City Jobs
NOLA Ready Corps Volunteer Coordinator
Description
The New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP)/NOLA Ready is seeking qualified candidates for the full-time position of Emergency Volunteer Coordinator to effectively recruit, manage, and deploy skilled volunteers to provide support before, during, and after disaster. This unclassified position is open to the general public.
Job Description
Volunteers serve a crucial role to provide support to the community and greatly expand our capacity and ability to respond to disasters. To most effectively respond to small and large-scale incidents, NOHSEP/NOLA Ready seeks a Volunteer Coordinator who is passionate about volunteerism, recognizes its importance, and values our volunteers’ time, skills, and safety. The Volunteer Coordinator must also have a strong desire to serve all the people of New Orleans and practice inclusivity.
When established, the NOLA Ready Volunteer Corps’ primary focus was to maintain a strong volunteer base for the City Assisted Evacuation Plan in the event of a mandatory evacuation before a major hurricane. The scope of the volunteer corps has since expanded and is now an essential part of any response effort including hurricanes, extreme cold, extreme heat, overnight warming centers, etc. Outside of disaster response, NOLA Ready Volunteer Corps Volunteers also engage in service projects related to mitigation or community resilience such as tree planting, Recycle Dat/First Aid Stations, and adaptive sporting events.
The Volunteer Coordinator will be responsible for the management of the NOLA Ready Corps Volunteer Program. The position will identify innovative and effective methods of recruiting, developing, and managing a large skilled volunteer force that can assist with city emergency operations like the City-Assisted Evacuation (CAE), sheltering, emergency resource centers, donation distribution, and more.
The candidate will maintain year-round volunteer opportunities and engagement by supporting NOHSEP/NOLA Ready and our community partners with preparedness, response, and recovery activities. Examples include providing volunteers for public safety exercises, sheltering operations, post emergency canvassing operations, and recovery assistance. The volunteer coordinator will also work with local nonprofits to engage volunteers in other projects throughout the year that highlight resilience, sustainability, and mitigation efforts.
The candidate will be responsible for continuing to build out the NOLA Ready Volunteer Corps Training Program by developing on-line and in-person training. Training opportunities could include, but may not be limited to, City Assisted Evacuation training, bystander response training, de-escalation training, shelter/refuge training, donations management, disability etiquette, how to use an interpreter, etc.
The candidate will provide on-the-ground support during volunteer opportunities. This includes organizing check in and check out sheets, providing just-in-time trainings and context to volunteers, securing data and keeping records of volunteer hours, briefing and debriefing
volunteers, being available, and problem-solving unforeseen challenges. For larger incidents, the candidate may also be managing a sizeable team to assist with these tasks.
The candidate will work closely and collaborate with our Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) liaison and Community Engagement Manager to provide additional training and support. They will also collaborate with the New Orleans Health Department’s Medical Reserve Corps and EMS’ VIGOR program.
The Volunteer Coordinator will continue to write, update, and improve policies and standard operating procedures for the program, and will participate in the disaster planning process. Examples include implementing best practices for setting up physical as well as digital Volunteer Reception Centers and managing spontaneous volunteers. They will also create job aids and checklists for volunteers.
While the main function of this role is to build out volunteer programing, policy, and recruitment, as part of the team, the candidate will share duties related to community preparedness outreach activities, including giving hurricane preparedness presentations, tabling for NOLA Ready, and attending community events.
This position is unclassified and considered essential during emergencies and special events such as Mardi Gras. Essential employees must remain in New Orleans during major incidents, such as hurricanes, to respond, even if the mayor declares a mandatory evacuation. Reliable transportation is required, and the Volunteer Coordinator may be needed to work outside of regular business hours.
Skills & Knowledge
- Understanding of best practices for safety and identifying signs of exhaustion
- Experience and knowledge in volunteer management and coordination, especially in emergency situations.
- Knowledge of community engagement strategies and best practices, particularly to reach vulnerable populations
- Knowledge of principles and techniques of emergency preparedness planning and management
- Experience in training curriculum development and public speaking
- Experience administering digital media, including email marketing, social media, and content management
- Ability to communicate effectively
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
- Knowledge of federal, state, and local emergency management programs
- Excellent public speaker
- Willingness to learn new skills
- Familiarity with volunteer management software (we currently use Better Impact)
- Strong writer who can create easy-to-understand how-to guides
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university in relevant field of study; OR
- Two years or more experience in volunteer management and/or community outreach
- Experience working in a fast-paced, high-stake environment
- Experience or demonstrated passion in volunteerism and disaster response and recovery operations is strongly recommended.
We strongly encourage people with disabilities, people of color, New Orleans community members, all genders, and people with diverse language experiences to apply.
How to apply
Applicants should email a resume and responses (no more than 150 words) to the following questions to applynohsep@nola.gov.
- Describe a project/event you initiated and/or coordinated successfully.
- Describe a project you initiated and/or coordinated that failed. What did you learn from that experience?
- What do you think is a gap in our current volunteer program?
- What do you think makes a good volunteer?