Food Pantry Manager

Pantry Manager

Reports to: Executive Director
Supervises: Pantry Assistant and Volunteers

Job Location Type: In Person
Employment Status: Full-Time

Pay: $20.00 an hour, DOE

Schedule: Monday–Tuesday, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; Wednesday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Occasional evenings, weekends, or extended hours may be required for food drives, fundraising events, and other organizational needs. Advance notice will be provided whenever possible.

Position Overview

The Pantry Manager oversees the daily operation of Needs Inc.’s food distribution programs. This position ensures food is received, stored, tracked, and distributed safely and efficiently while maintaining a welcoming, organized, and respectful environment.

The Pantry Manager provides hands-on leadership to pantry staff and volunteers, manages inventory and food procurement, maintains program records, and ensures compliance with food-safety and program requirements. This role requires strong organizational skills, flexibility, physical capability, teamwork, and compassionate client service.

Mission Alignment

All Needs Inc. employees are expected to treat clients, volunteers, donors, coworkers, and community partners with dignity and respect. The Pantry Manager must support equitable access to services and help create an environment where individuals can seek assistance without judgment, stigma, or shame.

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee daily pantry operations, including receiving, stocking, storage, order preparation, client distribution, and closing procedures.
• Supervise, train, and support pantry staff and volunteers.
• Ensure the pantry is prepared for daily distribution, seasonal demand, special programs, and emergency food needs.
• Provide hands-on assistance with pantry tasks and client service during busy periods or staffing shortages.
• Maintain positive working relationships with the Food Bank of Wyoming, grocery rescue partners, local producers, donors, and community organizations.
• Model calm, professional, and solution-focused leadership, especially during high-volume or challenging situations.
• Monitor staffing needs and communicate volunteer needs to the Administrative Coordinator.
• Protect client privacy and ensure services are provided consistently and in accordance with organizational policies.

Inventory and Food Procurement

• Maintain appropriate inventory levels and a balanced variety of food.
• Track donations, purchased food, grocery rescue items, USDA commodities, and other food resources.
• Coordinate food orders, pickups, and deliveries with suppliers and community partners.
• Conduct routine inventory counts and maintain accurate records.
• Monitor expiration dates, product quality, storage capacity, and inventory rotation using first-in, first-out practices.
• Communicate priority food needs to the Executive Director and assist the Administrative Coordinator with community food drives.
• Ensure donated food is evaluated, stored, and distributed according to food-safety standards and organizational policies.

Food Safety, Compliance, and Recordkeeping

• Ensure compliance with food-safety, sanitation, storage, and handling requirements.
• Monitor refrigerator and freezer temperatures and maintain required logs.
• Keep pantry, warehouse, loading, and food-storage areas clean, safe, organized, and inspection-ready.
• Maintain accurate inventory, donation, distribution, temperature, and program records.
• Ensure compliance with TEFAP, Food Bank of Wyoming, grant, donor, and organizational requirements.
• Assist with audits, inspections, monitoring visits, grant reporting, and year-end data collection.

Required Qualifications

• Experience in business operations, warehousing, logistics, inventory management, food service, retail management, nonprofit services, or a related field.
• Experience supervising or coordinating employees and volunteers.
• Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, inventory rotation, and proper food-storage practices.
• Strong organizational, time-management, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to maintain accurate records and use email, databases, and inventory-management systems.
• Ability to work respectfully with people from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences.
• Ability to remain calm, flexible, and professional in a busy and sometimes unpredictable environment.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with a human-services organization, or community-based nonprofit.
• Experience with Food Bank Manager, PantrySOFT, or a similar client or inventory-management system.
• Familiarity with TEFAP or other government-funded food-assistance programs.
• Experience serving individuals and families experiencing food insecurity, housing instability, poverty, or other barriers.
• Training in trauma-informed care, de-escalation, or strengths-based client service.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Physical Requirements

This position requires regular physical activity in pantry and warehouse environments. The employee must be able to:

• Stand and walk for extended periods.
• Bend, reach, push, pull, and perform repetitive tasks.
• Regularly lift and carry up to [30–50] pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Safely use carts, dollies, pallet jacks, and other pantry equipment.
• Work in refrigerated, freezer, warehouse, loading, and outdoor environments as needed.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Additional Expectations

The Pantry Manager must demonstrate reliability, sound judgment, attention to detail, clear communication, and responsible stewardship of donated resources. All employees are expected to follow Needs Inc. policies, safety procedures, confidentiality requirements, and standards of conduct; maintain reliable attendance and punctuality; and perform other duties as assigned in support of the organization’s mission.