Program Coordinator
Reports to: Program Director
Employment Status: Full-time/Exempt
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico (with travel to school sites in neighboring counties)
Impact of this Role
The Program Coordinator plays a key role in advancing Cooking with Kids’ mission to educate and inspire children and families to make healthy food choices through hands-on learning with nutritious, affordable foods. This position supports the planning, coordination, implementation, and continuous improvement of Cooking with Kids programming in schools and communities throughout northern New Mexico.
Serving as both a Food Educator and a key operational partner to the Program Director, the Program Coordinator balances classroom instruction, program coordination, and operational support to ensure the successful delivery of high-quality programming that builds children's food skills, confidence, curiosity, and willingness to try healthy foods.
What you will Lead and Support
Food Educator (50%)
- Serve as the primary Cooking with Kids (CWK) Food Educator for assigned school site(s), working closely with school staff throughout the school year and facilitating classroom-based cooking and nutrition education lessons using the Cooking with Kids curriculum.
- Schedule and deliver Cooking with Kids programming, managing the calendar for assigned site(s) and coordinating program units with classroom teachers, administrators, and cafeteria staff.
- Lead monthly cafeteria tastings using Cooking with Kids' "Nuevo Thursday" approach to introduce students to fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods.
- Build positive relationships with students, teachers, administrators, cafeteria staff, families, and community partners.
- Support family engagement, after-school, and community activities as needed.
- Maintain regular communication with program leadership and fellow Educators, contributing ideas and best practices to a collaborative team culture.
- Maintain a valid Food Handler certification and ensure strict adherence to food safety, sanitation, and risk management procedures.
- Complete required reporting, purchasing documentation, and program records in a timely manner.
Program Support (30%)
- Partner with the Program Director to design, implement, and improve educator training, professional development, and program resources.
- Collaborate on the development and refinement of curriculum, lesson plans, recipes, and educational materials.
- Supervise and support assigned Food Educators through regular communication, coaching, mentoring, performance feedback, and problem-solving.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with school district leaders, principals, teachers, cafeteria staff, and other partners.
- Monitor program quality, including class records, participation data, and required reporting.
- Assist with the recruitment, onboarding, training, and ongoing support of Food Educators.
- Coordinate program supplies and equipment inventory, maintenance, and ordering; and assist the Program Director with planning and tracking program-related expenses.
- Serve as a substitute Food Educator and provide direct program support as needed.
Cross-team Program Coordination & Food Logistics (20%)
- Support the Food Procurement Manager on Mondays with packing and ingredient pickups, designated bulk shopping days, and occasional transportation of food and supplies to partner schools and districts outside of Santa Fe.
- Cross-train in food ordering, ingredient calculations, inventory systems, and procurement procedures to provide coverage and operational support as needed.
- Collaborate with Program, Procurement, and Operations staff to coordinate schedules, troubleshoot logistical challenges, and support efficient program delivery across all service areas.
- Attend staff meetings, training, organizational events, and occasional evening or weekend community activities.
- Perform other duties as assigned in support of organizational priorities.
Work Rhythm & Compensation
Employment Status
This is a full-time, exempt position. A full-time schedule typically averages approximately 32 hours per week, with seasonal variation depending on program cycles and school partnerships.
Cooking with Kids operates within a flexible time management framework. Staff are trusted to manage their schedules in alignment with program needs, school commitments, and organizational priorities. As an exempt role, this position is not eligible for overtime or compensatory time. Instead, workload expectations reflect a seasonal level-of-effort model, recognizing the natural ebb and flow of responsibilities throughout the year.
Compensation & Benefits
The salary range for this position is $35,000 to $48,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Cooking with Kids offers flexible scheduling, paid leave, and a holiday calendar that generally aligns with Santa Fe Public Schools district office holidays, supporting staff well-being, balance, and sustainable work practices.
The Strengths You Bring
Required Skills
The Program Coordinator is a leader who has:
- Strong classroom facilitation and/or youth development skills, with the ability to engage children through hands-on learning.
- Ability to coach, mentor, and support Food Educators while building a positive team culture.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with students, families, teachers, administrators, and community partners.
- Strong organizational, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
- Proficiency with email, spreadsheets, and digital collaboration tools.
- Bilingual proficiency in Spanish and English is highly desirable.
Education & Experience
- We recognize that valuable knowledge comes from many paths. Candidates may qualify through a combination of education, professional experience, continuing education and training, community leadership, and lived experience. A bachelor's degree in a related field is welcomed but not required.
- At least three years of experience working with children or youth in educational, community-based, nutrition, garden, or related settings.
- Experience facilitating educational programs, training, curriculum-based instruction, or other hands-on learning experiences, preferred.
- Supervisory, mentoring, or team leadership experience preferred.
- Basic understanding of food safety and sanitation practices, a plus.
- Valid driver's license and reliable transportation, required.
Successful completion of a background check prior to employment and ongoing compliance with all CWK and district requirements.
Physical Demands
The physical demands 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 the essential functions.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee will regularly sit, walk, and stand, as well as lift 25to 40 pound boxes
The information contained in this job description is provided to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed in this position. The individual currently holding this position performs additional duties, and additional duties may be assigned in coordination with the Executive Director.
Cooking with Kids is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Cooking with Kids does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Pay: $35,000.00 - $48,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 403(b)
- 403(b) matching
- Flexible schedule
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
