Description
Job Title: HDM Manager
Reports To: Director of Nutrition Programs
FLSA Status: Exempt
Assignment Category: Regular, Full-Time
Department: Nutrition
Job Purpose
The Home-Delivered Meals (HDM) Manager is a hands-on operations leader responsible for the day-to-day execution, performance, and continuous improvement of Serving Seniors’ home-delivered meal and frozen meal programs.
This role oversees delivery logistics, driver operations, routing systems, and service quality for a large-scale nutrition program serving older adults across San Diego County. The HDM Manager ensures that meals are delivered safely, efficiently, and with dignity, while building strong operational systems, maintaining regulatory compliance, and driving a high-performing team culture.
The HDM Manager plays a critical role in advancing operational excellence by strengthening processes, improving performance metrics, and ensuring a consistent, high-quality client experience across all delivery routes.
Who We Are
Established in 1970, Serving Seniors helps San Diego County’s low-income seniors overcome poverty through whole-person, wraparound support including meals, housing, health and social services, and enrichment activities. We work at numerous sites across the county and in the homes of hundreds of homebound seniors. Our flagship Gary & Mary West Senior Wellness Center in downtown San Diego is unlike any other senior center in the nation. Bringing together a range of supportive services under one roof, the Senior Wellness Center operates 365 days a year and offers two floors of integrated care, including health and social services, housing navigation, enrichment activities, lifelong learning, a Cyber Café and linkage to over 25 onsite direct service partners, including a senior dental center. Last fiscal year, we provided over 1.1 million meals and coordinated services to over 10,700 older adults.
Our Mission: Helping seniors in poverty live healthy and fulfilling lives.
Our Vision: All seniors, regardless of income, are able to thrive, engage in their communities, lead purposeful lives, and have a place they call home.
Our Core Values:
Advocacy - Acknowledging and supporting the needs of older adults at the individual, community, and policy-level.
Person-Centered - Seeing the whole person, providing coordinated support, and treating all with dignity and respect.
Integrity – Representing the values of honesty, trust, and transparency within our community.
Compassion & Empathy – Approaching our work with a heartfelt desire to better understand and serve.
Impact – Measuring and evaluating programs to ensure that for every dollar invested, there is a positive impact in the lives of those we serve.
Intentional Involvement – Promoting an environment that nurtures differences and allows individuals to be their entire, authentic selves.
Top Workplace Award Recipient
Serving Seniors has received the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Top Workplaces Award nine out of the ten years the awards program has taken place, and most recently for six years in a row from 2019-2025.
Requirements
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Program Operations & Service Delivery
- Oversees daily operations of home-delivered and frozen meal distribution, ensuring timely, accurate, and efficient service.
- Manages routing, dispatch, and load-out processes to optimize delivery efficiency and service coverage.
- Ensures alignment between meal production, inventory, and delivery schedules.
- Monitors service delivery in real time and adjusts operations to address changes in volume, staffing, or client needs.
Team Leadership & Performance Management
- Supervises, trains, and develops a team of drivers, fostering a culture of accountability, safety, and customer service.
- Provides ongoing coaching, performance feedback, corrective action, and formal evaluations.
- Ensures adequate staffing coverage across all routes, adjusting for absences, vacancies, and service demand.
- Leads regular team meetings and trainings to reinforce expectations, safety protocols, and service standards.
Systems, Data & Continuous Improvement
- Develops and implements systems for tracking delivery performance, route efficiency, driver productivity, and service quality.
- Monitors key performance indicators such as on-time delivery, meals delivered vs. scheduled, cost per route, and driver productivity.
- Identifies operational challenges and implements solutions to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen service delivery.
- Prepares clear, professional reports for senior leadership, including operational insights and recommendations.
Fleet & Logistics Coordination
- Works in close partnership with the Fleet Manager to ensure vehicle readiness, maintenance scheduling, and minimal service disruption.
- Utilizes GPS and routing systems (e.g., Samsara) to monitor driver performance and optimize routes.
- Supports route redesign, expansion planning, and service area adjustments based on program growth.
Compliance, Safety & Risk Management
- Ensures compliance with San Diego County Aging & Independence Services (AIS), Older Americans Act requirements, and food safety standards.
- Enforces driver safety protocols and implements strategies to reduce accidents and workplace injuries.
- Completes and reviews incident reports, supports investigations, and ensures timely corrective actions.
- Maintains accurate, audit-ready documentation of program operations and service records.
Client Experience & Community Impact
- Reinforces a client-centered service model, recognizing drivers as key touchpoints for participant engagement and safety.
- Responds to and resolves escalated client concerns in a timely and professional manner.
- Supports outreach and engagement strategies to increase participation in the HDM program.
Administrative & Operational Oversight
- Manages driver schedules, timecards, attendance, and payroll accuracy within budgeted guidelines.
- Maintains accurate records of driver performance, training, and compliance requirements.
- Collaborates cross-functionally with Nutrition Operations, Health & Social Services, and other departments to support integrated service delivery.
- Supports audit readiness, reporting requirements, and grant compliance activities.
- Performs other related duties as assigned
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree preferred in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Foodservice Management or related field, or equivalent combination of education and key experience to successfully perform the key roles of the job
- Minimum of three years previous supervisory/administrative experience required, preferably leading front-line or field-based teams
- Experience managing routing, delivery operations, fleet or logistics systems in a high-volume environment
- Food service experience preferred
- Proficient in of all Microsoft Office suite applications and government funded programs, such as Older Americans Act or similar regulatory environments.
Required Qualifications
- Valid California Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record.
- Food Safety Manager Certification. Must obtain a Food Safety Manager Certification within 90 days of hire
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to build and manage high-performing teams.
- Ability to develop and improve operational systems and workflows.
- Strong analytical skills, with experience using data to drive decision-making.
- Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, service-oriented environment.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel for tracking and analysis.
- Ability to maintain professionalism and empathy in a client-facing environment.
Working Conditions
- Onsite position – office provided.
- Position is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and move up to 20 pounds.
Why our current employees enjoy working for us:
- We offer a comprehensive benefits package. Serving Seniors pays 100% of employees medical & dental coverage. (For employees who qualify for benefits)
- We offer paid holidays and paid time off to all employees
- We offer a floating holiday to all employees
- We offer up to a 3% match on 403(b) retirement plans, to all employees
- We’ve been voted a best place to work for over five years in San Diego
- We are a stable company with over 50 years of experience
- We have served thousands of older adults throughout San Diego County making a positive impact and providing a higher quality of life to these individuals
Pay: Range is $72k - $75k Salary DOE
This employer is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and E-Verify employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
