Summary
Description
Your Role in Our Mission
The Community Connection Lead is an integral member of Food Bank of the Rockies Programs Department and serves as a hunger relief and reduction ambassador in a designated geographic region. This position is a liaison with Hunger Relief Partners to assure they leverage Food Bank of the Rockies programs to nourish neighbors respectfully and safely. Additionally, the Community Connection Lead assures appropriate Food Bank of the Rockies representation within the community to build awareness of hunger and foster a collaborative environment in which communities come together to alleviate and reduce hunger. To accomplish these objectives, this position serves as a liaison with community Hunger Relief Partners, stakeholders and others serving people experiencing hunger to establish collaborative connections, strengthen distribution capacity, and adopt neighbor-centered strategies to best serve community needs.
What You’ll Do
Relationships:
- Develop long-term beneficial relationships built on trust to identify needs and create appropriate action plans to help Hunger Relief Partners and community stakeholders serve their communities
- Primary contact for Food Bank of the Rockies in supporting staff seeking to interact and collaborate with Hunger Relief Partners within their assigned region
- Address concerns, issues, and obstacles faced by Hunger Relief Partners
- Attend and engage in community meetings to ensure the Food Bank of the Rockies’ mission is communicated, while fostering and strengthening relationships and fostering collaboration between community groups
- Check in regularly with Hunger Relief Partners to foster a relationship and follow up on pending concerns or issues
- Ensure interactions are conducted with a neighbor-centered and culturally responsive lens
Compliance:
- Support the implementation of Hunger Relief Partner agreements (TEFAP, CSFP, Food For Kids Café)
- Screen new partnership applications and conduct pre-approval site visits
- Support partners’ annual food safety and civil rights training
- Lead periodic reviews for Hunger Relief Partners, monitoring and ensuring compliance (every 2 years at a minimum)
- Work with partners that are not meeting contract standards to identify the underlying issues and support their development of an action plan to remedy areas identified
- Contact partners about neighbor complaints to help resolve grievances
- Provide USDA-TEFAP training and ensure compliance
- Support compliance reviews for general Hunger Relief, TEFAP, Everyday Eats and Totes of Hope™ programs.
- Handle confidential information with discretion and care, ensuring the privacy and respect of employees, volunteers, partners, donors, or others
Community Capacity Building:
- Identify, evaluate, collect, and share best practices to build capacity for the community
- Help build the network identifying potential partner agencies and resources based upon identified gaps
- Raise awareness regarding the prevalence of hunger in communities, existing assets and gaps in hunger relief services and opportunities to address root causes related to hunger
- Attend and organize community events on behalf of the Food Bank of the Rockies
- Message Food Bank of the Rockies’ menu of services to support community needs
Hunger Relief Partner Capacity Building and Training:
- Assist partners to improve their operations and implement best practices to comply with all regulations as well as to improve network collaboration and neighbor experience
- Link partners with internal and external subject matter experts and resources to better serve neighbors
- Ensure understanding of Food Bank of the Rockies’ menu of services to support Hunger Relief Partner needs.
- Strategically plan and recommend partner consolidation actions with the objective of ensuring equitable food distribution of pounds/meals and alleviating or minimizing overhead transportation and/or associated expenses
- Address challenges, issues, and concerns related to community partnerships, partner agencies, and clients.
- Supports neighbor-centered efforts through surveying, hosting focus groups and data collection, inputting pertinent information into shared contact tracking documents in collaboration with the Equity and Access team
- In collaboration with the Insights and Impact Department, analyze qualitative and quantitative data, reports, and opportunities to provide tailored partner solutions
- Maintain knowledge of geographic area data and collaborative partners: Research hunger statistics, community stakeholders, and partners
- Support partners to build capacity for the Everyday Eats and The Emergency Food Assistance Programs with managing assigned caseload
- Assist Food For Kids team to maintain and strengthen relationships with Totes of Hope™ partners in the assigned region
- Identify potential new Hunger Relief Partners based upon community gaps and asset mapping
- Collaborate with Mobile Pantry team to analyze community capacity to serve neighbors, working together to recommend new mobile pantries, identify strong community partners to support the mobile pantry program, and make recommendations for sunsetting existing mobile pantries
How the Work Gets Done
The Community Connection Lead demonstrates the following core competencies in daily practice:
- Instills Trust: Builds trusted relationships with Hunger Relief Partners, community stakeholders, and colleagues through consistent follow-through and respectful communication. Handles confidential information with discretion and models integrity while representing Food Bank of the Rockies in the community.
- Collaborates: Works collaboratively across departments, Hunger Relief Partners, and other community stakeholders to strengthen the hunger relief network, problem-solve, and advance shared goals. Leverages diverse perspectives to improve the experiences of hunger relief partners and neighbors.
- Customer-Centric Focus: Places Hunger Relief Partners and neighbors at the center of decision making by listening to understand their unique needs and delivering responsive, equitable support. Builds partner capacity by providing tailored guidance, connecting partners with appropriate resources, and seeking opportunities to improve the partner and neighbor experience.
- Ensures Accountability: Takes ownership of hunger relief partner caseload, compliance requirements, and community engagements by following through on commitments and producing high quality work. Maintains requirement compliance while using sound judgment, data, and proactive communication to address challenges.
What We’re Looking For
- High school diploma or equivalent required; Bachelor’s degree a plus; or equivalent work-related experience
- Must have a valid driver license
- Experience using collaborative tools for file storage and sharing, meeting scheduling, and virtual collaboration
- Prior experience working in a nonprofit environment is strongly preferred, including 1-3 years’ experience working with external partners
- Self-directed, accountable for results and proactive; independent problem solver
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus
Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
- Using office equipment such as a computer, mouse, keyboard, printer
- Shared office environment; outdoor work environment occasionally
- Frequent travel within the service area, with potential, occasional visits to sites up to 3+ hours away (up to 75%)
Expected Hours of Work:
This is a non-exempt, full-time position scheduled for 40 hours per week. The regular work schedule is Monday through Friday, with occasional Saturday or evening hours based on organizational needs.
A flexible work schedule is available, provided the schedule covers the core business hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In-person work is required at least three days per week, or more often based on organizational needs. Offsite visits are considered in-person work.
Benefits:
At Food Bank of the Rockies, we provide a fulfilling workplace along with a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
- Generous Paid Time Off: Flexible paid time off, including 10 paid holidays, sick leave, and opportunities for paid volunteer time.
- Robust Retirement Plan: A 401(k)-retirement plan with a 4.5% employer match, plus additional matching based on tenure for a total potential match of up to 8.5%, to support your long-term financial security.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Competitive health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans to support your meet your and your family’s needs.
- Medical and Parental Leave: Leave time is offered through the Colorado-funded FAMLI (Family and Medical Leave Insurance) Program.
- Bilingual Incentive: A monthly incentive for certified bilingual staff, recognizing and rewarding your valuable language skills.
To Apply:
If you are looking for a mission-focused organization where innovation and teamwork are encouraged and new ideas are valued, then this is an ideal position for you.
Apply online through www.foodbankrockies.org/careers. Applications will be accepted until August 13, 2026.
