Job Location

Position Type

Salary Range

Job Category

About Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

Founded in 1974, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is one of the largest food banks in the nation and a trusted nonprofit leader in ending local hunger. The organization distributes nutritious groceries through a network of more than 300 partners at drive-thru and walk-up sites across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Due to the prohibitively expensive cost of living in Silicon Valley and the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Second Harvest is now serving an average of 400,000 people every month, a 60% increase over pre-pandemic levels. Second Harvest also connects people to federal nutrition programs and other food resources, and advocates for anti-hunger policies on the local, state and national levels. To learn more about how Second Harvest is responding to the incredible amount of need in Silicon Valley, visit shfb.org.

About the Position

Oversee a diverse team of volunteers helping with a variety of food sorting projects to support Second Harvest’s food distributions. Provide a safe and rewarding volunteer experience that is in alignment with the food bank’s mission. This position is primarily attached to our Cypress Center (4001 N First Street), but may be assigned to work at the Brennan Center or another site to cover as needed.

This job might be for you if:

you enjoy working with people, training teams to accomplish goals, and doing logistics work in a fast-paced production warehouse environment. While this job has a large physical component, a successful Volunteer Specialist also needs to be an effective communicator who can lead groups of volunteers and positively represent Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.

Responsibilities

• Volunteer Onboarding
  • Welcome all volunteers, individual and groups, to the food bank and share the food bank story
  • Provide safety and job training to volunteers
  • Ensure volunteers are prepared to work safely on our projects, report any issues to Volunteer Supervisor or Manager.
  • Provide additional training to groups with special needs
• Train and Supervise volunteers engaged in various warehouse sorting projects
  • Assign sorting projects to appropriate volunteer groups
  • Assign and train team leader(s) on project objectives and requirements
  • Train volunteers on food sorting, relabeling, repackaging, etc.
• Plan, set up, facilitate projects, and cleanup of warehouse sorting projects
  • Setup product and clean project areas including using forklifts and other powered warehouse equipment.
  • Identify and provide all required supplies and inputs
  • Provide ongoing support during events
  • Provide project results to group
  • Provide project status to Volunteer Coordinator, Supervisor, or Manager
• Monitor sort supplies
  • Organize supplies in storage cabinets and racks
  • Perform regular supply inventory including recommended ordering quantities
• Perform duties in accordance with warehouse and inventory processes and procedures
  • Maintain documentation accuracy and timeliness
  • Monitor and take corrective action to ensure volunteer compliance with food safety rules.
  • Investigate and provide follow-up with appropriate staff on all inventory discrepancies relating to sorts
• Perform cleaning and light maintenance of assigned forklift. Perform daily safety inspections and report any problems to the Warehouse Manager.
• Perform duties in accordance with Second Harvest Food Bank’s safety policies, housekeeping, and sanitation policies.
• Team and cross functional communication:
  • Use Outlook email client software to read and respond to messages daily about our team’s plans, updated policies, and production metrics.
  • Participate in team and organization-wide meetings
  • Show curiosity about the larger food bank operation and learn to understand how different parts of Second Harvest’s supply chain works so that our team can cooperate better with them.
  
  

The ideal candidate will possess the following professional qualifications:

• High school graduate or equivalency desired.
• Experience interacting well with individuals and groups of diverse backgrounds from youth to seniors.
• Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in written form.
• Ability to make frequent changes of routine and pace of activity without loss of efficiency or composure.
• Ability to work and interact constructively with individuals from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds in a culturally diverse work environment.
• Ability to work independently, follow standard procedures, and complete assignments with minimum supervision.
• Ability to obtain forklift certification required; forklift or warehouse experience preferred.
• Basic computer skills and competence in Microsoft Office software including Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Willing to work split shift, rescheduled workweek, or overtime (scheduled or unscheduled).
• Valid California driver license and a clean DMV record. Willingness to drive personal vehicle, as necessary
• Ability to operate safely all types of warehouse equipment, including, but not limited to, manual and electric pallet jacks, forklifts, and dock levelers.
• Ability to safely exert force and/or lift or carry items weighing 20 to 100 pounds occasionally, and up to 50 pounds frequently.
• Up to 2/3 of the time: walk; sit; squat; bend; twist, reach at various heights above and below shoulder level.
• Up to 1/3 of the time: push or pull; lift or carry large, heavy, awkward objects while maneuvering in a confined space; e.g., narrow aisles, high density storage areas, inside of a truck box, etc.; ascend or descend flights of stairs; climb in or out of trucks, docks and/or forklifts.
• Work inside freezers and coolers with a temperature range of -10 degrees F to 38 degrees F.
• Ability to perform duties in accordance with Second Harvest Food Bank’s Safety Policies and Injury Prevention Program.

EOE

Second Harvest is committed to being an equal opportunity employer which values diversity. Under-represented groups are encouraged to apply for all positions.