Essentials Market Program Coordinator at Blue Star… · New York

Job Title: Essentials Market Program Coordinator

Department: Chapter Impact

Location: Remote in NYC Metro Area

Reports to: Executive Director, New York Tri-State

Direct Reports: None

Classification: Hourly

Position type: Temporary, Flexible-Hours

Pay Band: $25 per hour

 

 

Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is the largest nonprofit dedicated to making military life better for families. Each year, we support over 1.5 million military- and veteran-connected family members through a national network of 300,000+ members and local chapters in communities across the country.

Our mission is simple and bold: We make military life awesome for families. 

We listen, share, partner, and act to deliver evidence-based, data-driven solutions that work for real people. We’re a lifestyle organization, a friend and neighbor, and a trusted partner. Our approach is collaborative, human-centered, and designed with the whole family in mind.

A Blue Star Family is one with an immediate family member — a spouse, parent, or child — actively serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Guard and Reserves. These families face unique challenges: frequent relocations, deployments, career disruption, and isolation. We respond with research-informed programs that create connection, build resilience, and foster a true sense of belonging.

We serve with urgency but build trust over time — because change happens at the speed of trust. Whether we’re driving spouse employment, supporting caregivers, or helping communities welcome military families, we strive for upstream solutions.

Who We’re Looking For:

• Bold thinkers. Fast movers. Smart collaborators. People who want to build, lead, and drive measurable change — and who care deeply about making an impact that matters.

What You’ll Do Here:

• Solve complex challenges with data, heart, and humility
• Build cross-sector partnerships that get things done
• Help military families feel at home wherever they live

If you're ready to work in a high-performance, mission-driven environment — and to make life better for those who serve — Blue Star Families is where you belong.

 

 

General Description

The Essentials Market Program Coordinator is a cornerstone of the Blue Star Families Essentials Market at Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, NY and a key collaborator with the  NY Chapter team — part planner, part community ambassador, part volunteer coordinator, and part operational executor. Although this role is remote with mostly home office duties, it’s far from behind-the-desk work and requires in person responsibilities every Wednesday at the Essentials Market . 

You’ll be out in the community each week, and it requires frequent in-person engagement, robust physical activity, and strong connections with the local military community. You will live in the community you serve and spend your time building relationships, managing the Essentials Market, and ensuring that every event and initiative delivers a meaningful impact for military families.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Essentials Market Program Coordinator supports the daily operations, logistics, volunteer coordination, and administrative functions of the Essentials Market to ensure efficient program delivery and a positive member experience.

*The Program Coordinator must reside in the local community the Chapter serves, and perform additional programming in neighboring areas with high concentrations of military families.

 

Key Job Functions

• Continuously improve Essentials Market program and processes to deliver an exceptional membership experience at every touchpoint.

• With support from the Program Director and Executive Director, support the planning and execution of occasional Essentials Market pop-up events within the NYC Metro Area.

• Coordinate day-to-day market operations, including facility organization, patron/vendor communication, and operational readiness.

• Maintain inventory management and food safety practices, including stock rotation, expiration monitoring, and storage oversight.

• Recruit, train, schedule, and support volunteers while tracking participation and compliance requirements.

• Coordinate deliveries, donation pickups, product sorting, and distribution activities.

• Support administrative functions including reporting, financial reconciliation, gift-in-kind tracking, and donor/grant support activities.

• Assist with emergency response and contingency planning related to facility or operational disruptions.

• Build and maintain positive relationships with military leadership, partners, vendors, volunteers, and community stakeholders.

• Identify opportunities for operational improvement and support occasional Essentials Market events and outreach activities.

 

Required Experience, Skills, and Background

• 0-2 years in program, event, or community management
• Independent self-starter with excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Knowledge of military family life and sensitivity to their needs
• Proven experience in volunteer recruitment, management, and stewardship
• Comfortable with public speaking, media interactions, and community outreach
• Highly detail-oriented, organized, and able to manage multiple priorities
• Local travel requirements required outside of your home office will be up to 20% or less depending on business needs.
• Ability to repeatedly transport, lift and carry supplies and equipment up to 50 lbs.
• May be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays as necessary to carry out key job functions
• Prior experience working in or managing a food pantry, food assistance program or related work a plus

 

Desired Experience, Skills, and Background

• Familiarity with CRM systems, particularly Salesforce
• Experience with membership-driven or nonprofit organizations
• Ability to assess and improve programs, processes, and operational efficiency
• NY State Certified Food Safety Training a plus

 

More About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families empowers military and Veteran families to thrive by connecting them with their civilian neighbors — both people and organizations — to create strong communities of mutual support. We believe we're all stronger when we take care of one another.

Our groundbreaking research is raising the nation's awareness of the unique challenges of military family life. With the help of neighbors across the country, Blue Star Families is overcoming the isolation and alienation of frequent moves, deployments, and reduced support from the government. Our innovative programs are solving specific challenges for military families, including fighting economic insecurity with resources that foster spouse career development, creating family strength with rich family programming, and providing critical peer support for caregivers, whose numbers are only increasing.

Blue Star Families is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 

EEO Policy

Blue Star Families is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Why Blue Star Families?

Virtual/remote nonprofit organization that moves with you (position specific)
Career growth opportunities
Excellent benefits (403(b) with matching, Flexible Spending, Medical Insurance, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Communications Allowance, and more)
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Leave for Active Duty Military Spouses
On-the-job professional development training
Front-line opportunity to positively impact the military experience
Competitive salaries
Workplace flexibility