About Community Food Works

Community Food Works’ purpose is community through food. We work locally out of Kingston, NY to make local food accessible to everyone in the mid-Hudson Valley.

Community Food Works (CFW) believes that every meal connects us—to the land where our food grows, to the farmers who tend it, and to each other. But often, this connection is lost: complex supply chains have replaced local relationships. Good, local food is too expensive for most families. Farmers struggle to make a living while we lose touch with where our food comes from.

Community Food Works imagines a Hudson Valley where this relationship is re-built. Where choosing local food is easy, and affordable. Where kids eat school lunches made with ingredients grown locally. Where farmers can make a good living with reliable relationships. Where every neighbor has access to fresh, healthy food. Community Food Works exists to build bonds between people while re-building key pieces of food infrastructure that have been lost—the processing, storage, and distribution that turns seasonal harvests into healthy food everyone can afford. They work to make local food accessible to everyone in their community. CFW facilities take what local farmers grow and turn it into the foods families actually eat—flour for bread, tomatoes for sauce, corn for tortillas and chips. Then they make sure these foods reach everyone in our community, whether they're eating lunch at school, getting help from a food pantry, or shopping at Hannaford.

This work has three main parts:

● Processing: They run facilities that transform local crops into wholesome, minimally processed ingredients and meals. The Milestone Mill turns regional grains into flour. The Crop Shop turns local crops into more useable foods, like tomato and apple sauces, diced and roasted vegetables, soups, and ready-to-eat meals. Other operations and partnerships with local processors bake our flour into bread and make tortilla chips and fresh tortillas.

● Distribution & Logistics: Community Food Works handles the complicated parts that often break down in local food systems—getting products from where they're made to where people need them. Their trucks deliver to schools, food pantries, and stores throughout the region.

● Fair Pricing: They don't maximize profit. They price products so they can compete with conventional options while still paying farmers fairly. This work is subsidized by the NoVo Foundation, to make sure good food is accessible to everyone.

Community Food Works Basic Roadmap

● Start with what grows well here: Relationships with farm partners and CFW’s sister organization, The Hudson Valley Farm Hub, tell CFW what crops and growing methods are adapted to local climate and soil. Passing along this knowledge and genetics reduces risk for farmers and gives us products that thrive in the region.

● Build reliable markets: CFW creates consistent demand for what local farmers grow. Instead of farmers gambling on whether they will find buyers, they know CFW will purchase their harvest at fair prices.

● Add value close to home: Rather than shipping raw crops elsewhere for processing, CFW does that work locally in the Hudson Valley. This creates local jobs and allows local farmers to feed their neighbors.

● Make it affordable: CFW prices their products to compete with what you would find at the grocery store. Fair prices for farmers, accessible prices for families—they bridge that gap so choosing local food isn't just for people with extra money to spend.

● Share what they learn: Everything CFW figures out—from growing methods to processing techniques to business models—they share with other farmers and food businesses. CFW is not trying to corner the market; they are trying to prove that local food systems can work.

The Compass That Guides Community Food Works

● We work with nature: We support farming practices that build healthy soil, protect water, and encourage biodiversity. When we choose which crops to process and which farmers to work with, we prioritize methods that regenerate the land rather than deplete it.

● We're temporary stewards: The facilities, relationships, and knowledge we build belong to the community. We see ourselves as caretakers of resources that will outlast any individual person or organization. Every decision we make considers how it will serve future generations.

● We adapt and learn: We don't have all the answers, and we're okay with that. When something isn't working, we change course. When community members tell us what they need, we listen. The best solutions emerge from ongoing relationships, not predetermined plans.

● We put people first: Behind every decision is a simple question: how does this serve our community? That means prioritizing Kingston neighbors and Ulster County families, making sure our products reach people who need them most, and creating jobs that support local families.

For Community Food Works, this isn't just about food—it's about rebuilding the relationships that make communities whole. When neighbors choose food grown by neighbors, they strengthen the connections that help us all thrive. They are working toward the day when local food isn't something special you have to seek out, but simply what's available—the freshest, most nourishing option that everyone can access.

That's the future Community Food Works is tending, one relationship at a time. Where sharing a meal means sharing in the work of caring for our land and each other. Where the next generation inherits not just fertile soil and clean water, but deep knowledge of where food comes from and how communities take care of their own.

