Retail and Community Food Coordinator Operations Kitchener, Ontario Department: Operations Employment Type: Full-time, in-person role Minimum Experience: Entry-intermediate level Job Purpose Reporting to the Food Procurement and Distribution Services Manager, the Community and Retail Food Coordinator plays a key role in furthering the organization's food recovery goals by building and strengthening relationships with grocery retailers, community food donors, and other food recovery partners. This role supports efforts to raise food, funds, and awareness for The Food Bank of Waterloo Region through retail food recovery, retailer-led fundraising initiatives, and volunteer engagement. Working collaboratively with members of various Food Bank departments, the Community and Retail Food Coordinator strengthens retail partnerships and advances organizational priorities. Responsibilities and Duties EXAMPLES OF THE ROLE'S RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: 1. Strengthening retail partnerships to increase food recovery:
- Building and maintaining relationships with grocery retailers participating in The Food Bank's food recovery programs through regular store visits, communication, and follow-up.
- Supporting the onboarding of new stores and providing guidance and resources on food donation guidelines, best-before dates, food safety, and program procedures.
- Monitoring store participation and food recovery volumes, addressing program issues such as missed pickups and food quality concerns, and identifying opportunities to increase the amount and variety of food recovered.
- Identifying significant food recovery opportunities and emerging donor relationships and bringing them forward to the Food Procurement and Distribution Services Manager. 2. Coordinating retail campaigns to drive community engagement:
- Coordinating retailer participation in third-party fundraising initiatives, including Feed More Families, Walmart Fight Hunger. Spark Change., and other local, seasonal, or national campaigns.
- Providing participating stores with campaign information, materials, timelines, and ongoing support, while coordinating with internal teams to facilitate successful initiatives.
- Supporting opportunities for retail partners and their employees to participate in Food Bank volunteer activities and group volunteer experiences.
- Identifying opportunities to deepen retail relationships through food donations, fundraising, volunteering, and other community engagement activities.
- Supporting retailer recognition, appreciation, and stewardship activities. 3. Developing food donor relationships to expand recovery opportunities:
- Supporting outreach, communication, follow-up, and stewardship with retail, corporate, and community food donors.
- Assisting with identifying and researching prospective food donors and food recovery opportunities.
- Responding to routine food donation inquiries and gathering information on product type, quantity, best-before dates, storage requirements, and availability.
- Tracking recovered food volumes, donor contributions, store participation, and other program activity.
- Monitoring food recovery trends and preparing regular reports and summaries to support program planning and evaluation. 4. Coordinating food recovery operations to improve efficiency:
- Collaborating with the Transportation and Warehouse Operations teams to coordinate food recovery pickups and receiving, including communicating changes to store contacts, donation volumes, schedules, and pickup requirements.
- Helping resolve routine issues between participating retailers and internal operational teams.
- Supporting special or time-sensitive food recovery opportunities as required.




