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Cultivate Food Rescue Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Open Cupboard

Food Systems Director

Maplewood, MN · On-site

$95K - $105K/yr

Identify, cultivate, and onboard new food rescue and sourcing partners, including retailers, distributors, food service operators, and institutional sources. * Grow and manage agricultural food ...

New

Open Cupboard

Food Systems Director

Maplewood, MN · On-site

$95K - $105K/yr

Identify, cultivate, and onboard new food rescue and sourcing partners, including retailers, distributors, food service operators, and institutional sources. * Grow and manage agricultural food ...

New

Feeding America

$120 - $180/hr

City Harvest is New York's first and largest food rescue organization, helping to feed millions of ... Cultivate, solicit, steward, and retain a portfolio of corporate donors and prospects, securing new ...

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Feeding America

Officer, Business Partnerships

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$120 - $180/hr

City Harvest is New York's first and largest food rescue organization, helping to feed millions of ... Cultivate, solicit, steward, and retain a portfolio of corporate donors and prospects, securing new ...

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How much do cultivate food rescue jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 5, 2026, the average hourly pay for cultivate food rescue in the United States is $17.31, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.83 and $19.47 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is Cultivate Food Rescue?

Cultivate Food Rescue is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing food waste and fighting hunger in local communities. The organization rescues surplus food from businesses, schools, and events, which is then repackaged and distributed to people in need. By diverting unused but still quality food from landfills, Cultivate Food Rescue helps both the environment and individuals facing food insecurity. Their programs often rely on volunteers and partnerships with local organizations to maximize their impact.

What are some unique challenges faced by team members working with Cultivate Food Rescue, and how can they be addressed?

Team members at Cultivate Food Rescue often encounter the challenge of coordinating food collection and distribution across diverse locations while maintaining food safety standards. Balancing the logistics of rescuing perishable foods with tight timelines requires strong communication and organizational skills. To address these challenges, team members frequently collaborate with local partners, use route planning software, and participate in ongoing food safety training. This dynamic environment fosters adaptability and teamwork, making it essential for new hires to be proactive and detail-oriented.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Food Rescue Coordinator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Food Rescue Coordinator, you need organizational skills, logistics management experience, and often a background in food safety or nonprofit work. Familiarity with inventory management systems, food safety certifications (such as ServSafe), and route planning software is highly beneficial. Strong communication, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills help coordinate with donors, volunteers, and recipient organizations. These skills are crucial for ensuring efficient food recovery operations and maximizing impact in reducing food waste and hunger.

What is the difference between Cultivate Food Rescue vs Food Recovery Coordinator?

AspectCultivate Food RescueFood Recovery Coordinator
CertificationsFood safety, nonprofit managementFood safety, nonprofit management
Work EnvironmentNonprofit food rescue operations, community settingsNonprofit food recovery programs, community outreach
Employer & IndustryFood rescue organizations, nonprofitsFood banks, nonprofits, community organizations

Both roles focus on food rescue and require similar certifications and work environments. Cultivate Food Rescue primarily involves collecting and distributing surplus food to reduce waste, while Food Recovery Coordinators oversee programs to recover and distribute food efficiently. The main difference lies in their specific responsibilities within the food rescue ecosystem.

How does food rescue work?

Food rescue workers collect surplus food from grocery stores, restaurants, or events that would otherwise go to waste. They then safely transport and distribute this food to food banks, shelters, or community organizations, helping to reduce hunger and food waste. The job often requires knowledge of food safety standards and may involve early morning or flexible hours.
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Cultivate Food Rescue jobs near you
Infographic showing various Cultivate Food Rescue job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 77% Full Time, 17% Part Time, 3% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $36,000 per year, or $17.3 per hour.

Food Systems Director

Open Cupboard

Maplewood, MN • On-site

$95K - $105K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted yesterday

New

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

Open Cupboard is one of the largest food rescue and food access organizations in the Twin Cities, operating our innovative Today's Harvest free fresh market model across two locations and distributing more than seven million pounds of food a year. The Director of Food Systems is a new senior leadership role responsible for growing and strengthening the systems that get food into Open Cupboard and move it efficiently once it's here.
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Food Systems will lead our food rescue, food sourcing, and inventory/operations work, including our regional hub-and-spoke distribution network. This person will oversee the growth of donor and food-source relationships, the performance of our food rescue fleet and inventory operations, and the internal flow of food to reduce waste. This role will lead execution of strategic goals of expanding food rescue collections, deepening donor partnerships, and scaling our hub-and-spoke network.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Food Rescue & Sourcing
•     Lead strategy and execution to increase the total volume of food coming into Open Cupboard through food rescue, food sourcing, and donor development.
•     Deepen relationships with existing retail, grocery, distributor, and wholesale donor partners to unlock additional available-but-uncollected pounds.
•     Identify, cultivate, and onboard new food rescue and sourcing partners, including retailers, distributors, food service operators, and institutional sources.
•     Grow and manage agricultural food rescue partnerships, including relationships with farmers markets, individual growers, and value-added processing/compensation partnerships.
•     Steward all donor relationships through named relationship management, regular impact reporting, and consistent check-ins to retain and grow volume over time.

