execution-focused Director of Food Rescue Operations to lead and scale the daily logistics of our food rescue programs. This senior leadership role is responsible for ensuring the operational readiness of our food diversion efforts while designing systems that are scalable, measurable, and efficient.

This position will lead a distributed team, implement process improvements, oversee expansion projects, and establish the infrastructure needed to meet ambitious future growth goals. Ideal candidates are proven operational leaders who thrive in fast-paced, resource-constrained environments and can translate vision into repeatable, optimized systems.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership & Infrastructure Building

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the food rescue program to ensure timely, safe, and effective food pickups and deliveries.
• Build and refine SOPs, CRM implementation, documentation, and workflows that support consistency, safety, and replicability.
• Identify and implement tools, systems, and technology to improve route planning, volunteer coordination, and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, liability, and donor/partner agreements.

Team Management & Field Readiness

• Lead, train, and manage a team of part-time Food Rescue Coordinators across multiple regions.
• Provide clear KPIs, accountability frameworks, and performance standards for regional teams and volunteers.
• Strengthen recruitment, onboarding, and engagement systems for field volunteers, in collaboration with the Community Engagement team.
  

Strategic Expansion & New Initiatives

• Lead operational planning and execution for new initiatives such as:
  • Hot food rescue from events, school districts, caterers, and commercial kitchens
  • City-level food rescue partnerships with municipalities
  • Design pilots with an eye toward scalability and cost-effectiveness.

Partnership & Stakeholder Management

• Seek (involves cold outreach), build, and maintain relationships with food donors, community partners, event organizers, and local governments.
• Track partnership outcomes and ensure alignment with organizational values and food safety standards.
• Ensure that all partners (food donors and receiving sites) sign agreements, comply with reporting requirements, meet food safety and liability standards and align with the organization’s mission.
• Represent WasteLess Solutions in public forums, working groups, and coalition spaces as needed.

Organizational Strategy & Thought Leadership

• Contribute to strategic planning, budgeting, grant reporting, and program evaluation.
• Identify and act on opportunities to drive efficiency, equity, and operational resilience.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO in designing the operational backbone of the organization’s future.

Qualifications

Required:

• 5+ years of experience in operations, logistics, nonprofit program management, or a related field
• Proven ability to lead and scale operations with minimal structure in place
• Experience designing and optimizing systems, workflows, or infrastructure across teams
• Strong supervisory skills with experience managing field teams or distributed staff
• Tech-savvy; able to evaluate and implement tools for volunteer and logistics coordination
• Analytical mindset with a focus on continuous improvement and measurable outcomes
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and reliable transportation

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with food safety, hunger relief, or food rescue logistics
• Experience working with volunteers or in a resource-constrained nonprofit environment
• Personal passion for food justice, sustainability, or circular economy principles

Why Join WasteLess Solutions?

• Be part of an ambitious team solving real-world problems with measurable results.
• Lead a high-impact program that touches hundreds of organizations and thousands of lives.
• Help build the operational future of a growing nonprofit.
• Flexible work environment and generous PTO policy.