Director of Community Engagement - Kanbe's Markets

Position Summary:

The Director of Community Engagement at Kanbe's Markets leads the expansion and operation of the Healthy Corner Store (HCS) program, facilitates Kanbe’s Markets presence in the neighborhoods we serve and ensures that the customers and partners that utilize Kanbe’s services are heard and represented in all strategic decision making at a leadership level.  This role combines strategic community engagement, partnership development, and program management to increase access to healthy food in underserved areas.

Field Work & Program Design:

• Understand the markets that Kanbe’s is looking to expand into and develop culturally appropriate and sensitive strategies for HCS expansion.
• Identify and attend neighborhood association meetings to represent Kanbe’s, understand neighborhood concerns and build trust.
• Help craft culturally appropriate store offerings and marketing materials to support store launch.
• Engage community members post-store opening to help increase awareness of new locations.

Partnership Development and Maintenance:

• Identify and engage stakeholders Kanbe’s Markets operates in, in order to build trust and maintain relationships with key community leaders, local business owners, and government officials to facilitate store expansions and customer adoption.
• Establish strategic partnerships with local nonprofits and healthcare organizations that mutually advance Kanbe’s and their goals.
• Own existing Food as Medicine partnerships and increase their effectiveness and grow population served
• Find and grow partnerships that enhance Kanbe’s core competencies, such as nutrition or health experts, dietitians or food educators, etc.,
• Engage with local policymakers to advocate for policies that support healthy food access and sustainable local food systems.

HCS Store Partnerships Point of Contact:

• Develop and manage relationships with corner store owners, managers and staff providing support and incentives for their participation in the Healthy Corner Store
• Onboard new stores as they become Kanbe’s Markets partners.
• arc
• Find ways to support and grow store community facing services, through programs like mRelief and snap enrollment, Firstcall and de-escalation classes, and other opportunities.
• Meet frequently with store leadership to ensure input, resolve issues and capture feedback.
• Direct community-focused marketing campaigns to raise awareness about Kanbe's Markets and the benefits of the Healthy Corner Store program.

Impact Measurement:

• Implement systems to track and analyze the impact of Healthy Corner Stores on community health outcomes and local economic development.
• Lead and develop an evaluation strategy utilizing resources from civic foundations.

Team Leadership:

• Manage and mentor a team, ensuring effective execution of neighborhood-level initiatives.
• Coach and work collaboratively with Marketing to increase HCS effectiveness, with a focus on culturally-relevant advertising
• Manage budgets for community programs and store expansions, ensuring efficient use of resources.
• Develop training programs for store owners and community members to sustain the long-term success of the Healthy Corner Store initiative.

• Minimum of 3 years working in Jackson or Wyandotte County, preferably in a nonprofit, community development or community engagement capacity.
• Nonprofit, strategic and/or managerial leadership experience
• Community or relationship-building experience
• Excellent organizational and contact management skills
• The ability to perform essential job duties with or without reasonable accommodation is required.

Preferred Skills: 

• Account Management and/or sales experience
• Strong, established relationships in East Kansas City and/or Wyandotte County
• Bilingual (preferred but not required)

Compensation & Benefits | PTO:

This is a salary position with a range of $70,000 - 85,000 annual and will be commensurate with experience. This is a full-time position with health insurance benefits. Paid time off is available after 90 days of continuous employment.

Impact Description:

Within 1 month, you will:

• Complete your orientation to Kanbe’s mission, workflow, staff, and current projects.
• Ride along with delivery driver
• Participate in a volunteer sorting event.
• Attend a Community Engagement event.
• Learn the Kanbe’s tour script, sales script, and review current leads

Within 3 months, you will:

• Have visited all Kanbe’s locations
• Have made introductory visits to new location leads alongside Kanbe’s Program or CE staff
• Participated in an onboarding meeting and installation of new store location
• Met with marketing team to understand what resources are available to new stores

Within 6 months, you will:

• Strategy drafted and new store scouting pipeline filled and moving
• Have completed an evaluation of all locations and understand sales reports
• Have onboarded 14-21 new locations
• Organized all records of locations scouted by Kanbe’s

Kanbe’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.