OVERVIEW: Chum is a non-profit 501 (C)3 organization that serves about 8,000 low-income, homeless, hungry, isolated, and otherwise marginalized community members each year. More than 40 faith-based congregations in Duluth are part of Chum and support our core mission: people of faith working together to provide basic necessities, foster stable lives, and organize for a just and compassionate community.
Chum operates an Emergency Shelter, Family Shelter, a Drop-in Center with a Health and Wellness Clinic, Winter Warming Center, Food Shelf, as well as offers Street Outreach, and supportive services for people living at the Steve O’Neil Apartments and the St. Francis Apartments who were previously homeless. Chum’s advocacy focuses on policy and systems changes to help improve the lives of people who turn to Chum for services. Chum also provides leadership to Stepping On Up (a collaboration of service agencies) that is working to change Duluth’s response to homelessness. We are committed to providing services in a manner that is informed by historic and contemporary forms of marginalization (such as racism, homophobia, and patriarchy) and relevant to the current issues of increasing mental illness and substance misuse. The Director of Distribution Services must be attuned to these struggles and able to understand, articulate, and synthesize Chum’s response to these issues.
POSITION SUMMARY: As a member of CHUM’s Senior Management Team, directs activities and provides overall management of CHUM’s Distributive Services programming including the operation of the Chum Food Shelf and the collection and distribution of donated food, household supplies, etc. to Chum’s service population.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned:
· Oversees the ongoing acquisition, inventory control, handling, and distribution of all material items (e.g. food, household supplies/utensils, personal hygiene products, etc.) provided through Chum to its client population.
· Oversees the continuous improvement and implementation of policies and procedures for the acquisition, inventory control, and distribution of food and materials to ensure an adequate supply of donated and, as necessary, purchased food and materials to meet the needs of clients.
· Coordinates activities and provides overall management of the Chum Food Shelf at downtown and west locations, as well as Chum’s mobile pantry, and Chum2Go programs including sourcing, stocking, and inventory control, distribution, and record keeping and reporting.
· Oversees annual food drives in March, May, and October (other times as needed).
· Purchases food and other supplies through the Northern Lakes Food Bank and other local vendors as required for Chum’s Food Shelf, Shelter, Drop-In Center, and permanent supportive housing programs. Develops other sources of food and supplies for Chum as needed.
· Hires and supervises 5-6 departmental staff and approximately 100 volunteers.
· Oversees the recruitment, ongoing training, and supervision of volunteers to provide adequate support to staff and assist with the delivery of distributive services.
· Ensures that information and referral options for other community resources are available to program recipients and that clients are assisted in accessing these resources.
· In cooperation with other agency staff, provides education to Chum congregations and the community at large on the causes of poverty and hunger, and the needs and experiences of community members experiencing poverty, hunger and marginalization.
· Develops and manages departmental budgets and purchasing accounts.
· Assists with marketing and public relations and with food- and fund-raising efforts related to the program area.
· In coordination with the Chum Grant writers, helps with the finding, writing, and submission of any grants to create and provide cash flow to any new and existing Chum food shelf programming.
· Oversees the maintenance of records, usage statistics and timely submission of reports.
· Develops and maintains cooperative relationships with other agencies/organizations.
· Participates in relevant continuing education opportunities.
· Represents Chum in local, regional, and statewide food security and food systems advocacy, and hunger-response initiatives. Works with other Chum food systems and health equity projects as appropriate.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
· Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience. Proven effective experience in one or more of the following areas: program management, purchasing, inventory control, and logistics. Computer skills, including experience using word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, and database applications.
· Ability to develop constructive, cooperative, and respectful relationships with staff, volunteers, Board Members, etc., and maintain those relationships over time.
· Able to work well under pressure, meet and exceed deadlines, able to seek and synthesize information, and communicate in a compelling and succinct form.
· Skilled at problem-solving to create solutions by listening, understanding, and responding with timeliness and accuracy.
SKILL REQUIREMENTS:
· Language Skills: Ability to read and implement fiscal policies and procedures. Ability to write reports, business correspondence. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from vendors, donors, other human service providers. Ability to speak in an effective and compelling manner with individuals, organizations and media. Ability to respectfully and comfortably engage with low-income and culturally diverse people.
· Mathematical Skills: Ability to add and subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio and percent and to draw and interpret graphs. Ability to effectively use financial statements.
· Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Valid Minnesota Driver’s License preferred.
Other Skills and Abilities: Commitment to meeting the needs of low-income people and to a faith-based ministry to persons who are low-income. Ability to remain flexible, work under pressure and deadlines, and deal with interruptions in the workplace. Experience as a volunteer or managing volunteers.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
· The employee is regularly required to be standing and moving around. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear.
· The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 75 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions:
· While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts.
· The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to occasionally noisy.
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
- 403(b) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Retirement plan
Schedule:
- 8 hour shift
- Monday to Friday
- Weekends as needed
License/Certification:
- Driver's License (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
Ability to Relocate:
- Duluth, MN: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person