Term of Service: Full Time

Background on the New York City Coalition Against Hunger
The New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that represents the more than 1,200 nonprofit soup kitchens and food pantries in New York City and the more than 1.3 million low-income New Yorkers who are forced to use them. The Coalition works to meet the immediate food needs of low-income New Yorkers and enact innovative solutions to help them move "beyond the soup kitchen" to self-sufficiency. The Coalition is a dynamic and growing organization on the cutting-edge of anti-poverty work, and is well-respected in the field both in New York City and nationwide.

There is currently a full-time job opening within the organization for a Coordinator of NYCCAH’s VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) Program, which uses federal funds (as part of the AmeriCorps National Service Program) to engage about 15 people in a year of full-time capacity- building service at food pantries and soup kitchens. Most of the VISTA participants work directly at pantries and kitchens in neighborhoods across New York City, but a few work directly at the NYCCAH office.

Job Duties for the AmeriCorps*VISTA Program Coordinator
Reporting to the Executive Director, this position manages all aspects of NYCCAH’s nationally-renowned VISTA Program. The position directly coordinates the recruitment, selection, training, management, internal and external reporting, and evaluation of the program. The position will be responsible for working collaboratively with partner soup kitchens, food pantries, and other anti-hunger and anti-poverty organizations to achieve those goals.

Specific tasks include:

• Coordinating advertising, outreach, and networking activities necessary to obtain a large number of high-quality and diverse VISTA applicants from across the nation and New York City to participate in the program.
• Screening, interviewing, referencing applicants, setting up final interviews with the applicants and the NYCCAH Executive Director, and making selection recommendations to the Executive Director.
• Recruiting potential soup kitchens and food pantries (run by independent nonprofit organizations) to host VISTAs and making recommendations to the Executive Director as to which sites should be selected.
• Working with site supervisors to create detailed VISTA Volunteer Assignment Descriptions (VADs), which are the work plans for the year.
• Training and working collaboratively with VISTA site supervisors.
• Matching new VISTAs with service sites.
• Arranging for the provision of extensive pre-service training for the VISTAs as well as continuing professional development training and bi-weekly participant roundtables throughout the year.
• Ensuring that all members of the VISTA team are consistently carrying out the work in their VADs and that NYCCAH and their sites are providing them with the daily supervision and tools necessary to do so.
• Reading and responding to bi-weekly reports from each VISTA.
• Compiling and submitting all reports and forms required by the federal government.
• Overseeing the monitoring, continuous improvement, and evaluation for the program.
• Proving technical assistance to sites, as well as to other soup kitchens and food pantries in neighborhood networks organized by the VISTAs.
• Directly managing the daily activities of one “VISTA Leader,” a VISTA participant with special duties in helping facilitate the interactions of the VISTA team.
• Coordinating VISTA involvement in special events such as the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Serve-a-Thon, AmeriCorps week, and NYCCAH’s annual hunger survey.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills and Qualifications Sought:
The Coalition is seeking applicants for the Coordinator of the AmeriCorps*VISTA Program from people with direct experience managing and/or serving in VISTA national service programs. People with similar experience in the AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, or other national and community service programs will also be considered.

A college degree is preferred, although people with significant, relevant, work experience will also be considered.

The Coalition is seeking a self-starter with very strong organizational, personnel relations, and project management skills.

Because the NYCCAH VISTA program undertakes challenging projects that requiring collaborative partnerships among people and entities that don’t often work together, the successful candidate for this position must have excellent people skills that combine forceful leadership with seasoned diplomacy.

Because the program requires submission of lengthy and detailed paperwork to the federal government, the successful applicant must also be adept in compiling and submitting such reports with a strict adherence to deadlines and programmatic details.

Applicants should have a very positive, "can do" attitude and a demonstrated commitment to social change and national service.

The Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. People of all races, sexual orientations, ages, faiths, economic and social backgrounds, genders, physical abilities, and national origins are strongly encouraged to apply.

Salary and Benefits
Salary is competitive with other non-profit organizations. NYCCAH offers significant benefits to all full-time employees, including a strong health insurance plan. Employees also receive generous vacation, holiday, and sick time. Employees also have opportunities for training and professional development while working for one of the nation’s most respected anti-hunger organizations.

How to Apply
To apply, submit a resume, a cover letter detailing your qualifications for this specific position, and your salary history and/or requirements to: jobs@nyccah.org, fax: 212-825-0267, or NYCCAH, 16 Beaver Street, 3rd Floor, New York, New York, 10004. Please mark your e-mail subject line, your fax, or your envelope “VISTA Management Position.”