- Gathering feedback from retailers and internal teams to identify opportunities to improve food recovery processes and the partner experience. 5. Assisting with other tasks as needed to support team and organizational goals:
- Assisting with warehouse tasks and activities as required. *Specific examples may vary from year to year as priorities of The Food Bank change.
* Location and Hours
- The Food Bank of Waterloo Region is located at 50 Alpine Court in Kitchener, Ontario.
- The role is required to be onsite for the work week.
- Hours of work are generally 8:30 am and 4:30 pm,Monday-Friday. However, to meet the objectives of The Food Bank and commitments to our volunteers, members, and community, some irregular hours may be required. This would include no more than two evenings a week and/or two weekends a month. Compensation
- The expected starting salary for this role is $58,738 per annum.
- The maximum compensation for this role is $71,370 per annum, which may be achieved through progression, performance, and tenure. Reporting Structure and Working Relationships
- The Retail and Community Food Coordinator reports to the Food Procurement and Distribution Services Manager.
- This role is an integral part of our Operations team.
- A significant amount of time in this role is spent working with Food Bank partners (i.e., grocery retailers, food donors, etc.) and other members of The Food Bank. Minimum Qualifications and Experience
- Minimum 1 year of experience in customer service, retail, community engagement, food recovery, nonprofit work, or similar position.
- Post-secondary education in supply chain management, logistics, business administration, food systems, nutrition, nonprofit management, or in a related field.
- Demonstrated experience building and maintaining relationships with customers, donors, clients, or interest holders.
- Experience with data entry, spreadsheets, tracking, and basic reporting.
- A valid Ontario G-class driver’s license with access to reliable transportation.
- Experience supporting community campaigns, fundraising initiatives, events, or volunteer activities is considered an asset.
- Knowledge of food safety, best-before date guidelines, or surplus food recovery is considered an asset.
- Experience in grocery retail, food recovery, or food service is considered an asset.
- Knowledge of warehouse tasks and processes is considered an asset.
- Experience in the non-profit sector or with issues related to hunger, poverty, or community development is considered an asset. *An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
* Required Work Capacities (Skills and Abilities) Physical demands:
- Approximately 60% of time spent on standing, walking, or light physical activity, and 40% on desk
- or computer-based work.
- Minimal bending, twisting, lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling items, including to/from floor.
- Performing activities requiring near and far vision, speaking, and hearing.
- Working primarily indoors in a shared office environment with some exposure to warehouse conditions (temperature changes, dust, noise, fumes).
- Local travel within Waterloo region (i.e., to conduct store visits) is required. Social, emotional, and cognitive demands:




- Superior attention to detail and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple engagement requests, projects, and deadlines efficiently.
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to confidently engage with a diverse group of internal and external interest holders.
- Highly developed interpersonal, collaboration, and relationship-building skills with the ability to cultivate and maintain robust relationships.
- Adaptability and flexibility to respond effectively to changing priorities, unexpected challenges, and evolving partner needs.
- Sound judgment and problem-solving skills with the ability to make decisions and resolve conflict effectively.
- Effective collaboration and teamwork, contributing to team goals and organizational culture while maintaining accountability for individual results. Why Work for Us?
- We have a passion to live our mission
- a Waterloo region where no one experiences hunger
- and are committed to helping obtain and distribute emergency food from our neighbours for our neighbours.
- Our employees and volunteers are invested in and passionate about the work we do and are inspired to drive thoughtful innovation and growth.
- We take the work seriously but try not to take ourselves too seriously; we understand the importance of the work we do and teamwork while balancing fun, excitement, and camaraderie in the workplace. What Benefits does The Food Bank Offer? Some benefits and perks provided by The Food Bank of Waterloo Region include*:
- Competitive salaries/wages We’re a proud certified Living Wage Employer (Ontario Living Wage Network). We believe that all employees should be paid an hourly wage that allows them to meet their basic needs (such as food, shelter, and clothing) while also participating in community life.
- Dental, drug, and supplemental healthcare coverage for individuals, couples, or family.
- A mental health and wellbeing focus with short-term counselling and resources provided by our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and up to $1000 per year in counselling services.
- Vision care coverage.
- An RRSP matching program.
- A Healthcare Spending Account and Lifestyle Spending Account to expand on coverage available to employees.
- A Bring Your Own Device allowance to cover work-related cell phone use ($ depending on role).
- Professional dues and association fee coverage.
- A generous time off package, including paid vacation, sick and family responsibility days, floating days, and a birthday holiday off.
- Hybrid work environment (where applicable).
- Closing early on Fridays in the summer.
- *some benefits may depend on employment status, such as full-time permanent employment.
* We are an equal opportunity employer. We believe that diverse teams perform better and that fostering an inclusive work environment is a key part of growing a successful team. We welcome people of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. *The Food Bank of Waterloo Region is committed to accessibility and to protecting the human rights our job applicants during the recruitment process. Should, at any point throughout the recruitment process, an applicant require accommodation or communication in an alternative format because of a disability, please contact Human Resources at (phone hidden). We are committed to providing accommodation or alternate formats upon request within a reasonable time in a mutually agreed upon format.
* *No phone calls please. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
* *This posting is to fill an existing vacancy. At The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, we use AI-enabled tools to assess applications; however, all recruitment decisions are reviewed by a human.*

📌 Retail and Community Food Coordinator (Kitchener)
🏢 The Food Bank of Waterloo Region
📍 Kitchener