Food Market Operations Associate

Neighborhood House; Minnesota; On-site; USD 28,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

Neighborhood House is seeking a part-time Food Market Operations Associate to support daily receiving, stocking, and organization of its food markets. You will document deliveries, unload products, and assist with food rescue processing to ensure efficient access to food for participants.

The role emphasizes safety, accuracy, and culturally responsive service as you work with staff, volunteers, donors, and community partners to maintain clean, welcoming markets and assist shoppers as needed.

Qualifications

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent work experience.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and move carts, pallets, and boxes.
• Ability to stand for long periods and perform physically active work.
• Learn and follow food safety, sanitation, and documentation procedures.
• Organize products and storage areas accurately and efficiently.
• Communicate effectively with diverse customers and staff.

Responsibilities

• Receive and document food deliveries and donations.
• Unload and organize products, and support food rescue processing.
• Stock market shelves and maintain clean market and storage spaces.
• Assist first-time shoppers when volunteers are unavailable.
• Support safety, accuracy, and timeliness of all receiving and documentation.

Skills

Physical stamina

Attention to detail

Independent work

Diversity communication

Bilingual/multilingual

Education

High school diploma/GED

Tools

Pallet jacks

Carts

Thermometers

Receiving equipment

Job description

Position: Food Market Operations Associate

Salary: $20/hour or $21/hour for bilingual

Schedule: The anticipated schedule is Monday through Friday, approximately 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., with occasional adjustments.

Location: In person, St. Paul

Who We Are

For more than 129 years, Neighborhood House has partnered with families in St. Paul to ensure access to essential services, including food, housing, education, and opportunities. Today, we serve more than 30,000 individuals annually across six neighborhoods, striving for a community where everyone can thrive.

About Neighborhood House’s Food Support Program

In our Food Support program, nearly 1,000 families access the food they need at Neighborhood House each month. In each of our two markets, we strive to provide nutritious and culturally connected food so that families can choose the food they are excited to cook and eat. Neighborhood House also offers year-round fresh produce distributions, SNAP eligibility screening and application assistance, and other food access supports. Food rescue partnerships help us increase the variety and quantity of food available while reducing food waste.

Position Summary

Neighborhood House is seeking a full-time Food Market Operations Associate to support the daily receiving, stocking, and organization of its food markets. This position receives and documents food deliveries and donations, unloads and organizes products, supports food rescue processing, stocks market shelves, and helps maintain clean and orderly market and storage spaces.

The Food Market Operations Associate works closely with Food Support staff, volunteers, delivery drivers, donors, and community partners to ensure that products are handled safely, accurately documented, and made available to participants efficiently. This position may also assist first-time shoppers when volunteer support is unavailable.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Receiving and Donation Processing

• Receive food, supplies, and other deliveries from Second Harvest Heartland, The Food Group, food rescue partners, individual and organizational donors, vendors, suppliers, and other community partners.
• Confirm that deliveries are directed to the correct location and communicate delivery discrepancies, damaged products, food safety concerns, or missing items to the appropriate staff member.
• Safely unload delivery pallets, carts, boxes, and other products using available equipment and following established safety procedures.
• Weigh donated products and accurately record donation quantities and other required information.
• Gather donor contact information and complete donation slips or other required documentation.
• Submit completed donation slips and receiving documentation to the appropriate staff member or department in a timely manner.
• Assist with sorting, weighing, temperature checks, documentation, and proper storage of products received through food rescue partnerships.
• Inspect products for damage, spoilage, contamination, temperature concerns, or other conditions that may make them unsafe or inappropriate for distribution.
• Follow food safety, sanitation, product acceptance, and temperature-control procedures when receiving and storing refrigerated, frozen, and shelf-stable products.

Food Market Operations and Participant Support

• Maintain clean, orderly, welcoming, and well-stocked food market and storage spaces in partnership with staff and volunteers.
• Clean shelves, carts, receiving areas, storage spaces, equipment, and other market surfaces according to established schedules and procedures.
• Work collaboratively with staff and volunteers to prepare the market for daily shopping appointments, distributions, and other food access activities.
• Provide culturally responsive service aligned with Neighborhood House standards for accessibility, inclusion, respect, and radical hospitality.
• Assist first-time shoppers with guided shopping when volunteers or other staff are unavailable.
• Answer basic participant questions and connect participants with the appropriate Food Support staff member when additional assistance is needed.
• Assist with Fresh Produce Distributions, food drives, special deliveries, and other Food Support activities as assigned.

Safety, Communication, and Documentation

• Follow safe lifting, unloading, material handling, food-safety, sanitation, and equipment-use procedures.
• Complete receiving, donation, temperature, inventory, and other required documentation accurately and on time.
• Communicate promptly with the supervisor about delivery delays, product concerns, donor questions, equipment issues, safety hazards, injuries, or unusual donation volumes.
• Use carts, pallet jacks, and other material handling equipment only after receiving appropriate training.
• Participate in required training, team meetings, and food safety activities.
• Work collaboratively with Food Support staff, volunteers, drivers, donors, vendors, and other Neighborhood House employees to support efficient daily operations.

Required Qualifications

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, AND SKILLS

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent work experience.
• Ability to repeatedly lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds and to push, pull, load, unload, and move carts, boxes, pallets, and food products.
• Ability to work on one’s feet and perform physically active work for much of the workday.
• Ability to learn and follow food safety, temperature-control, donation acceptance, sanitation, inventory rotation, and documentation procedures.
• Ability to organize products and storage areas accurately and efficiently.
• Strong attention to safety, cleanliness, organization, reliability, and detail.
• Ability to work independently, manage assigned tasks, and respond to changing delivery and market needs.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and work effectively with people of diverse ethnic, economic, social, racial, and cultural backgrounds.
• Commitment to serving families experiencing food insecurity with dignity, respect, and sensitivity.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English with staff, volunteers, delivery personnel, donors, and participants.
• Must be able to pass a criminal background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in grocery, warehouse, food shelf, food rescue, inventory, stocking, shipping and receiving, or a related role.
• Valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and ability to meet insurance requirements for operating Neighborhood House vehicles.
• Experience using pallet jacks, carts, scales, thermometers, or other receiving and material-handling equipment.
• Food handler certification or previous food safety training.
• Experience working with volunteers or providing customer or participant service.
• Bilingual or multilingual skills relevant to the communities served.

WORK LOCATION & SCHEDULE

This is an in-person, part-time position based in St. Paul, Minnesota, at both the Wellstone Center and Neighborhood House on Montreal. The anticipated schedule is Monday through Friday, approximately 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., with occasional adjustments.

This role may require occasional evening or weekend hours to support organizational events or respond to operational needs.

• Ability to speak one or more languages spoken by our participant families, especially Spanish, Karen, Hmong, and Somali.

BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENT

Neighborhood House is required to conduct background checks on all final candidates because of our work with youth and families. We understand that past events may have occurred, and we don’t want this to deter you from applying. The outcome of background checks does not automatically disqualify a candidate, and we are open to a conversation to discuss the results.

NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Neighborhood House is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds. The Neighborhood House provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any other status protected by law.