St. Vincent de Paul Operations Fellow
Position Title: Operations Fellow
Dates / Time Frame of Fellowship: May 13th – August 2nd
Hour Commitment: 15-20 hours per week
St. Vincent de Paul Mission and Organization Overview: The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) strives to Feed, Clothe, House, & Heal individuals and families in our community who have nowhere else to turn for help. Equally as important, we provide meaningful opportunities for volunteers to serve their neighbors in need with love and compassion.
We are about CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY. Volunteerism is the way we work, because we believe in interdependence. We believe our community works best—when we’re all taking care of each other.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international nonprofit organization that feeds, clothes, houses and heals. It is dedicated to serving people in need and providing the community with the opportunity to serve. SVdP has been assisting central and northern Arizona families since 1946. It operates a network of more than 80 neighborhood food pantries, five charity dining rooms, a transitional shelter, a resource center for the homeless, bill assistance and homelessness prevention programming, as well as a charity clinic with medical, dental and wellness care for the uninsured.
St. Vincent de Paul – Phoenix is the largest SVdP in the world and thousands of people in need are served annually. SVdP collaborates with other nonprofit, for profit, government and higher education institutions throughout the community. Organizations and people want to partner with SVdP because SVdP is known for getting things done with grace, kindness, and dignity. They partner and collaborate internally and externally to ensure the most holistic services for our guests. SVdP recognizes that they excel in providing services like hospitality, food production, homelessness prevention, responding to community emergencies, service, emergency and maintenance health care, nutrition, etc. However, they also value the strengths and assets that others bring in supporting those in need in our community.
Website: https://www.stvincentdepaul.net/
Fellow Capacity: 1
Leadership In Action Fellowship Program Overview: The SVdP Leadership In Action (LIA) Fellows are current University or College Students or recent graduates who strive to be a part of the solution by sharing their gifts, expertise, and passion with SVdP and those we serve. At the core of the Fellowship is the desire to co-create an experience with our fellows that helps to develop the next generation of strong, social leaders and builds the capacity of SVdP to serve the community.
LIA Fellows will be supported through a cohort model that exemplifies collaboration and cross pollination within SVdP Departments, programs, SVdP Leadership, donors and Fellows. Throughout the Fellowship, Fellows will engage in a continuous learning framework through one on one mentorship, biweekly cohort gatherings, monthly educational sessions, an intentional
feedback process, and guided reflection. This framework is intended to create time and space for fellows to support one another, learn from each other, and develop their personal leadership style.
Operations Overview: The Operations section represents most of the overall activity organized to support FEED, CLOTHE, HOUSE, and HEAL operations. To feed this community over 4 million meals a day we use the State’s largest private kitchen and distribute food to one of our 4 dining rooms as well as our Washington St Shelter. Further, our CLOTHE mission is supported by 4 Thrift stores and a fleet of trucks and our HEAL mission is supported by a free medical clinic and dental clinic. These service areas are what it takes to maintain human dignity for thousands in our community. To make it all run together effectively and efficiently is the essential objective of the Operations Section of St. Vincent de Paul. Doing this presents the full suite of operational, logistical, personnel, financial challenges that will require modern techniques and tools to solve.
Fellow Duties: The Operations Fellow will work to address logistical, data and business challenges through the incorporation of modern analytical techniques that allow Operations leadership to make more informed data driven decisions. The Fellow will report to the Director of Operations and Analytics and is expected to work with the entire Operations leadership team including the Chief Operations Officer. Below are some of the duties and tasks that will be asked of the Fellow:
- Enhance and maintain the Operations Data Dashboard monthly
- Work with the Logistics Manager and Care Center Manager to develop truck and driver utilization analysis
- Work with SVdP departments to ensure growth happens through increased volunteerism.
Benefits: The Operations Fellow will have the opportunity to experience and contribute to a complex charitable operation on which thousands depend on daily. This Fellowship will be an invaluable, deep dive into the fast paced, real business problems that must be solved in real time. This program will expose the Fellow to the everyday creativity, grit and function of a diverse operational team, and also offer them the opportunity to be an integral player in the development and growth of life-saving services across Arizona. Given the small but mighty nature of the Operations team, there is no doubt that this Fellow will gain skills in independent thinking, creating work products that solve real world problems, teamwork, problem solving, time management, networking, as well as professional relationship building and management with people across SVdP.
In order to demonstrate that SVdP sees the LIA Fellowship as mutual learning with high expectations, compensation up to $2,500 will be provided from May 13th – August 2nd, 2024. Interested Fellows may have the opportunity to continue through Fall 2024 with additional compensation.
Training Required: Students interested in any of the SVdP Fellowship Opportunities will be required to participate in a virtual SVdP Orientation prior to start of fellowship. This will ensure that students understand the SVdP mission, role of volunteers within SVdP, the population served by SVdP, and the range of volunteer opportunities that are available.
Additional training will be provided by site preceptor to support fellow’s capacity to complete goals and objectives during the semester.
Equipment Required: Students interested in this opportunity must have access to a computer, internet, and phone. The tasks and responsibilities associated with this opportunity require the ability to access multiple websites and online tracking platforms. Additionally, students must be able to register for a zoom account and have video and audio capability through their computer or phone for weekly meetings and overall communication.
Required/Desired Skills:
- Strong connection to mission with a bias toward action that supports vulnerable populations in dignified ways.
- General Computer skills: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
- Strong writing and speaking skills.
- Critical thinker able to identify problems and use analytical skills to propose solutions.
- Work style: A self-starter and go-getter attitude. Ability to take initiative, work independently but also within a small team environment.
- Willingness to learn, adapt, and take on challenges.
- Fearlessness in voicing ideas and offering input with the understanding that some ideas get pushed forward while others get left behind.