Distribution Manager

Job Description

Distribution Manager | Newton Food Pantry

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at Newton Food Pantry, located in Newton, MA. The Newton Food Pantry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating food insecurity by providing free supplemental food assistance and personal-care products to community members in need, serving them with dignity, compassion, and respect. As the largest nonprofit hunger relief organization dedicated to Newton residents, the Pantry supports nearly 3,000 people through various distribution methods from its new 5,000-square-foot facility. This new position is crucial for helping to lead and support the continued growth of client services, ensuring more Newton households can access vital food assistance.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, Newton, MA

• Team: Reports to the Director of Operations; collaborates with other operations team members.
• Mission: This role manages critical food distribution channels including home delivery, a new online ordering system, and supports in-person pantry shopping to ensure efficient, equitable, and dignified access to food assistance for clients.
• Tech Stack: Google Workspace

What You’ll Actually Do
• Home Delivery Management: Manage and oversee the Newton Food Pantry’s home delivery program, including scheduling approximately 50 weekly deliveries to medically homebound individuals and social worker referrals, organizing grocery packing, scheduling volunteer delivery drivers, and ensuring timely distribution one day per week.
• Online Ordering System Management: Support the launch of and manage the Newton Food Pantry’s new online grocery ordering and pickup system, set to start in late 2026, including order management, fulfillment workflows, and client communications.
• In-Person Pantry Support: Help manage once-a-month Saturday pantry shopping, starting in fall 2026, with the support of other staff and volunteers.
• System Development and Refinement: Develop and refine systems to improve efficiency, service accuracy, and client experience across all distribution channels, ensuring food assistance is distributed efficiently, equitably, and with dignity.
• Operational Coordination and Performance Monitoring: Coordinate closely with operations staff to fulfill orders, organize volunteer support, and meet client distribution needs for more than 400 households per week, while monitoring program performance, tracking key metrics, and identifying growth opportunities.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, or an equivalent combination of at least 5 years of professional experience in operations management, social services, or nonprofit operations.
• Experience: Proven experience working with diverse populations, including individuals who speak languages other than English at home, older adults, and children.
• Skills: Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills, strong attention to detail, advanced organizational abilities, proficiency in Google Workspace, and the ability to safely lift, carry, and transport boxes and bags of food.
• Bonus: Proficiency in an additional language such as Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, or Russian is highly desirable.