ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW: Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity, and inspiring others to do the same. Fruits and vegetables are collected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from backyard fruit trees, orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market. This recovered produce is provided, free of charge, to hunger relief organizations that serve community members in various ways: food banks, homeless outreach agencies, domestic violence shelters, transitional youth homes, veteran services, family resource centers, LGBTQ+ teen/adult/senior services, college student assistance programs, programs serving people with disabilities, and many more. Since Food Forward’s inception, our staff and thousands of dedicated volunteers have rescued 100’s of millions of pounds of fruits and vegetables. This produce helped to feed millions of people across eleven Southern California counties, throughout seven states, as well as in tribal lands in the Southwest annually. See our core values posted below. 

POSITION OVERVIEW: Food Forward seeks an organized and detail-oriented WRP Dispatch Administrator to join our team. This position will report to the WRP Logistics Supervisor. It will be primarily responsible for dispatching Food Forward’s fleet and 3 rd party logistics providers to produce and distribute fresh produce throughout Southern California and beyond. The WRP Dispatch administrator will achieve this by gaining an intimate working knowledge of Food Forward’s various produce donors and recipient agencies while providing excellent customer service through emails, phone, and direct person-to-person communication. In addition to dispatch work, this role will also take on administrative duties. The WRP dispatch administrator will be an excellent team player, supporting and working with drivers, warehouse staff, and other Food Forward employees or stakeholders. This position will be based out of the City of Bell, Food Forward’s Produce Pit Stop, the warehousing space for the Wholesale Recovery Program. The ideal candidate is passionate about improving food systems and eradicating hunger in a fast-paced environment and is a skilled multi-tasker and communicator. They will need to think critically and demonstrate strong decision-making and multitasking skills. Produce/food recovery experience is a plus.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Dispatch/Warehouse Operations (70%)

• Coordinating the logistics of donor and receiving agency pick-ups and deliveries
• Process orders in Food Forward’s Inventory management system, maintaining accurate records
• Assist in FIFO process and closing procedures
• Daily Physical inventory reconciliation

Administrative (30%)

• Carries administrative duties such as filing, typing, copying, scanning, etc.…
• Invoice generation and processing
• Maintain and order supplies for the program
• Logistics data entry and reporting

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Two years of dispatch or similar work experience

• • 1 - 3 years of warehouse clerical experience
  • High School Diploma/GED or equivalent work experience.
  • Computer literate and proficiency
  • Must be willing to work a flexible schedule (2 shifts, 4:30 am and 7:30)

• Bilingual – Spanish and English required

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Physical ability to frequently lift and carry materials weighing 25 – 50
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, climb stairs and ladders, bend, lift, twist, kneel, crouch, crawl, pull, push, carry, grasp, reach, and stoop as needed
• Ability to work both indoors and outdoors.
• Ability to work in a refrigerated environment. (temperatures as low as 32°F)