Project Overview:
The Sourcing and Demand Planning (SDP) team is responsible for all food sourcing for Second Harvest Heartland and the Midwest Food Hub, and for arranging transportation to bring food into the Brooklyn Park facility. Some SDP team members are also responsible for arranging outbound transportation to other food banks.
We’re seeking a logistics professional to conduct a survey of third-party transportation options and create a request for proposal (RFP) to “price out” common routes we currently use to determine the most cost-effective options. This volunteer will also collaborate with the Second Harvest Heartland transportation team to determine organizational capacity to backhaul locally grown produce using the Second Harvest Heartland staff and fleet and determine the potential cost-savings.
Skills needed & previous experience desired:
Background in transportation and logistics
Ability to work independently with staff project lead support
Intermediate to advanced Excel skills
Knowledge of Microsoft Outlook
Deliverables:
Recommendations for 3PL freight carriers for inbound and outbound routes
Recommendation or strategy for future SDP transportation RFPs
Cost-benefit analysis of using Second Harvest Heartland staff/fleet for backhauls vs. 3PL carriers
Estimated time commitment: Estimated 20-25 hours over 6 weeks
Project start date: Flexible, anticipatedJune/July 2026
Number of volunteers needed: 1
Work site: Hybrid- Remote and onsite at our Brooklyn Park Facility
To Express Interest: Hit “respond” to the opportunity
