Partner Services Specialist

Consider a career that allows you to make a positive impact on others’ lives while enhancing your own. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio, provided over 50 million meals in 2024 to those in need across Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Ashland, and Richland counties. 

Greater Cleveland Food Bank Mission Statement: “Together with our community, we provide nutritious food and essential resources so our neighbors facing hunger can thrive.”

Join the Greater Cleveland Food Bank team and experience a supportive culture of continuous learning and development. We offer competitive pay and excellent benefits, including:

• Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay beginning day one
• Low-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance 
• Generous retirement plan 
• Wellness programs
• Childcare assistance 
• Tuition and Student Loan assistance
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Life insurance

Apply today and become part of a mission-driven organization dedicated to making a difference in the community.

SUMMARY

Cultivates and coordinates the relationship between the Food Bank and its partner agencies. This position ensures excellent customer service by continually evaluating and effectively responding to the needs of the GCFB’s partners who provide hunger relief to their communities. This position will also work collaboratively with other staff to ensure consistent and excellent customer satisfaction and service. Performance of the following duties is done personally.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. This list is not all-inclusive, and other duties may be assigned.

• Cultivates relationships between GCFB and its partner agencies and interacts with agencies by phone, email, in person or virtually, in a professional and helpful manner.
• Responsible for general oversight of agency online orders, including validation of agency order entries as needed.
• Collaborates with Operations department on day-to-day activities which impact the agencies to ensure that agencies are receiving the best service and products appropriate to their needs. 
• Resolve problems that partner agencies may experience with our products and services, and work collaboratively, when necessary, with other Food Bank staff. 
• Works closely with Transportation Managers to ensure delivery services are coordinated efficiently and assist with resolutions as needed.
• Works closely with ERP Manager/IT department to trouble-shoot/resolve IT concerns within Agency Express and Ceres.
• Works in conjunction with the Partner Services and Accounting departments to review and make recommendations for agency credit requests and coordinates with appropriate staff to make necessary systematic adjustments. 
• Oversees and prepares State and Federal commodity product allocation procedures and spreadsheets and monitors the distribution of product in accordance with relevant contracts and requirements.  
• Coordinates unclaimed USDA/OFP product for transfer to the Agency Shopping List. Manages creation and deletion of all allocated orders in Agency Express and Ceres.
• Responsible for supporting partners with information regarding culturally specific product needs (i.e. kosher, halal, etc.), working directly with inventory.  
• Supports recruitment efforts, capacity building, and partnership opportunities in throughout our service area, including outlying rural counties, through assisting with outreach, onboarding, and customer service.
• Responsible for compiling the monthly delinquent agency stats report. 
• Conducts agency site visits, using this as a positive opportunity to ensure compliance and talk openly about issues and concerns, to offer feedback and support, to make our partnership stronger and to help agencies understand how to fully utilize Food Bank products and services appropriate to their needs. Follows through as needed in a timely manner.
• Provides support of the Agency Capacity Grant process that aligns with the organization’s strategic plan, as needed.
• Leads agency orientation to promote and review guidelines for new partner agencies and new agency contacts with an emphasis on best practices. 
• Provides support for the new agency onboarding process to ensure document accuracy, compliance, trainings, and agency files are complete including partnership agreements.
• Responds to agency inquiries/issues and follows up as needed. Advocates and solve problems for member agencies. Communicates larger issues with supervisor for resolution.
• Acts as back-up for the MarketPlace Supervisor as needed. 
• Manages communication to our network of partner agencies and programs through emails, newsletters, AgencyExpress, Agency Portal.
• Creates monthly calendar and holiday ordering schedules and inform partners through proper platforms.
• Maintains required job knowledge and skills and core professional competencies. Attends and participate in required educational programs and staff meetings.
• Actively support and champion initiatives aimed at driving continuous improvement throughout the organization. May participate in one of the following: LEAN council, a kaizen, 5S campaign or other process improvement efforts to support continuous improvement and improved processes within the food bank.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

N/A

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree (B. A.) from four-year College or university; or 2-3 years related experience and/or training in human services or customer service; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Previous nonprofit customer service, program coordination, and database management experience a plus. Familiarity with organizations that serve seniors/aging population a plus. Unencumbered State Driver’s License required. Must be willing and able to travel (mostly locally) for the organization. Must possess strong attention to detail. Must be able to communicate effectively with supervisor and other members of the Agency Services team. Willingness to work beyond normal working hours, when necessary. Proficiency in Windows based computer software with an emphasis on spreadsheets, word processing required. Exceptional organizational skills. Adaptable to change. Comfortable speaking in front of groups of people. Required commitment to making interactions across different cultures and backgrounds a strength of our organization as demonstrated through work, life or community experience.

Physical Requirements and Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand and walk. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Salary Range: $48,000 - $55,375 per year, commensurate with experience

Proud to be a North Coast 99 Employer for 2017-2025

Please note that the Food Bank does not sponsor work visas for our positions. Candidates must have the legal right to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship. Offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of an initial background check, drug screening, physical examination, and employment verification, and will be completed during the onboarding process.