Nonprofit Program Director – Community Health & Food Safety

Career Guide

Leads planning, delivery, and evaluation of nonprofit programs that improve community health and ensure food safety. Manages budgets and grants, supervises staff and volunteers, builds partnerships, and ensures compliance with public health and food safety standards.

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Key Responsibilities

Design and oversee community health and food safety initiatives
Manage program budgets, grants, and funder reporting
Hire, supervise, and develop staff and volunteers
Build partnerships with health departments, schools, and food systems
Ensure compliance with food safety standards and protocols
Monitor KPIs and evaluate program outcomes; implement improvements
Coordinate trainings, site visits, and risk mitigation activities

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Senior Program Director

Director of Programs

Executive Director (Nonprofit)

Transition Opportunities

Public Health Policy Analyst

Food Safety Manager (Industry or Public Sector)

Grants & Development Director

Operations Director (Health Services)

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

HACCP and advanced food safety complianceProgram evaluation and outcomes measurementFederal grant compliance and reporting (e.g., USDA/CDC)Budget management for multi-funder programsCross-sector partnership development

Development SuggestionsComplete ServSafe Manager plus HACCP training and a short course in program evaluation and grants compliance; lead a pilot initiative with a local food bank to practice budgeting, KPI tracking, and partner coordination.

Market Intelligence Report

Nonprofit Program Director – Community Health & Food Safety is part of the Program Management category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

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Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry Level$55,000–$70,000

Mid Level$75,000–$95,000

Senior Level$100,000–$125,000

Growth Trend

growing — Food security and public health funding fueling nonprofit program demand

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

Feeding America (member food banks)No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength)Meals on Wheels affiliates

Industry Sectors

Non-Profit & Social ImpactPublic HealthFood & Agriculture

Recommended Next Steps

Earn ServSafe Manager and complete an online HACCP course; pair with a program evaluation course (Coursera/CDC TRAIN).

Volunteer with a local food bank or public health coalition to design a small pilot (create a logic model, KPIs, and report results).

Conduct 3–5 informational interviews with nonprofit program leaders; request sample grant reports and budgets to build a practice portfolio.