Event Operations Manager & Volunteer Coordinator

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM COORDINATOR

General Statement of Duties and Responsibilities

The Volunteer Program Coordinator is responsible for recruiting, scheduling, and ensuring proper training of Caffe Lena’s volunteer hospitality staff. These tasks can be performed on site or remotely. The VPC will ensure compliance with Dept of Health & State Liquor Authority standards as well as create an atmosphere that is safe, fulfilling and positive for volunteers of all ages and skill levels. The right VPC will be detail-oriented, confident in a leadership role and eager to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds. This part of the job will take approximately six hours per week, and often entails brief communication (responding to a text or email) now and then throughout the day.

Key Volunteer Program Coordinator Duties and Responsibilities

1. Serve as the main point of email and text contact for kitchen volunteers. Schedule a workforce for all events.
2. Work with Marketing Manager and House Managers to promote the volunteer program. Field queries from new volunteers, providing them with the welcome, information and guidance to become team members.
3. Cultivate a climate of teamwork and goodwill. Your staff is working for the love of music and community. They should be made to feel appreciated and be given the tools and knowledge to do meaningful work in an organized and happy environment.
4. Ensure compliance with NYS Department of Health regulations, including use of food service gloves and hair restraints, storage of food and dishes, proper dishwashing procedures, general cleanliness of the kitchen, and make sure volunteers eat and drink away from food prep areas.
5. Ensure compliance with NYS Liquor Authority regulations, including training volunteers on age verification, ensuring that only volunteers of legal age serve & handle alcohol and ensuring patrons are not over-served.
6. Create tools for teaching and overseeing proper preparation of all menu items, paying special attention to plating and presentation, temperature, portioning, and consistency.

EVENT OPERATIONS: HOUSE & KITCHEN MANAGEMENT

General Statement of Duties and Responsibilities

With warm professionalism, the House Manager ensures that artists, patrons, staff and volunteers have a positive experience at on-site public events. The Kitchen Manager works side by side with volunteers to oversee hospitality at events. The Event Operations position entails three nights of house management, and two nights of kitchen management.

Key House Management Duties and Responsibilities

1. The House Manager is the supervisor of the entire show staff and is responsible for safety and satisfaction of staff, volunteers, artists and patrons, as well as for ensuring that organizational standards are met throughout the operation. The House Manager is available to solve any problem or challenge that crops up.
2. Interface with performers, direct the flow of the evening, handle customer relations, and serve as emcee and cashier for shows. 
3. They need to be an outgoing person with excellent communication skills who enjoys and communicates effectively with people of all ages and backgrounds.
4. They need to be a natural multi-tasker who enjoys staying laser focused on the many overlapping tasks and responsibilities of running a successful show.
5. They must be highly organized and careful with details in order to succeed in the areas of seating, cashing out, and completing a settlement sheet.

Key Kitchen Management Duties and Responsibilities

1. The Kitchen Manager is the leader of the all-volunteer hospitality crew. This important staff member will work alongside volunteers at shows. It’s their job to ensure that our volunteers provide a great experience for the attendees and artists. 
2. The Kitchen Manager cultivates a climate of teamwork and goodwill, where every worker feels appreciated, and is given the tools and knowledge to do good work in an organized and happy environment.
3. The Kitchen Manager oversees the POS system, including  maintenance and training.
4. A successful kitchen manager is not only an efficient worker with complete knowledge of all workstations, but they are an emotionally intelligent person who conveys genuine appreciation for everyone’s volunteer participation. They are focused on keeping moods positive and mutual support high so that a crew with varying levels of aptitude and experience can create the best possible experience for customers.
5. As needed, they will fill in any gaps in the volunteer crew by participating in food prep, table service, or any other task needed to support the team and provide a great customer experience.
6. They will Immediately convey customer concerns or mishaps regarding food and service to the House Manager. At the end of the night share any observations regarding menu items or drinks that are regularly being returned to the kitchen uneaten.
7. Put the facility to bed at the end of the show, including collecting all dishes, bottles and other recyclables, taking out trash and recycling, and doing a final sweep and mop. Volunteers will do much of this work, but it’s your responsibility to spot check, pitch in, and ensure that it’s done right.
8. Additional duties as assigned by the Executive Director and Director of Operations.

Physical/Environmental Requirements

Physical effort and dexterity:  This position will be required to regularly lift and carry up to 25 pounds. Some stooping and kneeling will be necessary. 

Visual acuity hearing and speaking: The VPC/House Manager must have excellent oral and written communication skills. 

Environment and scheduling: 80% of the job is spent standing; 10% is walking and 10% is spent sitting.

Candidates whose disability makes them unable to perform a non-essential job function will still be considered fully qualified for the position if they can perform the essential functions with reasonable accommodations.

Hours and Compensation

This is a part-time hourly position expected to consume approximately 30-35 hours per week on average. Pay starts at $21 per hour and up to 40 hours of NYS Paid Sick Leave are included. The schedule is afternoons and evenings, including weekends. Volunteer scheduling, which consists largely of email communication, is done prior to kitchen set up or after shows. You may need to convey messages from volunteers to the House Manager on your days off.