Inventory Specialist - Mobile Loaves & Fishes

Inventory Specialist

About Mobile Loaves & Fishes

Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF) is a social outreach ministry that has been empowering communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless since 1998. Founded in Austin, Texas, the organization serves its homeless neighbors through three core programs: Truck Ministry, Community First! Village, and Community Works. Often referred to as the most talked about neighborhood in Austin, Community First! Village is a 51-acre master planned development that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for men and women coming out of chronic homelessness. We are now embarking on a new phase of community expansion, adding more than 1400 new neighbors over the next 5-10 years.

About the Role

The Neighbor Care Team has the privilege of walking alongside our "neighbors" as they apply to live at Community First! Village and to provide an opportunity for them to settle, cultivate and care for themselves and others in this unique community. The Inventory Specialist is an integral part of the Neighbor Care team. Mobile Loaves and Fishes (MLF) is positioned for aggressive growth over the next 5 years as we scale and add capacity in our organization and operations to lift an additional 1400+ formerly chronic homeless individuals into permanent supportive housing and community at the Community First! Village. The Inventory Specialist will play a key role in managing our inventory system and ensuring its accuracy. The Inventory Specialist will also work with other team members to improve our supply chain operations and new neighbor move-in process that will fulfill our vision, mission, and goals. To succeed in this role, you will need to have strong organizational and communication skills and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

This is a full-time, non-exempt position reporting to the Neighbor Care Move-In Manager. Due to the nature and requirements of the position, hours are flexible to fit need, but typically include 8:00am-5:00pm Monday-Friday. Some nights and weekends may be required. The Inventory Specialist will office at Community First! Village located at 9301 Hog Eye Road, Austin, TX 78724.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Oversee purchasing, receiving and inventory management for the Move-In Team
• Set up, implement, and manage inventory software system for Move-In Team and other Neighbor Care Staff members
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOP) for inventory management and continuously improve inventory operations
• Scan all inventory in and out
• Keep all inventory stocked at quantity expectations
• Lead all inventory counts
• Requisition inventory from the warehouse whenever items needed
• Review and analyze inventory data to identify trends and potential areas for improvement
• Manage inventory aging and coordinate proper rotation or disposal of obsolete inventory
• Ensure all orders are delivered correctly, reconcile as needed
• Receive all orders and store in correct allocated locations
• Build all home kits and transport kits to new neighbor homes
• Adhere to and maintain approved budget
• Reconcile all purchases
• Maintain contact with all vendors
• Perform duties of Space Steward for Move-In Office and all of the connexes on Phase 1 and the Warehouse on Phase 3; keep all of them clean and organized
• Offer and develop dignified income contract opportunities for CFV Neighbors
• Work with volunteers to organize inventory items for new neighbor homes
• Develop and steward inventory vendor and community partnerships
• Maintain documentation of role
• Steward and care for MLF company vehicles
• Assist with inventory needs throughout Neighbor Care team
• Assist with Neighbor Care team tasks as needed
• Other Duties & Responsibilities as needed

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Principles

• MLF is a faith-based organization whose ideals and philosophy come directly from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As an organization, we strive to reflect this precept in our communications, both internally and externally.
• Commitment to serving those who have experienced homelessness and personal alignment with MLF's vision, mission, core values, and goals.
• Minimum of two years of experience in inventory management in a fast-paced environment
• Experience working with an ERP system, inventory management software, or similar tools
• Experience with inventory control, forecasting, and analysis preferred
• Knowledge of inventory principles, concepts, and procedures
• Demonstrated budget management experience
• Excellent organizational skills; detail-oriented
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills (both verbal and written) with the ability to work well in a team environment
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with strong attention to detail
• Strong relationship builder with experience collaborating cross departmentally across an organization
• Has an inquisitive attitude, passion for process improvement, and ability to creatively problem solve when faced with limited resources or challenges
• Strategic, analytical thinker able to translate data into actionable recommendations and plans, seeing those plans through to completion
• Highly proficient in the use of technology including Microsoft 365, Asana, etc.
• Experience with driving large vehicles with trailers attached
• Must have a valid driver's license

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Must have a valid driver's license
• Ability to lift up to 80 pounds and stand for extended periods during physical inventory counts
• Work outside in all weather conditions
• Must be able to drive a large truck and or vehicle
• Prolonged periods of sitting/standing at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to move around all phases of Community First! Village property

Benefits

• Day one 100% Employer paid, Health, Dental, Vision, Life, STD & LTD Insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off & Holiday Pay
• Matching 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Corporate Discount Program
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Parental Leave
• Wellness Partnership Benefits

MLF PURPOSE & VISION

We empower communities into a lifestyle of service with the homeless.

MLF MISSION

We provide food and clothing, cultivate community, and promote dignity to our homeless brothers and sisters in need.

GOALS

• Transform the way people view the stereotype of those who find themselves homeless
• Reconnect the homeless to self, family and community
• Help the chronically homeless rediscover and utilize their God-given talents to do purposeful work
• Connect human to human, heart to heart through the fellowship of food and hospitality
• Inspire people into a lifestyle of abundance by giving their best first

BELIEF STATEMENTS

The vision is supported by belief statements centered on our belief that homelessness is the result of a profound, catastrophic loss of family:

• God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life
• By virtue of being created by God in His image, we are all called to live in community and relationship with Him through each other
• The family is the original cell of social life
• You shall love your neighbor as yourself
• All members of the human family are equal in dignity
• The Lord God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it. Gen 2:15

CORE VALUES

MLF is committed to fostering a culture that prioritizes relational connection. We believe there is opportunity in every aspect of our work to be relational in a highly transactional world. In this culture, transactions are means to relational ends, not the other way around.​

​​This begins with the countercultural love poured out by Jesus Christ and grows as imperfect individuals strive to show this love to each other human-to-human, heart-to-heart.​

​​Each individual's openness to the journey of their own personal growth is essential in building our relational culture, and we believe this culture flourishes as we each continuously strive to more fully embody these four core values:

• Faith: We define Faith as the foundational belief that our world and all our work belong to God. This allows us to engage our work with joy and lightheartedness, knowing that we are not ultimately in control.
• Humility: We define Humility as rightly viewing oneself as a single piece of a grander story. This humility leads to a view of oneself that is neither too high nor too low.
• Generous Spirit: We define a Generous Spirit as a readiness to give more grace, mercy, and hospitality than is necessary or expected. This posture allows us to see others for who they are, not what they do.
• Integrity: We define Integrity as a wholehearted commitment to doing right by God, ourselves, and others. This wholeheartedness shows itself in consistently choosing honesty, responsibility and ownership in all actions and decisions.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

MLF is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Personnel are chosen based on ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetics, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation in accordance with federal and state law.