Educational Services Specialist bei Houston Food Bank

Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Educational Services Specialist has a vital role in supporting Houston Food Bank’s child nutrition programs, including Kids Café, School Market, and Backpack Buddy, across the organization’s 18-county service area. This position ensures program compliance with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) guidelines for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). This position is responsible for coordinating daily documentation, maintaining accurate meal service records, and ensuring timely reporting. This role also provides administrative, compliance, and customer service support to school-based partners, helping to facilitate equitable food distribution through various service models. In addition, the Educational Services Specialist cultivates and maintains strong, professional relationships with both internal teams and external stakeholders to enhance program effectiveness and community impact.

Adhere to PACT values. (Purpose: Using our strengths passionately to contribute to our mission. Accountability: Choosing to rise above one’s circumstances and demonstrating ownership to achieve results. See It. Own It. Solve It. Do It. Courage: Standing up for what’s right and acting. Transparency: Doing things openly and honestly). 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Demonstrated Reliable On-Site Attendance

Maintains consistent, punctual, and dependable attendance to support business needs, including participation in meetings, trainings, and presentations.

2. Ensure Regulatory Compliance

Learns and applies Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) guidelines to support compliance with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

3. Partner Training and Support

Trains and supports schools, site coordinators, school staff, and student volunteers on the policies, procedures, and operational expectations of Educational Services programs.

4. Data and Records Management

Manages, collects, and maintains accurate records, reports, and data entries in alignment with program compliance requirements.

5. Documentation for Audit Preparedness

Maintains thorough documentation and recordkeeping to ensure readiness for audits and inspections in compliance with TDA regulations.

6. Relationship Building and Community Engagement

Fosters strong relationships with neighbors, school and community stakeholders, and donors. Serves as a professional representative of Houston Food Bank (HFB) and the Educational Services department.

7. Database and Technology Use

Accurately maintains information across multiple systems, including databases, dashboards, and software platforms used for program operations and reporting.

8. Program Paperwork and Site Monitoring

Processes and ensures the accuracy and completeness of essential program documents, including agreements, reports, food safety assessments, and monitoring forms.

9. Educational Outreach and Representation

Participates in outreach efforts by attending meetings with schools, district officials, and community partners to promote awareness and understanding of HFB programs.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• No 

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience:

• High School Diploma from an accredited school or general education development (GED) certificate.  
• Some college preferred
• 1-2 years of child nutrition, food service operations, or related work experience preferred
• 1 year of experience in a non-profit organization or school preferred
• Knowledge of food insecurity in the Houston area preferred 
• Bilingual preferred (English/Spanish)

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations:

• Must have reliable transportation, a valid driver’s license, and insurance.

Special Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. (For best performance, the job holder in this position would be expected to show the right knowledge, skills, and abilities in the listed areas.)

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, Google Drive, and basic database knowledge and experience
• Ability to work with a diverse population
• Ability to travel to site locations for required monitoring visits
• Must have excellent customer service and communication skills to ensure smooth communication of any sites to conduct correct meal services
• Must possess excellent written and verbal communication to express complex information clearly
• Flexible and able to adjust to sudden changes in the organization and workload
• Able to coordinate and communicate well with all members of the department
• Strong problem-solving abilities and attention to detail
• Ability to operate a computer, copier, and other business equipment

COMPLIANCE:

Carries out responsibilities in accordance with TDA, USDA, CACFP, and HFB policies.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. (For best performance, the jobholder in this position would be expected to show the right knowledge, skills, and abilities in the listed areas.)

COMPETENCIES:

Action-Oriented / Customer Focus / Drives Results / Drives for Results / Priority Setting / Managerial Courage / Interpersonal Savvy / Creativity / Standing Alone / Time Management / Decision Quality / Self-development / Patience 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is required daily to analyze and interpret data, communicate, and remain in a standing or stationary position for a significant amount of the workday; and often access, input, and retrieve information from the computer and other office productivity devices. The employee must regularly move about the office and around the facility, use hands, wrists, and fingers to grip, type, and write. The employee must frequently lift 25 pounds. The employee will need to have the average ability to hear horns, warnings, and alerts associated with a warehouse. The employee must frequently travel to other sites for business.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While the job is generally performed in an enclosed office environment, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, strong food-related smells, and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the office environment is typically quiet, but the employee will be occasionally exposed to loud noise levels (e.g., horns, fans).

TRAVEL REQUIRED:

Travel is required 60% of the time for this position, including travel to partners within our 18-county service area on a domestic basis.

This role supports hours of operations at the Houston Food Bank facilities, as necessary, and may require flexibility (e.g., times of disaster, community events, company events).

*Is legally able to work in the United States.