Lead Senior Box Eligibility Specialist at Houston Food Bank – Houston, Texas

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Lead Senior Box Program Eligibility Specialist works under the general direction and guidance of the Partner Services Senior Manager. Th is position reports to assigned sites within the Houston Food Bank network to process participants and distribute boxes of Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) food to a set caseload of qualified Senior Box Program participants (based on guidelines set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture and Texas Department of Agriculture (USDA/TDA)) throughout each month with the highest level of professionalism and customer service.

Adhere to PACT values. (Purpose: Using our strengths passionately to contribute to our mission. Accountability: Choosing to rise above one’s circumstances and demonstrating ownership to achieve results. See It. Own It. Solve It. Do It. Courage: Standing up for what’s right and acting. Transparency: Doing things openly and honestly).

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Reliable, consistent, attendance is a requirement. This position requires punctuality and dependable attendance to meet the needs of the business, including attending and taking part in meetings and presentations.
2. Responsible for processing participants to receive a Senior Box Program box by verifying IDs and program status, re-certifying existing participants, enrolling new participants according to age and income guidelines, collecting a signature from each participant electronically through the Link2Feed database program, issuing Senior Box Program box tickets to eligible participants; and referring non-eligible participants to alternative Houston Food Bank (HFB) programs and services.
3. Directs and advises participants when needed, helping in the planning, scheduling, and execution of the distribution at sites, including, but not limited to preparing copies of support documents/tickets, preparing participant reminders when sites are moved, rescheduled, or canceled, or to inform the participants of distributions; suggesting alternate sites when extra boxes need to be distributed, composing call lists, and verifying with management regarding the scheduling.
4. Participates in distributions at site distributions to ensure that participants have an excellent distribution experience, including helping outside distribute products to ensure that each senior participant is served on time and with a smile.
5. Responsible for the safekeeping and proper maintenance of the computer equipment used for box issuance and the participants' information gathered.
6. Demonstrates ability to work independently to complete administrative duties and prepares future distributions daily.
7. Supports preparation for audits, desk reviews, and monitoring visits to ensure full compliance with TDA, USDA, and CSFP guidelines.
8. Ensures accurate and timely reporting in Link2Feed and other required systems following each distribution.
9. Reviews the HFB warehouse floor for the available bonus items and provides a list of available items to Senior Box Eligibility Specialists.
10. Provides guidance, training, and ongoing support to the Senior Box Eligibility Specialists.
11. Coordinates and facilitates training for affiliate partners, as needed.
12. Assists with onboarding and training new Senior Box Eligibility Specialists.
13. Promotes accountability and adheres to program deadlines, including applications, reporting, and ordering requirements.
14. Reviews Senior Box program emails weekly to ensure timely follow-up and communication.
15. Assists with managing caseload distribution and coverage planning to ensure adequate support across sites.
16. Assists with monitoring enrollment numbers and waitlist to ensure caseload targets are met and maintained.
17. Supports outreach efforts to maintain and grow the program participation.
18. Identifies and recruits appropriate agencies for participation in the CSFP program.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience:

• High School Diploma from an accredited school or a general education development (GED) certificate, and a minimum of 2–3 years of experience in eligibility determination, social services, food assistance programs, or a related field.
• In lieu of 2 years of experience, an Associate's degree from an accredited college or university and 1 year of experience is required.
• In lieu of 2 years of experience, a Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Social Work, Humanities, Business, Marketing, or a closely related field is required.
• Experience with TDA, USDA, CSFP, or similar federally funded programs preferred.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish/Vietnamese preferred.

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations:

• Must have reliable transportation, a valid driver’s license, and insurance.

Special Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. (For best performance, the job holder in this position would be expected to show the right knowledge, skills, and abilities in the listed areas.)

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including but not limited to Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Ability to work with a diverse population
• Strong customer service skills and willingness to assist others
• Ability to learn new software systems
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Able to work cooperatively and coordinate well with other departments, personnel, volunteers, and participants
• Strong time-management skills, self-starter, self-motivated
• Strong problem-solving abilities
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to work on and adapt to multiple projects with attention to detail and accuracy while adhering to deadlines in a high-energy, fast-paced environment
• Ability to work independently with minimum supervision

COMPLIANCE:

Carries out responsibilities in accordance with HFB policies.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. (For best performance, the jobholder in this position would be expected to show the right knowledge, skills, and abilities in the listed areas.)

COMPETENCIES:

Action-Oriented / Customer Focus / Drives Results / Informing / Approachability / Learning on the Fly / Perseverance / Self-development / Listening / Peer Relationships / Integrity and Trust / Functional/Technical Skills

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is required daily to analyze and interpret data, communicate, and remain in a standing or stationary position for a significant amount of the workday, and often access, input, and retrieve information from the computer and other office productivity devices. The employee must regularly move about the office and around the facility, use hands, wrists, and fingers to grip, type, and write. The employee must frequently lift 35 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds using a dolly to push/pull the product. The employee will need to have the average ability to hear horns, warnings, and alerts associated with a warehouse. The employee must frequently travel to other sites for business.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While the job is generally performed in an enclosed office environment, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, strong food-related smells, and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the office environment is typically quiet, but the employee will be occasionally exposed to loud noise levels (e.g., horns, fans).

TRAVEL REQUIRED:

Travel is required for this position (up to 95% of the time and on a domestic basis within our 18-county service area). The workweek is spent at various Multi-Service Centers and senior housing facilities located in economically challenged neighborhoods throughout the Houston Food Bank (HFB) client’s service area.

This role supports hours of operations at Houston Food Bank facilities, as necessary, and may require flexibility (e.g., times of disaster, community events, company events).

*Is legally able to work in the United States.