Director of Programs- Rethink Services

ROLE SUMMARY

The Director of Programs serves as operational support to the Programs Team and manages a portfolio of engagements between sites and restaurants in the Rethink Services program (RTS). 

The Director of Programs will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the RTS Team and Rethink Food’s response to asylum seekers and NYC residents in need under a contract managing emergency meal service across New York City. This role is responsible for managing a portfolio of engagements through our contract work with funders/ contract agencies, shelter sites, and meal providers within the Rethink network. 

Rethink works closely with site management teams and other vendors to deliver high-quality and culturally responsive meal programs to a growing portfolio of shelters that cater to migrant populations. Our model is uniquely positioned to allow rapid and highly targeted responses to the continuously changing needs of the diverse populations we serve. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Project Management 
• Lead the day to day operations of the RTS Programs team, support and oversee the work of the Program Managers and Associates. 
• Oversee and monitor existing meal service programs, establish and maintain standard operating procedure documents for all contracts.
• Develop comprehensive project plans outlining scope, goals, deliverables, milestones, timelines, and resource requirements.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement within existing contracts, streamline complex processes, and implement working methods that maximize efficiency and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Implement project management best practices to help facilitate sustainable organizational growth and successful delivery of project objectives.
• Identify and assess project risks and dependencies, develop risk mitigation plans, and problem-solving strategies to effectively address obstacles and keep projects on track. 
• Develop and maintain project documentation to facilitate successful project management and execution, including a project charter, project management plan, communications plan, timeline, risk matrix, work breakdown structure, process maps, and other supporting documents.
• Oversees and coordinates the resources needed for projects with a defined scope, start, and completion point.
• Partner Management
• Create, manage, and nurture relationships with our restaurant partners and city agency representatives; manage partnerships with compassion and creativity.
• Establish and maintain relationships with strategic partners of the organization.
• Build collaborative relationships with other departments across the organization.
• Educate potential restaurant partner applicants about Rethink Services and make recommendations regarding the selection of new partners.
• Assist with meal distribution coordination, tracking and confirmation, and ensuring all partners correctly log and report daily activities.
• Onboard partners onto Rethink’s meal confirmation app, monitor their activity and respond to any disruptions to the planned schedule (logistics, complaints, feedback). 
• Monitor production quality according to Rethink guidelines; assist the restaurant teams in addressing concerns and ensure the feedback loop is active and productive to maintain quality assurance.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• Minimum 4 years experience in non-profit, food/hospitality management, account management or human services. Strong experience in relationship management or customer service preferred.
• Experience working in community development, program development and/or nonprofit experience preferred.
• NYC-based as this position will require weekly site visits to partner locations in all five boroughs.
• High systems aptitude: Experience in Google Suite and Microsoft Suite required; experience with Salesforce preferred. 
• Must embrace the mission and core values of Rethink, empathy, and a desire to learn from our partners.
• Excellent time management, organization, and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, experience managing a team preferred.
• Ability to work proactively and resourcefully, both independently and within a fast-paced, highly engaged team; experience working with starts-ups preferred.
• Thrives in a continually evolving and forward-moving workplace setting; enthusiastic about exploring new programmatic directions.
• Positive attitude, show concern for people and community, and demonstrate self-confidence, and excellent interpersonal skills.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE: Commitment to embodying our values of -

Inventiveness: At our core, we are relentlessly curious about solving problems. As our name suggests, we’re a team of creative thinkers, but we’re also hands-on doers, challenging norms with humility to find practical solutions that can create lasting change.

Vulnerability: Guided by an “always be better” mindset, we are a team that intentionally reflects on what we are doing well and where we need to improve. We hold ourselves and each other accountable, every day. No blame, no shame — we just want to be sure we’re always doing the right thing.

Thoughtfulness: Our vision for a nourished and thriving world starts with nourished and thriving individuals in each of our communities. Our work is centered on the needs of the people that bring our communities to life. We don’t pretend to have all of the answers. We are committed to listening and learning in order to identify and scale solutions that ensure stable and reliable access to healthy food for all so each and every community can thrive.

Kindness: At Rethink, we show up every day with empathy and compassion and believe everyone should be treated with dignity. Kindness goes a long way — we are all about just being kind

EEO STATEMENT

Rethink Food is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender (including gender identity or expression), pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, marital status, domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking victim status, ancestry, national origin, alienage or citizenship, age, disability, military or veteran status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, or other protected status. The organization is an Equal Opportunity Employer, drug-free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.