Manager of Partner Relations

The Manager of Partner Relations is responsible for ensuring Food Depository partners across Cook County are equipped with the education, training, and resources needed to successfully operate in service to our mission to end hunger and to do so in solidarity with the community.

Key functions are to meaningfully engage community partners, providing the needed education, training support, and technology to safely, efficiently and equitably receive, store, sort, and distribute food, as well as to connect to other key hunger relief resources like SNAP.

The Manager builds and maintains relationships with partners, giving them personalized advice, building rapport, supporting them with programmatic changes, and providing quick responses to their inquiries.

The Manager is responsible for supporting food access programs on all aspects of food distribution including program standards, food safety, client choice, customer service and food access capacity analysis across all partners.

The Manager works alongside other Partner Services & Support teams to coordinate training and content, provide excellent customer service, assist in preparation of annual site visits and audits when needed, and ensure partners have the support they need to work towards mission.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:


* Conduct partner relationship building site visits in accordance with Food Depository/government guidelines with partners throughout Cook County to ensure partners are positioned for success in their food access programming


* Assist partners operating food access programs with the tools, resources and technical assistance needed to ensure successful operations, including accurate and timely reporting.


* Gather information on community and partner needs and ensure those needs are recorded for further analysis by the Community Impact Team.


* Create and utilize reports on partner information; track meaningful interactions and visits within the Food Depository’s Client Relationship Management tool (e.g., StratusLive)


* Support partners during their food distribution activities, ensuring best practices and guest-focused programming.


* Review and monitor partner submission of various reports, ensuring accuracy and completion by partners.


* Report persistent problems to the appropriate Community Impact Team member for resolution.


* Evaluate operating hours across the partner network and develop recommendations on how new and existing partners can expand their current operations.


* Collaborate with members of the Community Impact team to support the recruitment and onboarding of new partners.


* Identify partners that would benefit from other Food Depository programming, including increasing access to public benefits, community food rescue, or additional food access programs


* Maintain strong knowledge of compliance regulations and guidelines as well as performance standards established by the Food Dep...