Learn more at https://www.communityfoodworks.org/.

The Role

Manage the design and build process for physical infrastructure that will redefine how American communities process and distribute local food. As Capital Projects Manager, you will lead $10-50M in facility development over five years, creating state-of-the-art food processing and distribution facilities that prove regional food systems can operate at commercial scale while maintaining community connection.

You'll manage projects from tortilleria construction to regional distribution hub development, each designed as a model facility that other regions can study and replicate. This is an opportunity to apply cutting-edge sustainable building practices, innovative food processing technology, and community-centered design to create infrastructure that serves both operational efficiency and community gathering.

This role will report into the Director of Operations and act as Project Manager of the capital projects from start to finish, including overseeing external contractors - design & build teams, internal stakeholders - leading team meetings regarding progress and hold-ups, timeline & budget tracking, and working to address any issues or needs as they arise throughout the project lifecycle.

What You'll Build

Model Food Processing Facilities

● Lead construction of specialized tortilleria facility featuring traditional nixtamalization with modern food safety systems

● Oversee expansion of grain mill and vegetable processing facilities to handle millions of pounds annually

● Design facilities that demonstrate how regional food processing can meet FDA and SQF standards while preserving artisanal quality

● Create flexible, multi-use spaces that accommodate both production efficiency and community education

Regional Distribution Infrastructure

● Develop distribution hub capable of serving institutional customers across 200+ mile radius

● Design cold storage and logistics facilities that enable year-round availability of seasonal products

● Create distribution systems that can handle both commercial sales and emergency food distribution

● Build wholesale distribution infrastructure that reaches schools, hospitals, and food service operations across the region

Innovation in Sustainable Food Infrastructure

● Integrate renewable energy, water recapture, and waste reduction systems into all facility designs

● Research and implement emerging food processing technologies that enhance efficiency and food safety

● Design facilities that accommodate future automation while preserving employment opportunities

● Create infrastructure that supports research collaboration with Hudson Valley Farm Hub

Community-Centered Design and Development

● Ensure all facilities include community gathering spaces and educational programming areas

● Coordinate community input processes during planning and design phases

● Design facilities that welcome public tours and educational visits while maintaining operational efficiency

● Create infrastructure that strengthens local economic development and workforce opportunities

Other responsibilities Include but are not limited to:

● Act as CFW point of contact for day-to-day construction and project needs

● Procurement process management including overseeing equipment procurement and installation

● Vendor management and lead RFP process when called for

● Meet SQF and FDA standards across new project facilities

Candidate Profile

Community Food Works is seeking an experienced, hands-on, collaborative, and proven Capital Projects Manager to build the infrastructure needed to actualize CFW’s goals of re-defining the regional food system. A strong candidate will have experience leading complex capital projects for food processing facilities. Additionally they will have a deep appreciation for the mission and vision of the regional food system CFW aims to build and promote.

In addition to technical acumen within the field of development, infrastructure management and project management, a successful candidate will bring excellent interpersonal skills. They will be comfortable in fast-paced environments and with tight timelines, enthusiastically working to meet project goals and act a true problem solver along the way.

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and attributes:

● 6+ years managing capital projects valued at $5M+ in food processing, manufacturing, or institutional construction

● Experience with FDA-compliant facility design and food safety infrastructure requirements

● Proven track record coordinating complex multi-stakeholder projects involving community engagement

● Knowledge of sustainable building practices, renewable energy integration, and LEED certification processes

● Background in facility design that balances operational efficiency with community access and education

● Experience managing concurrent projects while maintaining quality, timeline, and budget standards

● Understanding of food processing equipment specification and facility flow optimization

Location and Compensation

The position is in-person with some remote flexibility and with a successful candidate needing to be accessible to Kingston, NY and on-site for projects with regularity.

The compensation available for the role considers a variety of factors including, but not limited to, work location, individual skill set, previous/applicable experience, and other business needs. The estimated salary range for this role is $125,000 - $175,000 with competitive benefits.

To Apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter to Kathryn Arffa at karffa@communityfoodworks.org with the subject line including your favorite vegetable + “Capital Projects Manager Application.”

Community Food Works is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Community Food Works jobs

Capital Projects Manager