Summary:

MCHPP is seeking a Community Kitchen Coordinator to run a shared use commercial kitchen and processing facility opened in August 2022. We are looking for a passionate candidate who is interested in helping grow our agency’s impact, serving the community, and working as part of a collaborative team to increase capacity. The ideal candidate will be flexible, comfortable working independently and with collaborators, reliable, and a good communicator.

Schedule: Full time, Tuesday-Saturday

Category: Essential, hourly

Responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with MCHPP staff and community and nonprofit partners, including the Merrymeeting Food Council, to run a shared use Community Kitchen

• The Coordinator is responsible for facilitating all aspects of the program, including but not limited to: responding to inquiries, facilitating tours for interested kitchen users, supervising MCHPP volunteers and Community Kitchen renters, managing the reservation and invoicing software system, enforcing kitchen policies, and evaluating program success.

• Support MCHPP’s cooked meal programming and the production of value added products by running daily food processing and preparation sessions with volunteer support and in collaboration with the Soup Kitchen Coordinator, Merrymeeting Gleaning Coordinator, and Food Pantry Manager.

• Schedule, manage, and engage directly with Community Kitchen and Merrymeeting Gleaner volunteers.

• Collaborate with local farmers on co packing projects, including but not limited to: processing raw product into value added product while ensuring compliance in product safety, obtaining approval of product development, sourcing ingredients, recipe testing, coordinating and scheduling pick up and drop off, and invoicing

• Oversee the operation and management of MCHPP’s secondary commercial kitchen, and ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations. Maintain DHHS, DACF, Cornell Food Venture Lab, and MOFGA licensing and certification

• Ensure all kitchen equipment and utilities are clean to agency standards and in working order, both via scheduled maintenance and repairs as needed.

• Learn management of other programs to provide coverage in absence of other staff

• All administrative work associated with the Community Kitchen.

Qualifications:

• Two years relevant work experience, commercial kitchen experience is a plus

• Food safety certification is a plus

• Understanding of and ability to uphold the protocols of food safety

• Project management skills including the ability to track and meet many deadlines simultaneously without sacrificing quality

• Great communicator and problem solver

• Enthusiasm to work in a dynamic environment and with a diverse group of people, and a passion for food justice

• Strong administrative skills and self-motivated with the ability to set priorities and manage multiple tasks under minimal supervision in effective and efficient manner

• Experience with copacking or value-added product development or leading related efforts is a plus. Willingness to learn how to produce sellable products independently at a small-scale is otherwise required.

Requirements:

• This position requires the ability to sit, stand, walk, and kneel. The employee must regularly lift/move up to 50 pounds by hand, unload a 1,500 pound vehicle by hand, and be able to learn and safely operate equipment such as an electric pallet jack to move larger loads.

• The ability to work at a computer, with proficiency in google suite and gmail.

• Valid ME driver’s license with a driving record that is acceptable to our insurance carriers.

• Background check required (A background check is required upon an offer of employment but not all offenses are disqualifying for all positions).