MANNA Programs Associate

 

Reports to:      Health Assessment Program Manager

 

Schedule:        40 hours per week; weekly schedule and lengths of workdays will be determined based on Associate’s and MANNA’s needs.

 

Position Summary:

 

The MANNA Programs Associate will work with all MANNA programs to support their work across Western North Carolina (WNC) and beyond.  These include:

1. Benefits Outreach Program – This team runs MANNA’s Helpline and conducts outreach at MANNA partner agencies and community events, as well as online and over the phone. The main activities of this team are to educate WNC neighbors about SNAP (previously known as “Food Stamps”), assist WNC neighbors in completing SNAP applications, and train volunteers and partner agencies to promote SNAP

2. Health Assessment Program – The main Health Assessment initiative this year is conducting a Community Food Assessment (CFA) across MANNA’s 16-county region, in partnership with 5 other WNC partners. This includes surveying neighbors, partner agencies, and other “key informants” across the region, analyzing and making meaning of data collected; and developing recommendations and reports to guide future investments and initiatives.

3. Mountain Community Insights (MCI) Program—This team provides training and on-site technical assistance to food pantries and community markets across the 16-county region to help MANNA partners adopt our electronic intake platform. The team will also be working within MANNA to make the data collected from the MCI platform visible and useful for decision-making.

 

The specific tasks, roles and responsibilities of the Associate during the performance year will be defined early in the assignment, but likely key activities are below.  To afford the Associate the opportunity to gain insight into non-profit management, they will also work with the Programs Director and Program Managers to support business planning, budgeting, research, data analysis and other program management activities.

 

Principle Activities & Responsibilities:

 

The Associate may be involved in a variety of programmatic activities related to the three programs mentioned above, all with the goal of increasing food security across MANNA’s 16-county region. Examples of those activities include:

• Going out to some of MANNA’s ~200 partner agencies to conduct SNAP outreach—handing out materials, engaging neighbors in conversations about SNAP, and helping them book an appointment with our team to complete a SNAP application, etc.

• Supporting trainings focused on SNAP basic eligibility, logistics, and common misconceptions

• Helping to survey neighbors at food distribution sites for the Community Food Assessment (CFA)

• Helping to clean and compile CFA data

• Supporting CFA “meaning making” community gatherings

• Supporting trainings focused on using MANNA’s electronic intake platform (MCI), which may include helping people get more comfortable using a laptop in general.

• Supporting on-site MCI launches and ongoing technical assistance as partner agencies learn to use the platform and integrate electronic intake into their pantry’s workflow.

 

Overall:

• Participating in team, departmental and staff meetings

• Attending select events hosted by the organization, the Programs Team and/or regional partners

• Meeting on a schedule to be established with the position’s manager, the Programs Director and other Program Managers

 

Qualifications:

• Understands and is committed to MANNA's mission

• Overall comfort using laptops and tablets and proficiency with Microsoft Office and Outlook Office 365

• Must possess a current drivers’ license and reliable personal transportation along with a clean MVR for insurability (regular travel within the 16-county service area may be necessary in this position)

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Able to communicate effectively with all constituencies, including staff, volunteers, and the public

• Able to coordinate groups in an organized fashion and is comfortable with and demonstrates confidence speaking in front of groups

• Able to effectively serve as part of a team, is a self-starter, and can respond quickly to changing requirements

• Has a positive attitude, and a desire to learn the inner workings of a non-profit organization

 

Working Conditions: Because MANNA’s office location is going through extensive reconstruction this year, all Programs Team members work remotely. The Program Associate will also be primarily remote, but will have exposure to warehouse environments, local travel in a personal or company vehicle, and working at off-site locations in the field including a variety of food distribution sites.

 

Physical Demands: The physical demands required are representative of those that must be met by the service member to successfully perform the job's essential functions.

 

The physical demands of this position are considered medium work. While performing job duties this position is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. This position is frequently required to sit, stand; walk; and stoop, kneel, or crouch. This position is occasionally required to climb or balance, must regularly lift and move objects up to 25lbs. occasionally up to 40-50lbs. Specific vision abilities require the visual acuity to operate motor vehicles; close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus close visual acuity to perform activities including but not limited to preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, extensive reading.

 

Functions also require the ability to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard, and to verbally communicate to exchange information. 

                    

Travel: Routine travel may be required within MANNA’s 16 county service area.  Current driver’s license required, copy of current auto insurance, and clean MVR required.