Description
The Community Nutrition Program Director will help manage the YMCA of Southwest Florida's regional efforts to reduce food insecurity, expand nutrition education, and increase access to healthy foods across rural and underserved communities. This position assists in the oversite of food access initiatives funded under the Florida Blue Foundation Food Security and Y-USA grants, including community outreach events, nutrition workshops, Mobile Markets, pantry operations, education resources, and partnerships with regional food banks. This role will support staff hiring/training, and administration of USDA food security evaluations. This role will work with the Nutrition team to ensure the YMCA's strategies align with grant milestone activities, annual output targets, and outcome measures.
The Program Director helps ensure compliance with evidence-based nutrition practices, provides oversight in developing and providing new staff for nutrition education, coordinates food distribution expansion, provides insight and helps develop website resource tools, and monitors program impact to guide efforts to ensure target outcomes are achieved annually through 2029.
Requirements
Program Implementation & Expansion Coordinate and assist with the efforts of food security milestone activities, including:
- Expanding Mobile Market operations in food deserts in rural counties.
- Current operational food pantries as well as building and opening on-site food pantries
- Coordinating annual cycles of community outreach events and nutrition workshops.
- Assist with procurement and use of kitchen supplies and equipment needed for cooking/nutrition classes.
- Support acquisition and utilization of refrigerator trucks for Mobile Market expansion.
- Support program expansion into additional counties; coordinate launch tasks as assigned.
Staff Leadership
- Assist with the hire, onboard, support, and supervise nutrition staff positions.
- Help provide training for YMCA personnel to obtain SNAP/WIC navigation certification.
- Support efforts to foster an internal culture that prioritizes equitable food access, nutrition literacy, and compassionate service.
Community Outreach & Workshops
- Facilitate community outreach events annually, increasing to the number of events during the grant period.
- Support implementation of annual nutrition workshops beginning 2026, scaling participation each year.
- Ensure workshop curriculum aligns with measurable knowledge gain, increased produce consumption, and health outcome indicators defined in grant outcomes.
Partnership Development
- Act as YMCA representative regarding agreements and helping maintain strong partnerships with current food banks
- Identify rural locations and community hubs appropriate for Mobile Market deployment.
- Always be looking to and advocating within supported communities for additional sustaining partnerships for food program longevity
Food Distribution & Access
- Coordinate bulk meal distribution for families in Hendry, Glades, and DeSoto.
- Support in the goal of increasing annual meals and produce volume via pantries and Mobile Markets as outlined in annual output targets.
- Maintain accurate data on meals served, pounds of food distributed, and participation counts.
Nutrition Education & Menu Planning
- Coordinate menu planning with the support of a registered Dietician.
- Lead development and maintenance of all printed and online educational materials.
- Oversee finalization of educational content for YMCA website, including nutrition information, menus, and local resources.
Data & Evaluation
Ensure compliance with all USDA food security survey cycles:
- Monitor achievement of grant-defined outcomes, including:
- Increase in nutrition knowledge
- Increased fresh fruit/vegetable consumption
- Improved health indicators for multi-session attendees
- Food security achievement and/or measurable progress in all USDA survey periods
- Track unduplicated participation metrics for households, individuals, workshops, and outreach engagement.
Website & Outreach Resources
- Work with team in the creation of a comprehensive YMCA nutrition webpage.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Community Health, Social Services, or related field is preferred.
- Minimum 3-5 years of experience in food access programs, community nutrition, food bank operations, SNAP/WIC guidance, or related work.
- Demonstrated experience in partnership development, curriculum creation, health and nutrition best practices, and community-based service models.
- Familiarity with USDA food security metrics, survey administration, and data-driven performance measurement strongly preferred.
- Strong leadership, supervisory, and project management experience, with proven ability to meet milestones and measurable outcomes.
- Passion for equitable food access, healthy living, and community well-being aligned with YMCA mission.
- Employment is contingent upon completing required Level 2 background screening through the Florida Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse. Details: https://info.flclearinghouse.com
CERTIFICATIONS AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS: - CPR and First Aid Certifications preferred.
- Completion of YMCA of the USA Child Abuse and Neglect class
- Completion of the YMCA's Blood Borne Pathogens training
- Must be able to meet the association's background screening requirements.
- Adhere to drug/alcohol/smoke free workplace policy.
- Additional training classes as recommended by the Supervisor.
WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- This role requires travel across YMCA service counties, outreach sites, mobile market destinations, and community event locations. Schedule flexibility is necessary, including occasional evenings/weekends.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer for extended periods of time and be able to communicate using a computer and phone/smart device. The employee frequently is required to sit and reach and must be able to move around the work environment.
- The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust.
- The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
YMCA of Southwest Florida has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and YMCA of Southwest Florida reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the YMCA of Southwest Florida may deem appropriate. Community Nutrition Program Director
