Company description

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program is the largest nonprofit hunger relief organization in midcoast Maine, dedicated to reducing food insecurity through a range of programming including a Food Pantry, Soup Kitchen, and Satellite Pantries. We provide over 1.2 million free meals per year to individuals and families in Maine. Dedicated to building a community where nutritious and delicious food is readily available to all, we are committed to programming that supports a sustainable local food system. Our Community Kitchen not only prepares food for distribution to community members in need through our programming, but also serves as an incubator kitchen, helping small food businesses launch and get their products to market.

Job description

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

Our Community Kitchen serves three main roles. 1. A processing space to create value-added products from our excess foods for distribution in our other programs. 2. A commercial kitchen for small kitchen based businesses to rent. 3. A co packing facility for farms to recipe test and create value-added products for resale.

Responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with MCHPP staff, 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, Food Pantry Manager, Satellite Program team and Food Bank team.
• Schedule, manage, and engage directly with Community Kitchen 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 one of MCHPP’s commercial kitchens, 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.
• Partner with MCHPP’s Development team to provide product and support for agency events.
• 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
• Experience testing or developing recipes is a plus
• ServSafe® Manager or food safety manager equivalent certification is a plus, if hired obtaining and maintaining the certification is required
• 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 driver’s license with a driving record that is acceptable to our insurance carriers.
• Background check required, but not all findings will impact role eligibility

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline