Role: The Rescue Manager is the primary architect of La Soupe’s Rescue Partner pipeline and stewardship, overseeing the full lifecycle of food donor partnerships—from prospecting and solicitation to cultivation, retention, and growth in collaboration with Philanthropy and Operations. This role serves as a strategic ambassador for La Soupe, ensuring a consistent pipeline of high-quality ingredients while building strong, long-term donor relationships. The position balances high-level strategy with the operational precision required to successfully launch and sustain partnerships.

Reports To: Sr. Director, Rescue, Share, and Volunteer Engagement

Payroll Type: Salary

Days/hours work: Available Monday-Friday (8:00-4:00 PM), 40 hours per week

Desired timing of hire: April 2026

Job posting date: 3/13/2026

Location: La Soupe, 915 E McMillian St, Cincinnati, OH 45206

Travel: Local travel within Greater Cincinnati required, with occasional regional travel. Approximately 30% of time in external meetings with partners, donors, and community stakeholders.

About La Soupe: La Soupe is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Walnut Hills. It is the largest chef-led initiative in Ohio that bridges the gap between food waste and food insecurity. Our chef-based model utilizes a large volunteer network to rescue perishables from farms, grocers, and wholesalers. Our highly talented Transform Team of chefs and volunteers transform this food into healthy soups and meals. While La Soupe chefs and volunteers are addressing the immediate needs of food waste and food insecurity, La Soupe dietitians, teachers, and advocates are dedicated to creating sustainable change through our programs that educate and empower communities to waste less and live healthier.

Key Responsibilities

Partner Cultivation and Outreach

• Proactively identify new food rescue sources, including manufacturers, warehouses, grocery stores, farms, and restaurants to ensure a steady supply of raw, transformable ingredients.

Donor Funnel Development & Management

• Design, implement, and manage a Food Donor Funnel to identify, engage, onboard, and retain rescue partners.

• Track donor progression from prospect to conversion.

• Prioritize outreach and relationship-building with high volume donors focused on protein, starch and vegetables.

• Educate and inspire prospects on the value of La Soupe’s mission and their projected impact.

• Analyze donation trends to identify gaps, risks, and opportunities—particularly around core material supply.

• Develop “pitch” materials and processes for the various types of rescue sources; maintain clear documentation of tailored engagement for continuous improvement.

• Identify and participate in meetings, industry events, and forums that build the rescue pipeline.

• Develop a rescue partnership funnel in order to focus on opportunities that will satisfy LaSoupe’s  tactical needs, as well as, the pounds required to meet the strategic plan.

• Own the partner development pipeline, vetting all prospective leads for alignment on rescue composition needs and strategic operational fit while maintaining active engagement with waitlisted organizations to build a robust future network.

• Maintain a strong and consistent prospect pipeline, measured by increased pound rescued, the number of new qualified leads advanced to partner meetings.

Rescue Partner Stewardship

• Serve as the primary point of contact for existing food donors, providing regular impact reports and "thank you" communications to ensure long-term retention.

• Manage and renew annual partnership agreements; ensure all rescue partners are trained in and adhere to safe food handling and donation tracking protocols.

• Through an engagement strategy, conduct regular site visits to rescue locations to troubleshoot logistical hurdles and deepen the personal connection between the donor and La Soupe.

• Work collaboratively across departments to develop and implement engagement opportunities.

• Facilitate a two-way feedback loop where donors receive data on how their specific rescued items were transformed and distributed.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with the Philanthropy team to identify corporate food donors with high potential for financial giving, ensuring a unified "one-voice" approach to corporate stewardship.

• Collaborate with Rescue & Share Manager and Dock to coordinate closely on timing and scheduling to ensure that food recovery runs align with the specific windows of availability for rescue partners ensuring consistent reliable service is provided.

• Collaborate with Dock and Transform teams to understand real-time and projected kitchen capacity and cooler space, ensuring only what can be safely processed and stored is accepted.

• Collaborate with leadership to develop targeted strategies for increasing protein, starch and vegetable donations to ensure delivery of organizational impact goals.

Data Tracking & Reporting

• Monitor and report rescue metrics weekly and monthly

• Maintain accurate donor and rescue data to inform operational and fundraising decisions

• Use data to forecast supply and proactively address projected shortfalls in target areas

• Strategic retention and growth of existing partners, including increased engagement, donation volume over time.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Donor Funnel KPIs

  • 3 new food donors onboarded per quarter, with a focus on acquisition of new partners and growth in high-volume donors (those contributing 1% or more of total rescued food).

  • Establish an initial meeting with 25% of the donor pipeline within the first 90 days. 

  • Qualified prospect conversion rate of 20% in first year.90% recurring Donor retention rate (month-over-month and year-over-year)

  • 60%> Percentage of donors providing recurring vs. one-time donations

• Donation KPIs

  • 10% Net growth in overall pounds and pounds of protein rescued year over year

  • Total overall pounds and pounds of protein rescued per month, set on an annual basis

  • 50% Produce / 20% Protein / 20% Other, Percentage of total rescued food that is protein and produce

Qualifications & Skills

Required

• 3+ years of experience in sales, business development, account management, or nonprofit program leadership.

• Existing knowledge and relationships within the Greater Cincinnati food supplier landscape

• Experience cultivating relationships with food retailers/suppliers.

• Proven Track Record: Demonstrated success in "closing" partnerships/contracts.

• Communication: Exceptional interpersonal skills; ability to pivot from a loading dock conversation with a farmer to a boardroom presentation with a corporate donor.

• Technical Savvy: High proficiency in Google Suite and experience using CRM or logistics software to track relationship touchpoints.

• Mobility: Valid driver’s license and willingness to conduct frequent site visits across the Tri-State area.

Preferred

• Experience in food systems, culinary operations, or supply chain.

Skills & Abilities

• Strategic thinker who can balance immediate needs with long-term goals

• Creative problem-solver who remains calm under pressure

• Culturally competent, people-centered communicator

• Builds effective relationships through formal and informal networks, internally and externally

• Passionate about La Soupe’s mission to reduce food waste and food insecurity

• Highly organized with strong attention to detail

This role is ideal for a relationship-driven professional who thrives in dynamic environments and is excited to play a key role in building systems that reduce food waste and feed communities.

Compensation: Commensurate with experience with a hiring range of $45,000 - $60,000

Benefits:

• 11+ Paid Holidays, free lunch, free parking, phone stipend

• Health insurance with company match for employee and family: Medical, vision, and dental

• 401(k) plan - no match, life insurance and AD&D

• 15 days of PTO accrued annually, plus 5 paid sick days

• Parental paid leave policy after one year employment

• Opportunity to work with the best crew in the city while helping communities

La Soupe is committed to work-life balance and will consider candidates interested in FT reduction (32 hours), hybrid, and other flexible arrangements that meet the needs of both the agency and the candidate.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

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

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to stand and walk. The employee frequently is required to sit or stand. The employee may regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; outside weather conditions; extreme cold, and extreme heat. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.

To apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, and three references to Amy Scarpello, Sr. Director, Rescue, Share and Volunteer Engagement, at Amy@LaSoupe.org, by Sunday, April 5th at 11:59pm. 

Equal opportunity: La Soupe, Inc. values a diverse and inclusive work environment where every team member matters. All qualified applicants for this position will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.