Client Services Manager

Organization Overview

Since its inception over 30 years ago, HomeFront has worked to break the cycle of poverty and end homelessness in Central New Jersey, serving tens of thousands of Mercer County, New Jersey families. In the past year alone, families came to us over 50,000 times for shelter, food and life-changing assistance. Started by volunteers providing meals for families living in welfare motels in and around Trenton, HomeFront has since developed a holistic array of services for clients who are experiencing homeless, facing complex barriers to economic opportunity, or working hard to make ends meet.

Our work is best captured by our mission statement:

HomeFront’s mission is to end homelessness in Central New Jersey by harnessing the caring, resources and expertise of the community. We lessen the immediate pain of homelessness and help families become self-sufficient. We work to give our clients the skills and opportunities to ensure adequate incomes, and we work to increase the availability of adequate, affordable housing. We help homeless families advocate for themselves individually and collectively.

Job Summary/Objective

HomeFront is seeking a strong leader with passion, dedication, and a deep desire to help families break the cycle of poverty to lead our our effort to assess the needs of new and existing clients, make accurate and timely referrals, gather required paperwork, collaborate with internal and external partners, manage family needs and diaper program operations, and ensure high quality, trauma-informed service for every family seeking our assistance. One of HomeFront’s core beliefs is that families need basic necessities to live lives with dignity. Picture a family in real home. In that vision, you’ll see parents and kids sitting around a table sharing a nourishing meal or a young student seated at a desk doing homework. Parents and kids are sleeping in beds with clean sheets and their clothing is stowed away in dressers – not in garbage bags. That’s our vision, too, and HomeFront’s Resource Network – combined with our donors’ kindness – make it a reality for homeless and very low-income families.

HomeFront was founded on the idea that our community bears a responsibility to meet the basic human needs of our neighbors. Helping families secure safe and secure housing is critical but housing isn’t a home. Families also need food, clothing, pots and pans, linens, and furniture to live lives with dignity. These are things that most of us take for granted, but for our area’s poorest families, these necessities can be difficult, if not impossible, to acquire.

The HomeFront Client Services Manager scope includes:

• Direct supervision of up to 3-4 Resource Network staff and oversight of volunteers working in the Choice Food Pantry.
• The HomeFront Front Desk - the first point of entry for thousands of families a year that are seeking the wide range of support services that HomeFront offers.
• Fran’s Choice Food Pantry - HomeFront’s Choice Food Pantry is set up like a small grocery store, empowering clients to select the groceries they would like by giving them a sense of dignity and control over their food choices. The Choice Pantry also provides diapers, hygiene items, and produce, and it supports the grocery bags provided across the agency, including the FreeStore
• Annual Drives – Thousands of families a year receive support through our Diaper Challenge, Back to School, Thanksgiving, and Holiday Wishes Drives.

Work Schedule: Monday 9am-5pm, Tuesday 9am-6pm, Wednesday-Friday 9am-5pm

Work Schedule is subject to change based on client/agency needs in the future.

Essential Functions

• Manage Front Desk operations which facilitates client access to available programs including HomeFront’s Choice Food Pantry, the Diaper Resource Center, Camp Mercer, and seasonal drives and that makes timely and accurate referrals to other internal and external programs.
• With the assistance of our Choice Market Associate, manage HomeFront’s Choice Food Market, including inventory and volunteer management, logistics, client access, cleanliness, ordering, and food handling storage and safety.
• Manage and facilitate coordination with other Resource Network managers (Furnish the Future, FreeStore) to ensure client access and appropriate linkages to additional resources.
• Manage family needs and diaper programming, including inventory, volunteer management, ordering, delivery logistics, client access, cleanliness, ordering, and storage.
• Coordinate with Family Needs Specialist, Resource Network Director, and HomeFront program managers to ensure the resource needs of HomeFront clients are consistently met.
• Coordinate an intake and Resource Network Distribution process that produces timely, accurate and complete files with required documentation.
• Foster a welcoming and tidy environment at the Front Desk/Back Dock and in all client reception areas and restrooms.
• Provide active direct and indirect management of Resource Network staff and including leadership and guidance on operations and professional development.
• Collaborate with Community Engagement Team to develop partners for the Resource Network and the agency.
• Coordinate and execute HomeFront’s pop-up food pantries and other food access initiatives.
• Stay up to date on local, state, and national food insecurity data and research.
• Coordinate with partners to provide in person resources to clients on topics such as SNAP, nutrition, and more.
• Maintain accurate records through files and database data entry.
• Create and disseminate accurate reporting to internal and external stakeholders.

Minimum Required Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree in related field
• Significant experience managing a diverse team of client-facing staff
• Satisfactory criminal background
• Ability to pass drug screening test
• Familiarity with local social services resources/systems and supervisory experience preferred
• Ability to de-escalate crisis situations and serve clients experiencing difficult personal emergencies with patience, compassion and a trauma-informed approach
• Computer literacy/intermediate Microsoft Office skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong customer service skills

Preferred Competencies

• Bi-lingual / Spanish or Haitian Creole preferred
• Previous research and program development experience
• Knowledge of local food system
• Experience in high-paced, high-stress environments
• Experience with de-escalation techniques and utilization of trauma-informed care principles
• Knowledge of inventory processes and procedures

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Must be able to walk, stand and sit for long periods of time
• Must be able to walk up and down several flights of steps
• Exposure to the outdoors and inclement weather is possible
• Job operates in an office setting which routinely uses standard office equipment

Other Duties:

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required. Duties, responsibilities and activities may be added or change at any time.

HomeFront, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome employees and prospective employees without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or veteran status.