General Manager, Mandela Produce Distribution

Team: Mandela Produce Distribution

Reports To: Executive Director, Mandela Partners

Job Type: Full-Time

Salary: $100,000 – $107,000 annually, commensurate with experience

Overtime Eligible: Exempt

Last Updated: February 2026

Job Summary

Mandela Partners is seeking an experienced and mission-driven General Manager to lead Mandela Produce Distribution (MPD), our community-based food hub located in West Oakland. MPD increases access to local, sustainably-grown fresh produce while supporting the economic success of small-scale BIPOC farmers. The General Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership across all MPD programs — including wholesale distribution, CSA boxes, community produce stands, and food access initiatives — while also driving the growth and management of our sales and institutional relationships. This is a senior leadership role that requires both a deep commitment to food justice and the entrepreneurial drive to grow a mission-aligned enterprise.

This job is full-time and is expected to be no more than 40 hours per week. This job is classified as exempt and, therefore, is not eligible for overtime.

Key Responsibilities

Program Operations & Leadership - 40%

• Provide overall strategic and operational leadership for all Mandela Produce Distribution programs, including wholesale distribution, CSA subscriptions, community produce stands, and food access partnerships.
• Develop and implement annual operating plans, program budgets, and performance metrics in coordination with Mandela Partners leadership.
• Supervise, mentor, and build the capacity of MPD staff, fostering a positive team culture rooted in equity, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Oversee logistics, procurement, inventory, and distribution operations to ensure timely, high-quality delivery of produce to all customers and community partners.
• Ensure MPD operations adhere to applicable food safety standards and regulations, maintaining up-to-date documentation, staff training, and protocols to support organizational compliance.
• Identify and implement technology tools — including inventory management, CRM, and ordering systems — to streamline operations and support the scaling of MPD's programs.

Sales Strategy & Revenue Growth - 40%

• Develop and execute a strategic sales plan to grow wholesale, institutional, and CSA revenue in alignment with MPD’s mission and financial goals.
• Conduct regular outreach and relationship-building with existing and prospective wholesale accounts, community-based organizations, schools, food businesses, and institutional buyers.
• Monitor sales performance against key development metrics; prepare and present regular sales and program performance reports to organizational leadership.
• Direct client onboarding systems to ensure a smooth, positive experience for new wholesale and distribution partners.

Farmer & Community Relationships - 20%

• Steward strong, trust-based relationships with MPD’s network of BIPOC farmers, ensuring fair pricing, reliable purchasing, and mutual transparency.
• Represent MPD at community events, farm visits, food access convenings, and partner tastings to build brand awareness and deepen the organization’s presence in the East Bay food ecosystem.
• Collaborate with community-based organizations and food access programs to expand MPD’s Fresh & Free and subsidized produce initiatives for limited-resource families.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of departmental and organizational goals.

To Be Successful in this Role, You Have:

Minimum Qualifications

• 5 years of progressive management or leadership experience, with at least 2 years in a general management, program director, or operations management role.
• Demonstrated experience in sales management, account development, or business development — ideally in food, agriculture, or a mission-driven enterprise.
• Strong financial literacy, including experience managing budgets, tracking key performance metrics, and preparing reports for organizational leadership.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills; comfortable building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including farmers, funders, community members, and institutional buyers.
• Demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of Mandela Partners.
• Enthusiasm for and comfort with working with people of diverse backgrounds.
• Openness to giving and receiving feedback, with a learning orientation and growth mentality.
• Comfort with navigating disagreement or conflict with care and diplomacy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a food hub, food distribution, cooperative, or community food systems organization.
• Knowledge of sustainable agriculture, BIPOC farming networks, and/or food access programming in under-resourced communities.
• Proficiency with business management and CRM software (e.g., Google Suite, Salesforce/HubSpot, QuickBooks, or similar); experience with wholesale or produce ordering platforms is a plus.

Additional Requirements

• This job requires a hybrid work environment (on-site at a food hub and remote).
• You must be able to lift and carry up to 40 lbs and work in a food hub/warehouse setting on a regular basis with or without accommodation.
• A valid California driver’s license and access to reliable transportation are required; occasional travel to farm sites and community events throughout the East Bay is expected.

Benefits

Benefits for this role may include accrued sick, vacation, and holiday pay, in accordance with Mandela Partners’ internal policies and California state law.

Mandela Partners also provides unique benefits that support work-life balance and professional growth.

Our offices close for a week in June in observance of Juneteenth and at the end of the year.

All staff receive access to wholesale produce at cost and a 50% discount on weekly produce boxes.

About Us

Mandela Partners is a non-profit organization based in Oakland, CA that works in partnership with

local residents, family farmers, and community-based businesses to improve health, create wealth,

and build assets through local food enterprises in limited-resource communities.

Mandela Partners is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis

of merit and job performance. Mandela Partners policy prohibits discrimination based on sex

(including gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, pregnancy and breastfeeding),

race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and

protective hairstyles), color, national origin, ancestry, religious creed (including religious dress and

grooming), sexual orientation (including heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality), age (40 and

over), marital status, military or veteran status, genetic characteristic or genetic information, physical

or mental disability, medical condition, reproductive health decision making, or any other

characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

If you would like to request an accommodation in the application process, please email jobs@mandelapartners.org