Part-time Operations Assistant

Willing Hands is seeking a part\-time Operations Assistant to support our charitable food deliveries. This is a year\-round, 20\-24\-hour\-a\-week position. There is some flexibility on schedule and hours within a traditional Monday\-Friday work week. Applicants with specific schedule needs are encouraged to apply. Job requirements include passing a DOT physical and a driver background check.

Job Summary: The Operations Assistant supports the work of the warehouse, delivery, and facilities team as a delivery driver, warehouse, and logistics staff member. This position facilitates the movement of food from food donors through the warehouse and to our food access partners. It oversees individual and group volunteers to support the organization’s goals and is one of the organization’s main points of contact with the general public, food shelf partners, volunteers, and food recipients. Job requirements include a federal DOT medical card, background check, and experience driving a cab over box truck.

Key Accountabilities

• Distribute food to support food security and food equity, maintaining respect and dignity for everyone in our community.
• Support daily warehouse operations, including receiving, unloading, sorting, staging, and organizing donated food.
• Drive scheduled delivery and pickup routes as needed, ensuring timely and accurate transport of donated food.
• Maintain accurate records of all pick\-ups and deliveries.
• Maintain the general cleanliness and function and safety of vehicles, warehouse areas, and shared equipment; report maintenance concerns promptly.
• Assist with inventory tracking and product rotation to support safe and efficient food distribution.
• Coordinate and support volunteers in various programs as needed, including “Grow a Row” home gardener donations, volunteer food sorting sessions, and reusable bin washing.
• Support garden, gleaning, and food recovery teams with unloading, movement, and storage of food and materials within the warehouse.
• Communicate regularly with warehouse, garden, gleaning, and food recovery staff to align on schedules, space needs, and product flow.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Volunteers

Duties/Responsibilities:

Food Delivery and Food Transport:

• Pick up and deliver food on weekly schedule and making extra pickups and deliveries on as\-needed basis.
• Carefully and accurately weigh and record all incoming and outgoing food while monitoring food temperature and following food safety guidelines. .
• Required to follow all federal and state motor vehicle laws and safety regulations.
• Abide by Willing Hands’ warehouse, food safety, and driving safety protocols
• Responsible for keeping the truck clean, refueling, and daily monitoring of the truck to detect or anticipate needed maintenance or repairs, including daily refrigeration temperature checks on vehicles.

Warehouse Operations:

• Support receiving, unloading, sorting, staging, and storage of donated food within the warehouse.
• Support the Operations Manager and Warehouse Coordinator in managing WH food inventory, loading and unloading trucks.
• Assist the Warehouse Coordinator with inventory organization, product rotation, and appropriate culling decisions in line with food safety and quality standards.
• Complete and document daily temperature checks of coolers and freezers.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized warehouse environment.
• Enter donation and distribution data into manifests and other tracking systems as assigned.

Administrative/Other:

• Assist with the collection and entry of program and food movement data, including manifests and related documentation.
• Support general facility and grounds tasks as needed to maintain a safe and functional work environment.

Other related assignments as necessary.

Skills/Abilities:

• Demonstrate safe and responsible driving habits, with the ability to operate small box trucks in varying weather and road conditions.
• Shows strong attention to detail when completing logs, temperature checks, and food tracking documentation.
• Can apply food safety, sanitation, and safe lifting practices consistently in warehouse and transportation settings.
• Able to perform frequent physical work, including lifting, carrying, bending, and standing for extended periods in warehouse and outdoor environments.
• Stays organized in a fast\-paced operational setting with multiple priorities and changing daily needs.
• Understands basic warehouse flow, including receiving, sorting, staging, and rotating product.
• Able to use basic computer systems or tablets for data entry, manifests, and volunteer hour tracking.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and respectfully with staff, volunteers, and community partners.
• Provides clear instructions and task guidance to volunteers while maintaining a welcoming and supportive environment.
• Monitors volunteer activities for safety, food handling quality, and adherence to procedures.
• Able to adapt quickly to schedule changes, shifting workloads, and evolving program needs.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while also collaborating effectively across teams.
• Shows sound judgment in identifying food quality issues, safety concerns, and maintenance needs, and reports them promptly.
• Demonstrates a positive, service\-oriented attitude when representing the organization during pickups, deliveries, and volunteer activities.
• Interest in equitable access to healthy food and engaging community.
• Dedicated to making an impact in one’s community.
• Self\-motivated, disciplined, and committed to being part of a team.
• Positive attitude, patience, flexibility, creativity, and a great sense of humor.

Required and/or preferred Education and Experience:

• Knowledge of produce handling is preferred.
• Understanding of inventory management and the principles of food safety a plus.

Physical Requirements and work environment:

• Will spend long periods of time in the outdoors and in cooler warehouse temperatures.
• Must be able to comfortably lift 40 pounds.

Additional Requirements: (certifications or licenses) (specific to position)

• A current DOT Medical card is required for this position.
• Drivers must have a valid driver’s license, a good driving record, and must be at least twenty\-one years of age.
• Servesafe training for food handlers, upon hire.

General Expectations of all Staff

• Understand and support the mission of Willing Hands as expressed by the Board
• Greet the public through all channels of communication with courtesy and respect
• Coordinate and integrate efforts with staff working on other Willing Hands programs
• Work in a safe manner and report any safety hazards to the Executive Director
• Maintain individual workstation and office in a clean manner
• Practice good work habits of flexibility, efficiency, punctuality, dependability, and confidentiality
• Strive to grow existing skills and learn new ones
• Employ good communication skills by sharing information, listening to others, and giving positive input
• Work as a team member by helping others and making suggestions for improvements

Benefits and Work Environment

• Paid time off and holidays
• This position is based in our Norwich office, with occasional travel required.
• Mileage is reimbursed at the current federal reimbursement rate for all approved work travel with a personal vehicle
• Opportunity to set professional development goals with a supervisor
• Regular meetings of Willing Hands staff
• We care deeply about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable work environment

Note: Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Willing Hands is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender or gender identity, race, religion, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, or disability with respect to employment, volunteer participation, and the provision of services.