Warehouse Operations Coordinator

Organization Overview

Nourishing Hope, formerly known as Lakeview Pantry, is a dynamic Chicago nonprofit providing food and social services for anyone in need. Founded in 1970, we're one of the largest and longest operating hunger relief organizations in Chicago. We also provide free, trauma-informed mental health counseling and other social services, such as job and housing assistance. We strive to serve the needs of the whole person - with respect and dignity, always.

Nourishing Hope offers our neighbors nutritious food using a choice-based distribution model and access to life-changing social services including:

• Monthly food distribution and additional produce pickup through five different food access programs;
• Home delivery services for older adults, homebound neighbors and neighbors living with disabilities;
• Social services including case management, mental health counseling, job search support, domestic violence intervention, referrals and public benefits assistance (SNAP, healthcare, government forms) for anyone in need.

Nourishing Hope serves tens of thousands of people each year, providing more than 4 million meals through our programs, in addition to partnerships with other community organizations. This year, Nourishing Hope will provide about 200,000 food and social services to our Chicago neighbors.

Position Summary

The Warehouse Operations Coordinator supports the Warehouse Operations Manager. The coordinator will be based at Nourishing Hope's headquarters location in West Town. The coordinator is responsible for day-to-day operations of running a food pantry warehouse including: leading and supervising volunteers, accepting and ensuring food safety of incoming donations, preparing pallets for transport to other locations, managing outgoing and incoming pallets of food, and maintaining warehouse inventory. This position requires the employee to spend most of the day moving around the site and working with and around other people.

Schedule and Locations

This is a full-time position with a Tuesday-Saturday work week. Hours vary slightly on different days but all take place between 7:00am and 4:00pm.

Essential Job Functions

• Lead shifts of volunteers, which includes teaching them to sort through incoming food donations, to build and wrap pallets, to pack boxes, and to organize the warehouses.
• Manage deliveries of food going out to other locations; ensure that the correct food is sent in accordance with truck schedules.
• Act as an ambassador to incoming individual volunteers and groups, educating them about the mission and functions of Nourishing Hope and giving tours.
• Supports or facilitates training for volunteers and staff as needed to ensure consistent warehouse standards and procedures.
• Operate a forklift, pallet stacker, and pallet jacks; safely move pallets of food around the warehouses and in/out of trucks/vans.
• Assist the Warehouse Operations Manager in maintaining an inventory of the warehouse and entering inventory into spreadsheets.
• Learn, adhere to, and teach Nourishing Hope standards for food safety and quality.
• Receive and record donations from vendors and from individual donors.
• Assist in maintaining the warehouses: report or correct safety hazards and help with day-to-day facility needs. This can include duties such as helping with trash removal, general cleaning, and occasional snow shoveling.
• Communicate needs, issues, and schedules with the Warehouse Operations Manager as well as with other Nourishing Hope staff.
• Work with the Warehouse Operations Manager and other team members to maintain and improve food flow systems and inventory.
• May occasionally drive a pantry van between internal sites.

Qualifications

Required

• High school diploma or GED required; higher education is a plus.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds frequently, and up to 100 pounds occasionally.
• Experience operating a forklift.
• Experience training or supervising other people. Ability to lead groups of people working on multiple tasks.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Logistical, organizational, time-management, and problem-solving skill
• Ability to efficiently and effectively handle shifting and multiple priorities.
• Solid computer skills including a working knowledge of Google Sheets.
• Previous experience managing logistics, working in a warehouse, or working with food is a plus.
• An understanding of, and belief in, the importance of food security for everyone.

Highly Preferred

• Valid driver's license, clean driving record and the ability to operate a motor vehicle (cargo van or passenger van).
• Experience operating pallet stackers or pallet jacks or willingness to learn.

Pay and Benefits

Hourly rate: $20.20 per hour

Full-time benefits include:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Employer-paid life and disability insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer contribution
• Generous paid time off
• Paid birthday holiday
• Parental leave
• Language pay (Spanish, Russian, Polish)
• $250 employee referral bonus
• Free subscription to mental wellness app

Background Check

Because we are a Medicaid provider all applicants who are offered employment with Nourishing Hope will be subject to a background screening. Offers of employment are contingent on the successful completion of a background screening conducted in accordance with Nourishing Hope policy and federal, state and local law.

We kindly ask that agencies and recruiters refrain from reaching out. Unsolicited sales messages will be blocked and reported as spam.

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