Chief Operations and Impact Officer

Scion Executive Search has been retained to conduct an immediate search for the Chief Operating & Impact Officer of United Food Bank , an organization on a mission to unite communities to alleviate hunger in Arizona. This is a full-time, onsite position based in Mesa, AZ. ABOUT UNITED FOOD BANK: United Food Bank is a mission-driven nonprofit uniting communities to alleviate hunger across Arizona. Through a network of roughly 250 agency partners, including food pantries, churches, schools, dining rooms, and shelters, the organization provides reliable access to nutritious food for neighbors facing hardship. United Food Bank views food security as the first step toward helping individuals and families achieve long-term stability and opportunity. Grounded in the values of being Uniters, Cultivators, and Optimists, the organization fosters a collaborative, solutions-focused culture and continues to expand its reach and impact across Arizona communities. At a pivotal moment of growth, United Food Bank is advancing a dual strategy to support lasting stability. Through Food for Today, the organization gets the right food to the right place at the right time across a complex supply chain. Through Food for Tomorrow, United Food Bank uses its operational touchpoints, partnerships, and programs to connect neighbors with resources that support long-term economic stability. The organization is also redesigning how food reaches its agency partners and designing a new campus that opens in 2028. POSITION OVERVIEW: The Chief Operating and Impact Officer (COIO) oversees the complex logistics required to source, store, repack, and distribute tens of millions of pounds of food across more than 19,000 square miles of Arizona, serving communities from urban centers to remote rural and tribal areas. In parallel, the COIO leads the programs, partnerships, and operational frameworks that ensure neighbors receive both immediate nutritional support and connections to resources that support long-term stability. The COIO leads most of United Food Bank’s frontline staff, making this a culture leadership role as much as an operational one. Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer and supervising the Directors of Transportation & Logistics, Agency Network, Retail & Innovation, Inventory and Food, and Operations, the COIO is a member of the Senior Leadership Team and shares responsibility for advancing United Food Bank’s mission and organizational success. The COIO also staffs the Board’s Operations & Impact Committee and ensures strong operational systems and compliance with federal, state, local, and Feeding America requirements. This is a moment of change, and the COIO arrives to lead it: redesigning how food reaches agency partners, preparing operations for a new campus, and rebuilding trust between leadership and the teams on the dock, in the warehouse, and on the road. RESPONSIBILITIES: Senior Leadership & Strategy Serve as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team and senior operations leader, reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer. Serve as staff lead to the Board’s Operations & Impact Committee, presenting quarterly impact results and the Operational Response Plan that Feeding America requires every three years with Board approval. Translate United Food Bank’s Stability First strategy into a continuous, multi-year operational roadmap aligned with strategic priorities. Anticipate industry trends and operational risks, naming obstacles early and providing insight that strengthens long-term organizational direction. Step into a role currently held by an interim leader during the holiday distribution season, quickly stabilizing operations, earning the team’s trust, and leading the changes ahead without disrupting work in progress. Serve as operations owner for the new campus, approved by the Board for Phase 1 design in October 2026 and opening in 2028, shaping dock configuration, flow, refrigeration, and staffing and planning the move into the new site. Food for Today: Operations & Supply Chain Lead the end-to-end food supply chain, including food acquisition across grocery rescue, prepared food rescue, USDA commodities, produce, and purchased product, as well as inventory, warehousing, transportation, and distribution of tens of millions of pounds of food annually. Own the redesign of the distribution model, moving roughly 250 agency partners from individual deliveries to consolidated morning distributions in partnership with Transportation & Logistics, Agency Network, and Finance, with the model finalized between January and March 2027. Oversee logistics across a 19,000+ square mile service area, from urban Maricopa County to remote rural and tribal communities in Navajo, Apache, Gila, and Pinal counties. Ensure effective food flow, inventory control, and a nutrient-dense product mix in partnership with the Chief Financial Officer and inventory leadership. Oversee warehouse and fleet operations through the Director of Transportation & Logistics, including routing, DOT and FMCSA compliance, inventory accuracy, cold-chain management, and food safety under USDA, AIB, and Feeding America standards. Champion a zero-incident safety culture across warehouse and transportation operations, with full OSHA and DOT compliance. Serve as primary operational lead during emergencies such as wildfires, floods, benefit disruptions, and pandemics, coordinating with partner food banks, the state association, and emergency providers. Partner Network & Community Distribution Lead the team that supports roughly 250 agency partners, including churches, schools, pantries, dining rooms, and shelters, moving the network from food drops to genuine capacity building. Ensure equitable distribution of resources across the service area and identify and address service gaps. Oversee partner monitoring for food safety and for treating neighbors with the dignity United Food Bank’s values require. Serve as United Food Bank’s point pers