IRIS seeking PT Housing & Donations Coordinator

[Kelly Hebrank]

Housing and Donations Coordinator (Part Time)

This is a part-time position- averaging about 30 hours per week. 

 

IRIS – Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (www.irisct.org), a dynamic nonprofit organization in New Haven CT, has an immediate opening for the part-time position of Housing & Donations Coordinator.  IRIS helps refugees—people fleeing persecution in their home countries who are invited to the US by the federal government—to start new lives and become self-sufficient, contributing members of their communities. IRIS currently welcomes about 220 refugees each year, from countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Congo, Eritrea, and Sudan.

 

Summary of Position Responsibilities:

IRIS is responsible for providing all newly arriving refugees with a furnished apartment on the day of their arrival.  The Housing & Donations Coordinator is responsible for acquiring safe, affordable, appropriate apartments for new arrivals; supervising the cleaning and furnishing of the apartment; and coordinating the pick-up and distribution of donated furniture and household goods.

 

 

Specific Duties:

 1.  Apartment Acquisition

• Liaise with local landlords, property managers, and real estate agents to identify apartment options for new refugee arrivals no later than 1.5 weeks prior to client’s arrival.
• Coordinate with case management department and others to select apartment.
• Conduct safety checklist to ensure home meets basic standards, and ensure that any outstanding issues are addressed.

 2.  Donations Coordination

• Encourage public donations of furniture and household items, either directly to IRIS or to an IRIS partner, a furniture bank/thrift store.
• Coordinate the collection and distribution of donations:  Respond to phone and email inquiries about donating furniture.  Schedule times when donors can drop off furniture, or when necessary, drive IRIS’s pick-up truck to homes around Greater New Haven to collect furniture from donors. 
• Manage the IRIS warehouse and storage spaces, and keep an inventory. 

  3.  Apartment Set-up

• Coordinate the housing preparation, and supervise volunteers who help with the process of cleaning the apartment, furnishing it, and supplying all necessary household goods. 

 4.  Program Administration

• Complete administrative paperwork necessary for IRIS compliance with funders and regulators- including safety checklist, checklist of the items provided in each apartment, and case notes documenting work performed. 
• Communicate needs for volunteer help to IRIS Volunteer Coordinator, and supervise a team of volunteers and interns.
• Arrange for maintenance of the IRIS pickup truck.

 

Position Requirements

1. Ability to multi-task and work on many priorities at once in a fast-paced environment.
2. Cultural competency and a desire to serve people of diverse backgrounds.
3. US driving license, and ability to drive IRIS’s pick-up truck around Greater New Haven.
4. Ability to lift and carry furniture and household goods. 
5. Polite, respectful communication (phone, email, in person) with many stakeholders including landlords, furniture donors, and clients.
6. Computer skills, including MS Office and email.
7. Superb organizational skills, and ability to anticipate needs and plan for them appropriately.
8. Ideal candidates will have experience supervising others. 

 

To apply, send an email to Deputy Director Kelly Hebrank, at [e-mail] by September 8^th with the following:

• A subject line that says “HOUSING & DONATIONS COORDINATOR: [Candidate first and last name]”
• A cover letter describing your relevant skills and experience, and why you are interested in this position
• An attached resume