Care Center Advisor (Bilingual Spanish/English)

Second Harvest Heartland

Neighbor Services Care Center Advisor

Must be bilingual in Spanish/English

At Second Harvest Heartland, we believe our differences make us stronger. We draw strength from the unique experiences of each and every employee and our community. We aspire to foster an inclusive culture – in the way we interact with each other and in every area of our work. We commit to advancing equity to make Second Harvest Heartland a better place to work, to be a better partner and to inspire a community where equity is a driver to ultimately end hunger.

Join our Neighbor Services team as a Care Center Advisor – specializing in Spanish. Care Center Advisors are a team of mission driven hybrid and/or remote staff, providing robust direct assistance to Neighbors. These Advisors are tasked with assessing reason for contact and how to best assist, which may include escalating/handing off the call to a Specialist who is a Subject Matter Expert. Care Center Advisors will be the first contact for many people looking for assistance finding food and resources.   They will provide application or enrollment support and connect our Neighbor to other community resources.

While referrals come in from multiple sources via different channels, Care Center Advisors are primarily responsible for live phone calls and supporting our healthcare partnership IVR/call runs.  Care Center Advisors and Care Center Specialists will process referrals from other channels including email, online screening tool, web site, internal, voice mail, etc. Our Advisors will provide the best possible Neighbor experience in a timely and professional manner.  

We anticipate that this work will be 70% - 100% Direct Neighbor Facing, and up to 30% Reporting, Special Projects, Outreach, and Training Opportunities.

Starting Pay Range: $22.50/hour 

Bilingual candidates will be paid an additional $3 hourly on top of their regular pay rate.

Work Schedule: Hybrid, and/or remote Full-Time, 40 hours/week, M-F, 8am-4:30pm

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Communicate and respond to customer needs in a professional, positive manner building credibility and rapport with all contacts. Customers include referring community partners and their staff, volunteers and interns, patients, neighbors, consumers, clients, co-workers, and other SHH employees. Ensure empathetic, professional responsiveness with strong focus on communication style and knowledge of Neighbor Services programs, resources, and offerings to include community partners, agency partners, and other affiliates. Keep focus on respect and confidentiality of Neighbor at all times.        
• Provide real time screening & simple case assistance. Explain benefits to potentially eligible people.  Share community resources. Coordinate scheduling for specialized assistance and provide resources to Neighbors.
• Stay current on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Commodity Supplemental Food Program - Nutritional Assistance Program for Seniors (CSFP/NAPS) policy at State and Federal levels.  
• Maintain an understanding of program barriers and policy issues related to MN SNAP and other programs and develop strategies to address them. Be aware of internal and external forces that may impact our Neighbors and work to mitigate negative impacts and maintain the highest customer service possible.  
• Ability to listen, assess and troubleshoot resistance to program enrollment, identify barriers and work toward resolution of concerns.
• Must be comfortable working with people from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds. This may include working poor, families, seniors, people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, immigrant populations, non-English speakers, etc.
• Work together to ensure our Neighbors have a consistent and positive customer service experience of the highest quality. Collaborate, innovate, and improve our processes to best accomplish our goals and meet the Moon Shot.  
• Accurately collect required data and for the tracking of program efforts, processes, and outcomes.  Support business objectives.
• Provide input for creation and maintenance of resources in the Knowledge Base ensuring accurate, timely and useful information is available in an easy-to-use and easy-to-access format. 
• Collaborate with Neighbor Services Outreach Specialists, Agency Relations Specialists, and others.  Interface with community partners including food shelves, schools, health care providers, libraries, food distribution sites, meal programs, low-income housing units, and other non-profit organizations to improve and expand Neighbor Services outreach.  
• Maintain a cross-functional specialty focus area, (homelessness, recovery, wellness etc.).  
• Complies with federal, state, and local security legal requirements by adhering to requirements. Complete and stay current on all trainings (IT, Security, DHS, Civil Rights, team-specific, etc.)
• Meet monthly individual and team assigned goals, including, but not limited to referral and application goals.
• Complies with federal, state, and local security legal requirements by studying existing and new security legislation, enforcing adherence to requirements, and advising management on needed actions.

• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications and content, and participating in professional societies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Must Have:

• Ability to speak, write, and communicate fluently in both Spanishand English.
• Demonstrated exceptional customer service skills to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone is welcomed and valued.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with professional English skills in written and oral forms.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, manage and follow through on multiple daily tasks and projects.
• Demonstrated familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, Office 365, specifically Excel, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Word, etc.   Experience working in databases, ServiceNow preferred.
• Ability to work evening and/or weekend hours,
• Comfortable speaking on the phone for long periods of time, communicating through email and text, and talking face-to-face with others.
• Ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, and enthusiasm, both individually and as part of a team in a fast-paced, high-demand environment.
• When off-site, must have the ability to work confidentially and with privacy, which may include a separate space with a door.
• When off-site, must have the ability to secure workspace and equipment to prevent loss, damage, or breach of security.  
• Access to internet connection during entire workday when working off-site.  Connection with speed of at least 80 GB internet, with 100 GB preferred.  Also, a hardwired connection is preferred over wi-fi.
• Travel in Minnesota will be required (potentially 2-4 times a quarter) for mandatory in person trainings and meetings.  The frequency and duration of these meetings is TBD.

Nice to Have: 

• Experience working with diverse populations and community based/nonprofit organizations preferred. 
• Interest in health equity, nutrition, food access, and/or other social determinants of health. 
• Ability to speak a second language and experience working with diverse populations.
• May be asked to attend and/or transport equipment and materials to outreach events throughout our service area, including in greater MN.  Access to reliable transportation, potentially with little to no advance planning, is preferred.  This could include a valid MN driver’s license, legally mandated insurance, a good driving record, and regular access to a vehicle.

Our Values:

• We deliver.
• We lead with our hearts.
• We innovate.
• We are all in this together.
• We believe our differences make us stronger.

Second Harvest Heartland is an EEO/AA Employer. 

Benefits include: 9 paid holidays each calendar year, plus 4 extra well-being days, up to 160 hours of paid time off per calendar year, with the option to carry over up to 20 hours to the following calendar year, 8 hours of volunteer time off to serve community each calendar year, up to 12 weeks paid parental leave for birth and non-birth parents, and more! Learn more about our benefits package here. 

Second Harvest Heartland is a leading hunger-relief organization. In partnership with more than 1,100 food shelves and hunger-relief programs in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, we provided nearly 128 million meals to neighbors last year. We also help families enroll in food assistance and provide prepared meals for people who need more than groceries. Second Harvest Heartland is a leader, convener and voice in hunger-related policy discussions. Learn more at 2harvest.org.Second Harvest Heartland is a leading hunger-relief organization. In partnership with more than 1,100 food shelves and hunger-relief programs in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, we provided nearly 128 million meals to neighbors last year. We also help families enroll in food assistance and provide prepared meals for people who need more than groceries. Second Harvest Heartland is a leader, convener and voice in hunger-related policy discussions. Learn more at 2harvest.org.