Mini-Hub / Hub-and-Spoke Program
•     Own and grow and scale Open Cupboard's regional hub-and-spoke distribution network
•     Build and maintain the communications, onboarding, and logistics infrastructure that allows partner agencies to request, receive, and (over time) contribute food efficiently and reliably.
•     Identify and onboard new spoke/mini-hub agencies
•     Oversee order management and food distribution to spoke/mini-hub partners, ensuring donated food reaches partner agencies before it spoils.
•     Guide the network's evolution toward a bidirectional, mutually reinforcing exchange model in which high-capacity partners both receive and contribute food.

Inventory, Operations & Internal Food Flow
•     Oversee inventory operations across Open Cupboard sites, including intake, sorting, storage, and cold-chain management of rescued and donated food.
•     Oversee the food rescue fleet, including route planning, driver coordination, and a structured preventive maintenance program to ensure vehicle availability and routing efficiency.
•     Oversee systems for tracking incoming food to support accurate reporting.
•     Support decision-making on facility repairs and upgrades to ensure smooth operational flow

Staff & Program Management
•     Hire, train, supervise, and develop food rescue drivers, inventory staff, and other food hub/operations staff.
•     Build team capacity to support growing collection volume, an expanding donor base, and a scaling hub-and-spoke network.
•     Set clear goals, provide regular feedback and coaching, and foster a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.
•     Partner with the Executive Director and other program directors to align food systems work with organization-wide strategy and capacity.
•     Alongside the Executive Director, create and monitor program budget and create optimization plans for equipment and staffing expenses.
Grant Management, Data & Reporting
•     Serve as the operational lead for grant-funded food rescue and hub-and-spoke initiatives, ensuring work plans, timelines, and budgets stay on track.
•     Track and report on pounds rescued, pounds distributed through the hub-and-spoke network, and other program metrics using Open Cupboard's data systems.
•     Monitor progress against objectives and make mid-course adjustments to collections, staffing, or partnerships as needed to hit targets.
QUALIFICATIONS

Required
•     8+ years of progressively responsible experience in food rescue, food recovery, food banking, or a related food systems/supply chain field.
•     Strong working knowledge of food waste and food recovery systems, including donor relationship management, perishable food logistics, and cold-chain handling.
•     Demonstrated experience managing programs and supervising staff, including hiring, coaching, and performance management.
•     Strong relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to represent the organization to donors, partner agencies, and funders.
•     Comfort working with data to track performance, identify trends, and report outcomes to leadership and funders.
•     Valid driver's license and ability to travel regularly between Open Cupboard sites and partner locations across the East Metro.
Preferred
•     Experience managing state or federal grant-funded programs, including work plans, budgets, and reporting requirements.
•     Familiarity with fleet management and preventive maintenance programs.
•     Experience working with or serving Environmental Justice communities.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
•     Growth in total pounds of food rescued year over year through retail, agricultural, wholesale, and food bank channels.
•     A growing, well-run network of mini-hub/spoke partner agencies 
•     Smooth, fast internal food flow that minimizes spoilage and gets perishable food to Open Cupboard's own programs quickly.
•     A capable, well-supported food sourcing, rescue, and operations team.
•     Strong, well-stewarded donor relationships that retain and grow volume over time.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
This is a full-time, exempt position with an annual salary of $98,000–$108,000, based on experience, plus a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
•     Medical and dental insurance
•     401(k) retirement plan, available after six months of employment, with a company match of up to 3% of salary.
•     Paid time off and 8 paid holidays per year, plus two floating holidays.
•     Long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
•     Minnesota Paid Leave, providing pay and job protection for qualifying family or medical needs.
TO APPLY
Please submit your application by 9/21. If you have any questions about the position, please contact Jessica Francis, Executive Director, at jessica@opencupboard.org.  
Open Cupboard is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
We believe our work is strongest when our team reflects the communities we serve, and we encourage people from all backgrounds — including those historically underrepresented in the nonprofit and food access sectors — to apply.