Food Pantry Coordinator

Overview

The Food Pantry Coordinator supports the daily operations of Dana-Farber’s Food Pantry to ensure reliable access to nutritious, culturally responsive foods for patients and their families experiencing food insecurity. Reporting to the Food Pantry Manager, the role manages inventory, purchasing and receiving, and food distributions; delivers direct patient services (intake, ordering, and pick-up); and coordinates and trains volunteers. The Food Pantry Coordinator upholds food safety and sanitation standards, maintains accurate records and data, and collaborates with internal teams and external vendors to support seamless service delivery. The position ensures compliance with relevant policies, procedures, and patient privacy requirements while contributing to program evaluation and continuous improvement.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Operations and Service Delivery: Executes daily pantry workflows (intake, ordering, pick-up), maintains a welcoming environment, and ensures timely, accurate service to patients and families; supports onboarding and training of new team members.
• Inventory and Purchasing: Leads FIFO (first in, first out) rotation, counts, and replenishment; oversees receiving and storage; reduces waste and tracks supplies; reconciles invoices and resolves routine issues with vendors and partners.
• Volunteer Coordination: Partners with Volunteer Services on recruitment and scheduling; leads volunteer onboarding, training, and day-to-day supervision; ensures safety and service quality.
• Data, Reporting, and Evaluation: Uses pantry software and related systems for intake and record keeping; collects data to support program evaluation; assists with basic budget tracking and reporting.
• Safety and Compliance: Implements food safety, sanitation, and emergency procedures; ensures adherence to ServSafe and institutional policies; upholds data privacy requirements.
• Facilities and Equipment: Maintains clean, organized spaces; coordinates equipment upkeep; submits maintenance/repair/cleaning requests; safely operates carts, pallet jacks, and related equipment.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Supports outreach and community engagement; liaises with internal clinical teams and community representatives; assists with routine communications to partners and vendors.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of food handling, food safety, and sanitation standards (e.g., ServSafe, MA Food Code); ability to implement safety protocols.
• Knowledge of inventory management practices (FIFO, counts, waste reduction) and retail/stockroom operations.
• Customer service skills: active listening, empathy, problem-solving, clear communication, and ability to navigate sensitive conversations related to food insecurity.
• Ability to operate computers, tablets, and software applications; proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); familiarity with data entry and record keeping.
• Capable of training and coordinating volunteers; ability to set expectations, provide feedback, and monitor performance.
• Understanding of HIPAA and patient data privacy requirements; ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Strong organizational and time management skills; attention to detail; ability to manage competing priorities in a busy environment.
• Interpersonal skills to work effectively with diverse populations; commitment to equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive service; bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
• Physical ability to stand for extended periods, bend, lift, and safely move boxes/cases of food up to 25 pounds; ability to follow safe material handling practices.
• De-escalation skills and sound judgment when addressing operational issues or patient concerns; ability to escalate appropriately to the Food Pantry Manager.

Minimum Job Qualifications:

High school diploma or GED required. 2 years’ experience in inventory/retail operations or food handling/safety required. 2 years’ experience in customer service in a patient-, client-, or retail-facing role required. Experience training and supervising volunteers preferred. Experience in non-profit, healthcare, or social services settings preferred.

License/Certification/Registration Required:

• ServSafe certification preferred; ability to obtain within 90 days of hire.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Yes, directly supervises at least 3-6 volunteers and/or interns per day. Supports the development of training and educational materials. Assigns daily tasks to achieve organizational goals. Sets clear expectations, delivers feedback, and monitors performance for quality, efficiency, and compliance with policies and procedures.

Patient Contact:

Yes, direct patient and family interaction for intake, ordering, scheduling, and food pick-up.

Special Working Conditions:

Work may require standing for extended periods, repetitive lifting and moving of boxes up to 25 pounds, and operation of carts and pallet jacks. Periodic early morning or late afternoon deliveries may necessitate schedule flexibility. Work is primarily on-site; limited local travel for pickups may be required.

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are committed to having faculty and staff who offer multifaceted experiences. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and compassionate professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

Pay Transparency Statement

The hiring range is based on market pay structures, with individual salaries determined by factors such as business needs, market conditions, internal equity, and based on the candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.

For union positions, the pay range is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).