POSITION DESCRIPTION & HOW TO APPLY

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:

Seattle Community Network Association is the region's largest nonprofit Internet Service Provider, providing free email, web page hosting, an Internet education program and other services for individuals and community groups throughout the area. Founded in 1993, the organization has been volunteer-run and almost entirely funded through the donations of our users. The SCN web site (www.scn.org) aims to encourage participation within the community through extensive links to organizations around the area. SCNA also supports the use of the Internet with an active helpdesk and classes for new users. Our focus is on providing useful Internet access and literacy to the underserved.

POSITION TITLE: Volunteer Program Coordinator

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

As a contractually paid position, the Volunteer Program Coordinator (VPC) needs to bridge the gap between professional human resource management and the grassroots culture that is the heart of SCNA. We currently have a dedicated core of individuals who need more structured support, including an expanded volunteer base. The VPC will develop the current volunteer program into one that better serves this great group of talented professionals. The VPC will have oversight authority and responsibility for the entire SCNA Volunteer Program.

Duties include working with volunteers, team coordinators and board members to create, implement, and maintain improved volunteer support processes. The VPC will be supported by and report directly to the Co-Presidents of the Board of Directors, Melissa & Steve Guest (guests@scn.org).

ENVIRONMENT:

SCNA has existed as an all-volunteer organization since 1993. With no staff, the current 50+ volunteers of SCNA have very broad responsibilities for providing our programs and services - many of the volunteer tasks require very high skill levels. Most volunteer work is being done virtually (this position is an excellent opportunity to telecommute), with no physical SCNA office at present. There are several monthly coordination meetings, usually in the Seattle area, for the different teams and committees, and a great deal of email and telephone communication. You can learn more about how SCNA is currently structured from Who Does What.

SCNA's HR committee currently uses a simple Excel database of volunteers, whose information we keep confidential. We currently recruit volunteers with a volunteer signup form on our website, volunteer recruiting text at VolunteerMatch, SeattleWorks and Sound Opportunities, and through email to our mailing lists for currently active and "on-reserves" volunteers. We have a process for new volunteer orientation and assignment, as well as a vast list of ideas about what we wish we could do. We expect that whomever takes this position will be supported by the 3 existing volunteers who've been working on the volunteer program, and will also be able to recruit more volunteer assistance as needed to help with the following goals and responsibilities.

SPECIFIC GOALS & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Recruiting

• Talk with existing volunteer team coordinators and committee chairs to determine specific volunteer needs throughout organization.
• Expand existing recruiting efforts, targeted for the specific volunteer skills needed.

Training and development

• Help train SCNA leadership in areas of volunteer management and retention.
• Develop regular appropriate recognition and volunteer benefits.
• Communicate with new and existing volunteers who may not fit into a current task.

Process Improvement

• Create and manage a databank of task descriptions for the Volunteer Program team, and assist other teams in doing the same.
• Improve current intake process, with clearer task descriptions, better matching of volunteers to tasks and more follow through.
• Identify areas throughout the organization needing better volunteer support, and help suggest and implement improvements.
• Manage maintenance of volunteer database and HR-related mailing lists.

QUALIFICATIONS, BACKGROUND, AND DESIRED SKILLS:

Our ideal candidate will have experience running a successful volunteer program which included technically-skilled volunteers, and a frequent use of email. He or she will also have the time available in the short term to invest the hours required to build the programs we need, and in the long term to see his/her improvements succeed. Ideally, she or he will already know and love SCNA, and be committed to helping help SCNA do a better job of serving the community.

Candidates preferably have:

• Leadership experience within a volunteer program and/or a human resources department.
• Experience working with technically skilled people.
• Computer skills including basic HTML authoring abilities.
• Experience working with a tight budget and creative resource acquisition.

At a minimum, candidates must have:

• Skills for working with volunteers.
• Experience taking ideas from conception to implementation within organizations.
• Abilities to multi-task, prioritize and delegate.
• Confidence using computers, with basic proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Internet browsing, and email.
• Clear understanding of confidentiality and privacy issues.
• Strong oral and written communications skills for use within and outside SCNA.
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Excellent follow through and reporting.
• A strong interest in SCNA as an organization.
• Willingness to submit to Washington State Patrol background check.

HOURS OF WORK: This position calls for a commitment of between 10-20 hours per week working on the tasks described, with more hours initially to create the new processes needed. However, since the VPC is a primarily virtual position, these hours are flexible in nature. Applicants should be available for at least a 9 month commitment.

COMPENSATION: This contractual position will be paid on an hourly rate commensurate with experience, between $12 - $18/hour. We have funding for at least 800 to 1200 hours between now and June 2001, beyond which funding is still to be determined.

MORE INFORMATION: Call Melissa Guest at (425) 653-7353
(anytime between 8am - 11pm PST).

TO APPLY: Send a Letter of Application with the following information:

• A paragraph or two introducing yourself,
• Your reasons for wanting to be the SCNA Volunteer Program Coordinator,
• Resume or detailed summary of professional/volunteer management qualifications, and
• 3 to 5 professional references for us to contact.

Submit the letter by email, if possible, to guests@scn.org with VPC in the Subject line. If email is not possible, please call (425) 653 7353 for fax instructions or send by snail-mail to:

Please also leave a message with SCNA Voicemail at (206) 365-4528 stating your intent to apply so that we will be on the lookout for your application.

"There is important work to be done. Volunteers are part of the best way to get that important work done. Good volunteer management makes sure that important work gets done well." - Nan Hawthorne, CyberVPM.com

THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST!