Director of Senior Programs

General Description: 

The Director of Senior Programs provides strategic direction and leadership for the San Antonio Food Bank’s portfolio of programs serving older adults, ensuring their long-term growth, compliance, and community impact. These programs include the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), HOPE, and other initiatives that support food access, health, and independence for seniors.

Reporting to the Chief Programs Officer, this position plays a highly visible role both internally and externally, advancing the Food Bank’s commitment to “Food for Today, Tomorrow, and a Lifetime” for senior neighbors. The ideal candidate will bring strong program management expertise, a data-informed approach, and a deep understanding of the unique needs and strengths of older adults. They will excel at fostering collaboration across Food Bank departments and cultivating partnerships with community agencies, local governments, and health organizations to strengthen and expand services for seniors. This position manages a team of six full-time staff members along with interns and volunteers.  

Essential Functions:

• Develop and operationalize a strategic vision for the Food Bank’s senior programs, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and the broader mission to reduce senior hunger and improve health outcomes.
• Direct daily operations of CSFP, HOPE, and related senior initiatives, ensuring compliance with USDA and Feeding America requirements, accurate reporting, and efficient food distribution systems.
• In addition to senior-focused initiatives, this position also provides oversight for a limited number of programs serving other special populations, ensuring coordination and consistency across service models.
• Lead and motivate a high-functioning team; recruit, train, mentor, and evaluate staff. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Build and sustain strategic partnerships with community agencies, senior centers, housing providers, and healthcare partners to strengthen program delivery and expand reach.
• Develop and implement strategies that will maximize the synergies among program areas, including implementing new pilot projects to enhance and expand our programming.
• Monitor and analyze key program metrics, partner performance, and client outcomes; produce reports and insights to inform strategy, resource allocation, and partnership engagement.
• Direct the preparation, maintenance and distribution of departmental work plans, program management reports; in addition, track and monitor program progress to goals.
• Serve as internal expert on USDA senior feeding programs, ensuring policies, food handling standards, and documentation meet all regulatory and audit requirements.
• Serve as programmatic liaison to external partners, including representing Food Bank at national, regional, and local meetings as well as engage in face-to-face meetings with existing and prospective community partners.
• Build strong internal cross-departmental relationships across the Food Bank, with a specific focus on core operational teams interacting daily with partners – food sourcing, transportation, and warehouse.
• Advocate internally and externally for policies and processes that enhance partner and client experience.
• Support disaster response efforts, ensuring continuity of senior services and integration with broader emergency feeding operations when activated.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in public policy, social work, gerontology, business or related field preferred; four years of work experience may be substituted, in lieu of degree. 
• Minimum of 5-8 years of significant professional experience in non-profit sector, public affairs, program management or other relevant experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience managing full-time paid staff. Experience managing multiple staff levels preferred.
• Knowledge of federal feeding programs (especially CSFP or TEFAP) and experience with food distribution programs, or the Feeding America network of food banks preferred, but not required.
• In-depth knowledge of the Southwest Texas community and the nonprofit sector.
• Demonstrable experience in community engagement including proven track record in developing and managing high profile partnerships with public, private and community organizations.
• Strong analytical ability to utilize program data to inform program development; strategic thinker capable of shaping overall business strategy.
• High level of emotional intelligence, political astuteness, diplomacy and relationship building skills.
• Demonstrated program management experience, including experience building and expanding programs.
• Strength in hiring, recruiting, managing, developing, coaching, and retaining individuals and teams, empowering them to elevate their levels of responsibility, span-of-control, and performance.
• Experience working with volunteers and families of varying socio-economic backgrounds.
• Excellent analytical, interpersonal, organizational, and communications skills.
• Ability to organize and manage multiple projects with attention to detail and accuracy while adhering to deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to manage time efficiently and to work independently with minimum supervision.
• Proficient using Microsoft Office products including Outlook, Word, and advanced Excel skills. 
• Some flexibility in schedule is required, including occasional early mornings, evenings, or weekends to support program operations and community engagement.
• Valid Government Issued Driver’s License and proof of insurance.

Physical Demands

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is constantly required to sit, talk, hear, keyboard, and utilize fine manipulation and near visual acuity. The employee is occasionally required to walk, utilize gross manipulation, push, pull, reach, and stoop. The employee must occasionally lift, and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment

This job is performed in an indoor office environment and occasionally may require attendance at outdoor events. You may be required to drive to different locations with varying conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and levels of work to be performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties.