Edible Food Recovery Program Manager

Description

WHAT WE OFFER
The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package that includes:

• Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for the completion of an associate degree, 3.5% for the completion of a bachelor's degree OR 5% for the completion of a graduate degree.
• Bilingual Incentive - Proficiency levels by exam are $.69 per hour (Level I), $1.00 per hour (Level II) or $1.32 per hour (Level III).
• Flexible Workweek/Telework Schedule - We support a work/life balance by offering compressed work (e.g., 9/80 workweek) and remote hybrid telework schedules for some positions subject to organizational needs and satisfactory performance.
• Annual Leave Accrual - New regular, full-time employees in this classification will earn 208 hours per year, increasing to 288 hours after 5 years of service.
• Annual Leave Redemption - An employee may elect to "cash in" or redeem up to 100 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months.
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3.00% match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Plans - Full time employees are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans: Tier one for employee only is $509 per biweekly pay period; tier two for employee plus one is $779 per biweekly pay period; and tier three for employee plus family is $983 per biweekly pay period.
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Choice of participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase spending power through reimbursement of pre-tax dollars for IRS approved dependent care and health care expenses.
• Pension Plan - Both the County and employees contribute to the County's Retirement Plan and to Social Security. If eligible, reciprocity may be established with other public retirement systems, such as PERS.
• Holidays - 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.

THE POSITION
Under general direction, provides management of the Regional Edible Food Recovery Program, also known as Waste Free Ventura County, to oversee the County's multi-jurisdictional edible food recovery program, ensuring compliance with state mandates and expanding local recovery capacity. The position manages staff and consultants, partners with food recovery organizations and commercial generators, coordinates regional working groups and outreach efforts, and oversees data collection and reporting. This position serves as the subject matter expert on edible food recovery laws and best practices for the County.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE
The successful candidate not only possesses the minimum qualifications but also possesses experience in supervising/managing edible food recovery programs and working collaboratively with food recovery organizations; managing and coordinating the work of various stakeholders/entities involved in the regional program; possesses considerable knowledge of California’s SB 1383 edible food recovery compliance requirements, health and safety codes related to food handling and donation, and related laws including the Good Samaritan Act and Bill Emerson Act. The successful candidate is also a highly motivated, results-oriented individual; has excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing; and has experience with food recovery public engagement and outreach using a variety of techniques, resources and tools.

Staff/Services Manager I is a Management classification and is not eligible for overtime compensation. Incumbents in this classification are eligible for benefits at the MB4 level.

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Plans, organizes, coordinates and supervises/manages the activities of regional edible food recovery consultants and subordinate administrative/technical staff for the Edible Food Recovery Program within the Integrated Waste Management Division.
• Confers with and maintains working relationships with Ventura County Food Recovery Organizations (FROs) and Food Recovery Services (FRSs), monitoring and pursuing as appropriate, in-county opportunities for increased food recovery capacity.
• Identifies and tracks Tier I and Tier 2 commercial Edible Food Generators; conducts site visits; and prepares and distributes outreach materials.
• Coordinates and/or participates in inter-jurisdictional working groups, monthly meetings and annual summits; and coordinates tabling events to promote the program.
• Creates or adapts training materials for generators and food recovery partners; conducts workshops and webinars to promote program goals and best practices; supports public outreach campaigns to increase awareness of food insecurity and local donation opportunities; and maintains a website for the regional program.
• Oversees edible food recovery data collection, tracking and annual reporting, including long-term capacity analysis, ensuring compliance with CalRecycle requirements.
• Confers with managers on policy matters and work problems; interprets policies and creates procedures for the edible food recovery program.
• Analyzes program metrics to guide improvements and performance outcomes.
• Represents the County and the agency/department contacts with other governmental agencies or departments and the public.
• Researches and applies for grants and funding opportunities; manages agreements with third-party vendors or recovery organizations; develops long-term regional funding mechanisms or cost sharing strategies among jurisdictions.
• May serve as the subject matter expert on SB 1383, AB1219 and local ordinances related to edible food recovery; may track emerging legislation and best practices related to food donation; and may provide relevant policy updates to agency/department staff, jurisdictions and stakeholders involved in the regional program.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the exam process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING and EXPERIENCE
Some supervision/management experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Two (2) years of progressively responsible professional experience supervising/managing edible food recovery programs;
• Some experience working with food recovery organizations;
• Some experience managing and coordinating the work of various stakeholders/entities related to edible food recovery;
• Some experience in complying with California’s Senate Bill 1383 requirements relating to edible food recovery, health and safety codes related to food handling and donation, and food donation laws including the Good Samaritan Act and Bill Emerson Act;
• Some experience with successful public engagement and outreach methods related to edible food recovery;
• Some consultant and vendor contract management, and grant management experience;
• Must possess and maintain a valid California driver's license;
• Must be able and willing to travel within the County to conduct site visits and perform job functions; and
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal. Skills must be demonstrated in the completion of the employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

DESIRED

• Proficient in the usage of computers, systems and software such as Microsoft Office Suite, Geographic Information System (GIS), data platforms, Zoom, etc.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES
Knowledge of: the principles of supervision and management; principles and techniques of budgetary preparation and analysis; fiscal management and organization; consultant and vendor contract management; and grant management.

Considerable knowledge of: California’s Senate Bill 1383 compliance requirements relating to edible food recovery, health and safety codes related to food handling and donation, and food donation laws including the Good Samaritan Act and Bill Emerson Act; and public engagement techniques and outreach methods.

Skill in: the usage of computers, systems and software such as Microsoft Office Suite, Geographic Information System (GIS) applications, data platforms, Zoom, etc.

Ability to: analyze operational and administrative barriers for effective food recovery; recommend improvements to enhance program efficiency and regulatory compliance; implement and oversee inventory and data tracking systems, CRM and donor tracking systems; prepare a variety of reports and recommendations; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; represent the program's interests across government and nonprofit sectors; maintain productive working relationships with stakeholders such as food recovery organizations, commercial businesses and jurisdiction partners; conduct long-term planning and analysis to support the development, expansion and sustainability of the regional edible food recovery program; manage time and task coordination, multiple deadlines and project coordination of multiple stakeholders/entities effectively and efficiently; and effectively communicate the goals, benefits and legal protections of food recovery to businesses, nonprofits and the public.

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE: Your application must be received by the County of Ventura, Human Resources no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 25, 2025.

To apply online, please refer to our website at www.venturacounty.gov/jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura, Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualification. A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application; however, it/they may not be substituted in lieu of the application.

NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here (Download PDF reader) for additional information.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this exam at the time of filing. This questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in removal of the application from further consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION - qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether the stated requirements are met. Applicants meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the recruitment process.

TRAINING and EXPERIENCE EVALUATION: A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Examination, which may be preceded by or replaced with a score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%: A job-related oral examination may be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.

ELIGIBLE LIST: Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill present and future Regular (including Temporary, and Fixed-term), Extra Help and Intermittent vacancies for this position only. There is currently one (1) Regular vacancy.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: The selected candidate may be subjected to a thorough post-offer, pre-employment background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record. For further information about this recruitment, please contact Kelli Fitzgerald by email at kelli.fitzgerald@venturacounty.gov .

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

YOUR BENEFITS AS A COUNTY OF VENTURA EMPLOYEE

MANAGEMENT

To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below.

• Benefits website or you may call (805) 654-2570.
• Retirement FAQ's
• Memorandum of Agreement

Union Codes: MB3, MB4, MS, MT, MCC, MU

Closing Date/Time: 9/25/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

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• County of Ventura

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