Starting pay: $19.50 - $23.75

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Volunteer Experience Associate is an ambassador for Houston Food Bank’s Volunteer Experience. This role is responsible for delivering the ultimate volunteer experience by proactively welcoming volunteers, creatively engaging volunteers throughout the volunteer project, and providing excellent customer service in a fast paced environment. This position leads and supports diverse groups of volunteers of all sizes, including presenting to groups of up to 1,000 volunteers. The Volunteer Experience Associate is committed to the Mission, Vision, and Values of Houston Food Bank.

Adhere to PACT values. (Purpose: Using our strengths passionately to contribute to our mission. Accountability: Choosing to rise above one’s circumstances and demonstrating ownership to achieve results. See It. Own It. Solve It. Do It. Courage: Standing up for what’s right and acting. Transparency: Doing things openly and honestly). 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Reliable, consistent, on-site attendance is a requirement. This position requires punctuality and dependable attendance to meet the needs of the business, including attending and participating in meetings and presentations.
2. Proactively welcomes volunteers with a positive attitude and consistently provides a positive experience to every volunteer by creatively maintaining them engaged throughout the project.
3. Conducts volunteer Orientation sessions for up to 1,000 volunteers.
4. Follows Volunteer Services Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and other internal resources that will ensure the project runs smoothly and efficiently.
5. Actively works alongside volunteers and provides hands-on instructional training, professionally answers any questions or concerns throughout the project, and monitors volunteers within the project area to ensure all safety guidelines are followed.
6. Promotes and maintains the safety of volunteers and self while using box cutters, pallet jacks, forklifts, and other equipment.
7. Manages volunteer group coordination, including last-minute volunteer shift changes, media events, large corporate groups, and off-site volunteer events.
8. Ensures product and materials are available throughout the volunteer project.
9. Responsible for quality control by inspecting finished pallets before racking to ensure proper temperature, no signs of pest activity, cleanliness of product, and all packed items protected/secure for transport and distribution.
10. Responsible for the sanitation, cleanliness, and maintenance of the project areas before, during, and following a project.
11. Anticipates, identifies, and mediates potential issues during project production and observes and controls supply levels of product and box inventory. 
12. Collaborates with other team members to delegate shared tasks and ensures project areas are clean, organized, and supplied.
13. Ensures all project supplies are stocked and product damages are reported in a timely manner; confirms equipment is operable and well-maintained during the project startup/shutdown process; informs the Leadership team about supply inventory levels and any project area repairs and/or equipment replacement needed.
14. Ensures all required project paperwork is completed prior to and at the end of each assigned volunteer shift; obtains Supervisor approval. 
15. Properly allocates volunteer roles and identifies opportunities to utilize Apple Corps Leaders, Student Heroes, and Blue Badges to aid in the success of the project production process.
16. Attends mandatory huddle meetings with the Volunteer Experience Team to review and discuss the volunteer shift schedule and be aware of trends and/or specifics.
17. Responsible for actively participating in monthly onsite departmental meetings; completing ongoing virtual training through various Learning Management Systems and demonstrating project proficiency during hands-on training; attending assigned offsite projects to support HFB Partners. 
18. Must be willing to engage in educational opportunities regarding hunger and food insecurity and support HFB’s advocacy efforts toward serving our communities.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Education/Experience:

• High School Diploma from an accredited school or general education development (GED) certificate. Some college or bachelor's degrees preferred
• 2 years of in-person customer service, retail, or event coordinating experience required
• Volunteer experience preferred
• Bilingual preferred (English/Spanish)
• Must be able and willing to operate forklift and electric pallet jacks

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations:

Must have reliable transportation, a valid driver’s license, and insurance.

Special Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. (For best performance, the job holder in this position would be expected to show the right knowledge, skills, and abilities in the listed areas.)

• Ability to work with a diverse population, including the public
• Must possess exceptional interpersonal and problem-solving skills, as well as have a high-energy, can-do attitude.
• Ability to work and think independently, use sound judgment and critical analysis skills 
• Ability to maintain professional composure and apply de-escalation techniques when sudden
• Must possess the ability to manage multiple tasks and demands from a variety of people and groups, communicate clearly and effectively, and deliver clear instructions, objectives, and goals to team members and volunteer groups 
• Ability to utilize and manage time efficiently and quickly shift or change task assignments as needed 
• Must possess accountability and follow-through on all assigned and ad-hoc tasks
• Must possess attention to detail with the ability to process complex information 
• Must be able to collect and analyze complex data and ability to apply basic arithmetic 
• Must be able to engage with all members across the organization in a professional and courteous manner

COMPLIANCE:

Carries out responsibilities in accordance with HFB policies.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. (For best performance, the jobholder in this position would be expected to show the right knowledge, skills, and abilities in the listed areas.)

COMPETENCIES: 

Action-Oriented / Customer Focus / Drives for Results / Informing / Approachability / Learning on the 

Fly / Perseverance / Self-development / Listening / Peer Relationships / Integrity and Trust / Functional/Technical Skills

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is required daily to analyze and interpret data, communicate, and remain in a standing or stationary position for a significant amount of the workday; and often access, input, and retrieve information from the computer and other office productivity devices. The employee must regularly move about the office and around the facility, use hands, wrists, and fingers to grip, type, and write. The employee must frequently lift 50 pounds. The employee will need to have the average ability to hear horns, warnings, and alerts associated with a warehouse.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The job is generally performed in a warehouse or kitchen environment. The employee is frequently exposed to different temperature-controlled environments including the freezer, wet and/or humid conditions, strong food-related smells, and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the office environment is typically quiet, but the employee will be occasionally exposed to loud noise levels (e.g., horns, fans).

TRAVEL REQUIRED: 

Travel is required for this position (up to 10% of the time and on a domestic basis within our 18-county service area). 

This role supports hours of operations at the Houston Food Bank facilities, as necessary, and may require flexibility (e.g., times of disaster, community events, company events).

*Is legally able to work in the United States.

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and essential job functions needed for this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, working conditions, qualifications, and skills that may be needed. 

Houston Food Bank (HFB) is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities, and experience. We believe that it is an essential part of the Company's overall commitment to attract, hire and develop a strong, talented, and diverse workforce. 

HFB is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and medical conditions related to pregnancy), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.