[Hiring] Head of Agricultural Food Rescue @Sharing Excess

Role Description

The Head of Agricultural Food Rescue is a mission-critical leader responsible for building, overseeing, and scaling Sharing Excess's Agricultural Food Rescue program: a rapidly expanding initiative focused on rescuing food directly from farms, agricultural producers, and importers at the source. These rescues routinely involve volumes ranging into many millions of pounds, requiring sophisticated logistics, deep partner relationships, and exceptional operational coordination.

In this role, you will design and lead a national strategy for direct-from-farm food rescue, forging partnerships with growers, co-ops, and regional agricultural networks, and ensuring that rescued produce moves efficiently from the field to communities in need. You will work closely with the Chief Program Officer and collaborate cross-functionally with distribution, logistics, analytics, and community engagement teams to build one of the most impactful and innovative direct-source food rescue programs in the country.

This role demands a systems builder, a skilled relationship manager, and someone who thrives at the intersection of agriculture, logistics, and social impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Business, Operations, Nonprofit Management, or a related field; Master's preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in operations leadership, supply chain management, or large-scale program oversight — experience in the agricultural sector, food industry, or food rescue strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing high-volume, complex logistics operations, including time-sensitive, large-scale events.
• Proven track record building and sustaining partnerships with agricultural producers, cooperatives, or food industry stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with experience using data to drive operational decisions.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently to farm sites, partner locations, and regional operations.
• Deep passion for food security, sustainability, and reducing agricultural food waste.

Requirements

• Design and execute a national Agricultural Food Rescue strategy for large-scale, farm-direct food rescue operations, including rescues spanning many millions of pounds.
• Develop scalable systems and playbooks for identifying, activating, and sustaining farm-level partnerships across diverse agricultural regions.
• Partner with the Chief Program Officer to align Agricultural Food Rescue programming with broader organizational goals and growth plans.
• Lead expansion of Agricultural Food Rescue operations into new geographies and agricultural markets.
• Build and maintain a national network of farm, co-op, importers, and agricultural producer partners who donate surplus and unsaleable produce directly to Sharing Excess.
• Negotiate and manage donation agreements, logistics arrangements, and long-term partnerships with growers, packing houses, and agricultural cooperatives.
• Oversee the end-to-end logistics of large-scale farm-direct rescues, including coordinating transportation, cold chain management, sorting, and distribution to community partners.
• Develop and refine standard operating procedures (SOPs) for high-volume Direct Link rescues, ensuring consistency, food safety compliance, and operational excellence.
• Directly supervise Food Sourcing Managers and Coordinators and support teams executing farm rescues across the country.
• Track and analyze program KPIs including volume rescued, cost-per-pound, partner retention, and distribution reach.
• Develop and manage operational budgets for Direct Link programming, ensuring cost-effective allocation of transportation, staffing, and equipment resources.
• Collaborate with community partners to ensure rescued farm produce is distributed equitably and efficiently to communities with greatest need.

Benefits

• Unlimited PTO to rest and recharge
• Fully covered medical, dental & vision benefits after 90 days
• Flexible hybrid work structure
• Paid Family Leave
• Cell phone & internet reimbursement
• Professional development support
• Occasional team retreats & gatherings
• Sharing Excess merch (it's good, we promise)