Posting: February 14, 2022
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colchester is hiring a social enterprise manager
Job description – Social enterprise manager
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colchester
For more than 40 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colchester (BBBS Colchester) has been enabling life-changing mentoring relationships to ignite the power and potential of young people in Colchester County and surrounding communities. Now based in North River, the organization matches volunteer mentors with youth in our region who could benefit from a supportive, encouraging relationship with an adult or peer.
A small, but mighty team, BBBS Colchester is undergoing a period of change, which has created an opportunity for us to review organizational needs. The next step in this process is to find our next social enterprise manager who will have the combined responsibility to oversee social enterprise business operations and facilitate a measurable employability skills program as a coach to the youth employed through the social enterprise.
Position overview
Reporting to the executive director, the social enterprise manager will run the day-to-day operations of Fundy Scoops Dairy Bar and simultaneously provide direct employability skills coaching and development to youth employed by the social enterprise.
In addition to our seasonal ice cream operation between the months of May and October, the social enterprise manager may also undertake the following in the dairy bar’s off-season months (to be determined in collaboration with the successful candidate):
- Develop a year-round retail, food service or other business enterprise that will maximize the opportunity to provide youth with valuable employability skills within our space while also generating funds that can be reinvested in core Big Brothers Big Sisters youth mentorship programming
- In an office-based role, focus on providing additional employability skills coaching to employment-aged youth in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, with an emphasis on interview preparation, expectation-setting and ongoing mentorship for job opportunities within the greater community
- Take on part-time responsibility for mentorship coordination within our core community mentoring program, which may involve screening volunteers and participants, facilitating matches and providing ongoing one-to-one support to mentors and mentees, in combination with part-time fundraising administration support
- A combination of any of the above, or other new opportunities to be determined on an ongoing basis
Our primary focus at this time is to see the social enterprise develop into a year-round business operation and youth employment program, but we are flexible and open to other opportunities depending on the skill set of the successful candidate. Please indicate in your application if you have your own vision of how to maximize the role between October and May.
To succeed in this role, this person will ideally have a background in human services, social services, social work, or related discipline, in addition to hands-on experience mentoring and developing others in a retail or food service setting.
Specific core duties will include:
- Recruiting, hiring, training, scheduling, mentoring and performance managing all youth employed through the social enterprise, including regular and supervisory staff
- Overseeing all areas of day-to-day business operations, including inventory, product and supply ordering, vendor relations, the point-of-sale system and cash handling, customer service, in-store promotions, budget management, shift opening and closing processes, etc. (with support from finance manager, marketing coordinator and executive director)
- Leading by example in front-of-house by setting the standard for workflow, customer service, quality assurance and safe food handling practices, and holding the team accountable to the same standard
- Developing a program structure whereby youth employability skills are developed and outcomes measured, and the youths’ engagement in future employment and education opportunities continues to be fostered and supported by BBBS Colchester on an ongoing basis
- Maintaining knowledge of BBBS Colchester, its programs, promotions, mission and vision and use this to promote what BBBS does in our communities
- Other duties as assigned as the position evolves, particularly in the dairy bar’s off-season months
Qualifications
Our ideal candidate will have:
- Post-secondary education in human services, social services, social work, or related discipline
- Three or more years of experience in a retail or food service environment
- Experience with inventory management, supply ordering and employee scheduling
- Experience with mentoring others in the workplace
- Strong attention to detail, time management and organizational skills
- Ability to exercise patience and grace in high-pressure or stressful situations
- Ability to lead with empathy and compassion and believe in all people
- Ability to command respect from peers, colleagues and direct reports
- Ability to anticipate workplace needs/be proactive
- Effective oral and written communication skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, particularly during dairy bar season
- Ability to hold privileged information in strict confidence
- A valid driver’s licence and access to a vehicle
- Police and child abuse clearance
Assets include:
- Previous supervisory, managerial or entrepreneurial experience in a retail or food service setting
- Previous experience in a social enterprise setting
- Previous experience developing an employability skills program
- Previous experience working directly with employment-aged youth
Working conditions
The social enterprise manager will work on site at the Fundy Scoops Dairy Bar and the BBBS Colchester office in North River. Irregular hours, such as evenings and weekends, will be required during the dairy bar season (May to October), and as needed, to meet business demands. Time in lieu for overtime hours will be provided.
Compensation package
The salary range for the social enterprise manager position is approximately $38,000-$43,000 annually, with flexibility depending on skills and experience. BBBS Colchester also offers a 35-hour work week, RRSP matching, flex days, a casual dress code, a psychologically-safe and supportive workplace culture, and more.
This job posting will remain active until a candidate is selected. We thank all applicants for their interest in working with us. However, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
BBBS Colchester is committed to principles of anti-oppression and employment equity. We encourage members of Indigenous, ethno-racial, 2SLGBTQIA+, Francophone, immigrant, refugee, differently abled and other minority groups to self-identify in their application.