Food Bank Assistant Coordinator, Inventory & Purchasing

Food Bank Assistant Coordinator, Inventory & Purchasing (Work Learn)

6133 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Req #770

Monday, March 10, 2025

The Alma Mater Society (AMS) is the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) student society, and works to improve the academic, social and personal lives of the 56,000 UBC students at its Vancouver campus. The AMS also runs nine food and beverage outlets, a catering and conference operation, and the AMS Student Nest, providing on-campus employment opportunities and generating revenue that goes directly back into supporting the students at UBC.

Position title: Food Bank Assistant Coordinator, Inventory & Purchasing (Work Learn)

Department: Student Services

Employee status: Term, Appointed

Salary / Wage: $21.17 per hour

Anticipated Start Date: May 1, 2025

Description

The AMS Services’ main mandate is to offer services and resources to the membership which are in significant demand and aim to further the well-being of the membership as a whole. Each of these Services is run by a Coordinator, and in some instances, with the help of Assistant Coordinator(s). Each of the Assistant Coordinators will be overseen on a daily basis by the Senior Manager, Student Services, a full-time, permanent, non-student role as well as their Services Coordinator, a part-time student role.

The AMS Food Bank provides a free emergency supply of food for any student with a valid UBC card. The Food Bank runs a number of food drives and events during the year to raise awareness about food security issues within the community.

The Assistant Food Bank Coordinator – Inventory & Purchasing manages and oversees the purchased food supplies for the AMS Food Bank, ensures that the Food Bank is kept well stocked, and co-manages the volunteers at the Food Bank on a day-to-day basis. This role is critical to the success and sustainability of the Food Bank, as the Food Bank supports upwards of 350 clients and their families per open day and purchases thousands of units of food per week.

Responsibilities:

1. Assist the Coordinator in ensuring that the Food Bank is sufficiently stocked to meet client demand.
2. Manage inventory and purchasing for staple food items for the Food Bank, including maintaining an accurate count of food supplied on-hand.
3. Liaise regularly with both wholesale and retail suppliers to place orders and arrange bulk transportation, including working with the AMS Storeroom team.
4. Meticulously track food expenditures to ensure that purchasing remains within budget, in close collaboration with the Senior Manager, Student Services, making adjustments to purchasing trends as needed.
5. Assist in the hiring and training of volunteers, including contributing to an extensive hiring campaign.
6. Support weekly Food Bank operations, including donated food pick-up and staffing Food Bank open hours.
7. Attend weekly 1-on-1 meetings with the Food Bank Coordinator and weekly Food Bank team meetings with the Senior Manager, Student Services.
8. Work within the AMS mission statement and values to operate a successful Service.
9. Other duties as required by the service or delegated by the Coordinator.

Qualifications:

1. Must be a currently registered student at UBC Vancouver or one of its affiliated colleges.
2. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
3. Ability to collaborate and work in a team environment as well as independently.
4. Ability to lift food from vehicle into Food Bank and storage area.
5. Experience with budgeting, scheduling and administrative tasks.
6. Strong organizational and time management skills.
7. Familiarity with Microsoft Office and Excel.
8. Experience in logistics and/or inventory management.
9. Class 5 driver’s license required for donation pick-ups.
10. Empathy skills.

Eligibility: Must be a currently enrolled student at UBC Vancouver, eligible for the Work Learn program.

Experience Level: Current Students in an Undergraduate Program, Current Students in a Masters Program, Current Students in a PhD Program.

To Apply:

Please submit your resume and cover letter. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a cover letter that explains their interest in the role and how their previous experience makes them a good candidate.

At the AMS, we believe that a diverse workforce enriches our organization and we value individual life experiences, knowledge, and self-expression that different people bring. We actively seek to create an environment where all employees, regardless of their background, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristics, feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best.

We warmly welcome and encourage individuals from any underrepresented group to apply for this position. We are dedicated to maintaining fair and inclusive practices in our hiring, promotion, and professional development processes to create the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Due to the large volume of resumes we receive at the AMS, we are only able to contact those we are interested in interviewing and cannot reply to email/phone/walk-in inquiries regarding application status.