Food Pantry Operations Specialist (Off Campus Work Study Only)

Wisconsinhistory; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 22,730 - 32,373; Part time

Job summary

The River Food Pantry is seeking a part-time Operations Specialist (Work Study) to support our drive-through pantry and donation sorting. You will lead volunteers, coordinate tasks, and maintain FEFO practices to ensure quality foods reach clients efficiently.

Responsibilities include loading donations, assisting clients, and maintaining safety standards while working 10–15 hours per week with a flexible schedule. Start is 9/15/2026; end date not specified.

Qualifications

• 1+ years’ experience in a customer service role is required.
• 1+ years’ warehouse experience is preferred.
• Experience leading others is preferred.
• Multilingual is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Loading and unloading of donation items, as well as sorting for quality of items.
• Loading food products into client’s vehicles as they utilize the drive‑through pantry program.
• Lead volunteers, delegate tasks, and provide clear instruction on the responsibilities they are assigned during their volunteer shift.
• Sort and place donations on racks, shelves or in bins according to organizational and space standards.
• Assist in unpacking cases of food and stock shelves to ensure sufficient amounts of food are available to clients.
• Comply with FEFO inventory practices in the warehouse, coolers, and freezers.
• Provide appropriate receipts to donors upon their request.
• Maintain positive, effective working relationships with staff, volunteers and clients.
• Communicate issues in a timely manner to the Grocery Manager.
• Adhere to all safety and hygiene regulations of The River.
• Operate equipment (e.g., dolly, pallet jacks) in a safe manner in compliance with established policies and procedures.
• Perform other job duties as assigned to meet the organization and client needs.

Skills

Customer service

Warehouse experience

Leadership

Multilingual

Job description

Food Pantry Operations Specialist (Off Campus Work Study Only)

Job No: 511744
Division/Organization: Community Partners
Department: The River Food Pantry
Job Type: Local Work Study Student Jobs
Remote Eligibility: Not Remote
Location: The River Food Pantry
Salary/Wage Range or Lump Sum: $20.00
Job Categories: Interpersonal Communication, Leadership, Critical Thinking/Problem Solving, Teamwork/Collaboration, Professionalism/Work Ethic, Nonprofit/Community-Based Organization, Local Work-Study Required Student Jobs

Department Overview: The River is seeking a customer‑focused, collaborative, and dependable Operations Specialist to join our team. Responsibilities can include sorting and boxing food, coordinating with community partners, and leading volunteers.

Anticipated Start Date: 9/15/2026

Anticipated End Date (If Applicable): (none)

Remote Work Eligibility Detail: Not Remote

Anticipated Hours Per Week: Minimum 10 maximum 15

Schedule: This position works 10-15 hours per week. The schedule could consist of hours worked on Tuesday (7:00 am – 3:00 pm), Wednesday (10:00 am – 6:30 pm), Thursday (7:00 am – 2:00 pm), and Friday (7:00 am – 3:30 pm). We have some flexibility within these hours to work with the student to meet their needs and the organizational needs.

Salary/Wage Range/Lump Sum: Minimum: $20.00

Number of Positions: 1

Qualifications

• 1+ years’ experience in a customer service role is required.
• 1+ years’ warehouse experience is preferred.
• Experience leading others is preferred.
• Multilingual is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Commitment and passion for The River’s mission, vision and goals.
• Regular and timely attendance.
• Initiative to continue learning and be solutions focused.
• Ability to work with a broad group of people.
• Ability to stand, stoop and move inside and outside the pantry for prolonged periods of time is required.
• Ability to work in various weather and temperature conditions.
• Ability to work in an environment exposed to dirt, dust, fumes, and noise.
• Ability to communicate information clearly and understandably through interactions with staff, volunteers, and clients.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and circumstances.
• Demonstrated ability to operate standard warehouse equipment.
• Ability to work productively with limited supervision in a collaborative environment.
• Ability to think quickly and make good decisions when problems arise.
• Ability to build good working relationships and foster feelings of mutual respect with staff, volunteers, and clients.
• Ability to keep self and others organized and on task.
• Ability to remain calm and clearheaded under stressful situations.
• Comfort with leading others in assigned duties.
• Previous experience in basic math skills.
• Ability to complete a background check.

Position Summary / Job Duties

• Loading and unloading of donation items, as well as sorting for quality of items.
• Loading food products into client’s vehicles as they utilize the drive‑through pantry program.
• Lead volunteers, delegate tasks, and provide clear instruction on the responsibilities they are assigned during their volunteer shift.
• Sort and place donations on racks, shelves or in bins according to organizational and space standards.
• Assist in unpacking cases of food and stock shelves to ensure sufficient amounts of food are available to clients.
• Comply with FEFO inventory practices in the warehouse, coolers, and freezers.
• Provide appropriate receipts to donors upon their request.
• Maintain positive, effective working relationships with staff, volunteers and clients.
• Communicate issues in a timely manner to the Grocery Manager.
• Adhere to all safety and hygiene regulations of The River.
• Operate equipment (e.g., dolly, pallet jacks) in a safe manner in compliance with established policies and procedures.
• Perform other job duties as assigned to meet the organization and client needs.

Physical Demands

Balancing, carrying, climbing, crouching, feeling, typing, grasping, hearing, kneeling, lifting up to 50 pounds, pulling, sitting, standing, stooping, smelling, talking, walking, and seeing.

Institutional Statements

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: UW‑Madison is an Equal Employment, Equal Access Employer committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce.

Institutional Statement on Diversity: Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW‑Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin‑Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background—people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: diversity.wisc.edu

Advertised: July 13, 2026 09:00 AM Central Daylight Time
Applications close: September 11, 2026 11:55 PM Central Daylight Time