Administrative & Operations Assistant
Food for Maryland
Important Schedule and Employment Information
This position has a flexible and changing schedule. Applicants must read and understand the following before applying:
- Working hours may be scheduled anytime between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
- The days, hours, locations, and responsibilities may vary depending on the organization’s needs.
- The position may begin as part-time or as-needed, with the potential to grow into a full-time position.
- Additional hours and advancement toward full-time employment will be based on the employee’s demonstrated skills, dependability, availability, productivity, ability to follow directions, and the needs of Food for Maryland.
- Applicants must be flexible and willing to assist with different responsibilities from one day to the next.
- Some weeks may offer more hours than others, particularly during the initial employment and evaluation period.
- This is not a traditional Monday-through-Friday desk position with the same duties and hours every day.
Food for Maryland is seeking a dependable, highly organized, and adaptable Administrative & Operations Assistant to support the daily operations and continued growth of our nonprofit organization.
This is a hands-on, fill-in-where-needed position for someone who can manage administrative responsibilities, follow up on assignments, communicate professionally, assist with hiring and interviewing, and make food deliveries when necessary.
Primary Responsibilities
- Maintain an organized list of assignments, priorities, deadlines, and follow-up items.
- Follow up with employees, applicants, vendors, community partners, and other contacts to make sure assigned tasks are completed.
- Listen to, understand, and accurately carry out verbal instructions, dictated instructions, recorded voice messages, and other audio directions.
- Take clear notes from audio or verbal instructions and convert them into organized tasks, emails, documents, schedules, or follow-up actions.
- Ask appropriate questions when instructions are unclear rather than making assumptions.
- Provide regular and accurate updates regarding the status of assignments.
- Answer incoming telephone calls professionally and direct callers to the appropriate person.
- Make outbound calls to applicants, employees, vendors, community partners, recipients, and other organizational contacts.
- Take accurate messages and make sure important matters receive timely attention.
- Help organize management’s schedule, appointments, meetings, interviews, documents, and priorities.
- Develop and maintain an organized human resources process for recruiting, interviewing, selecting, onboarding, training, and tracking employees.
- Post job openings, review applications, communicate with candidates, schedule interviews, and conduct initial applicant screenings.
- Help conduct interviews and document candidate qualifications, responses, strengths, concerns, and follow-up needs.
- Prepare interview questions, candidate evaluation forms, confidentiality agreements, onboarding checklists, employee files, and other basic HR documents.
- Maintain confidential applicant, employee, recipient, and organizational information.
- Prepare professional emails, letters, reports, spreadsheets, meeting notes, forms, and organizational documents.
- Organize electronic and paper files so information can be located quickly.
- Track important dates, appointments, applications, grant assignments, employee responsibilities, and organizational commitments.
- Contact government offices, community organizations, vendors, partners, and program participants as directed.
- Help coordinate meal routes, drivers, recipients, kitchen staff, delivery locations, and partner organizations.
- Monitor delivery schedules and immediately report driver cancellations, missed routes, delays, or other problems.
- Serve as an emergency backup food-delivery driver when a scheduled driver does not report to work, becomes unavailable, or cannot complete a route.
- Pick up, load, transport, and deliver prepared meals, food, supplies, or organizational materials safely and on time.
- Drive to meetings, kitchens, stores, partner locations, recipient locations, or other local destinations when needed.
- Assist with special events, community outreach, meal programs, meetings, interviews, and other operational needs.
- Identify incomplete assignments, missed deadlines, or potential problems and bring them to management’s attention.
- Perform other reasonable administrative, delivery, and operational duties necessary to help Food for Maryland function effectively and grow.
Qualifications
- Previous experience in administrative support, office management, operations, human resources, nonprofit work, delivery services, or customer service is preferred.
- Strong organizational, communication, listening, and follow-up skills.
- Excellent listening comprehension and the ability to understand spoken, dictated, or recorded instructions clearly.
- Ability to turn verbal or audio directions into accurate written documents and completed assignments.
- Ability to manage several assignments without losing track of important details or deadlines.
- Professional and respectful telephone, text-message, and email communication.
- Comfortable communicating with applicants, employees, meal recipients, vendors, government representatives, community partners, and members of the public.
- Ability to work independently, take initiative, solve routine problems, and follow instructions carefully.
- Willingness to handle a wide variety of responsibilities and adjust quickly when priorities or schedules change.
- Ability to accept constructive feedback and improve performance.
- Good judgment and the ability to protect confidential information.
- Basic proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, electronic calendars, online job platforms, shared files, and electronic recordkeeping.
- Ability to create and maintain checklists, forms, procedures, tracking systems, and organized files.
- Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, current automobile insurance, and an acceptable driving record.
- Ability and willingness to make emergency food deliveries when a regular driver is unavailable.
- Ability to use GPS navigation and follow delivery routes accurately.
- Ability to safely load, transport, lift, and carry food containers, boxes, or supplies weighing approximately 25–40 pounds.
- Dependable attendance, punctuality, responsiveness, and flexibility are essential.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is resourceful, patient, professional, productive, flexible, and dependable. This person listens carefully, follows directions accurately, keeps track of assignments, and does not require repeated reminders.
The successful candidate should be comfortable receiving instructions by telephone, voice recording, text message, email, or in person. They must be able to understand those instructions and turn them into completed work.
Because Food for Maryland is a growing nonprofit organization, the responsibilities and schedule may change from day to day. One day may involve administrative work, telephone calls, hiring activities, and employee follow-up. Another day may involve visiting a partner, purchasing supplies, coordinating meal routes, attending a meeting, or stepping in to complete an emergency delivery.
Delivering meals to recipients is an important responsibility. When a driver unexpectedly fails to report or cannot complete a route, this employee may be asked to step in so recipients still receive their food.
Employees who demonstrate strong skills, productivity, reliability, flexibility, and the ability to handle increasing responsibility may be offered additional hours and considered for full-time employment as the organization grows.
About Food for Maryland
Food for Maryland is a nonprofit organization committed to combating food insecurity and treating people with dignity. We provide high-quality meals, food assistance, and supportive services to vulnerable individuals and communities throughout Maryland.
This position will play an important role in improving our administrative systems, strengthening our hiring and interview process, supporting dependable food deliveries, and helping Food for Maryland reach a higher level of operational effectiveness and community impact.
Position Details
Position: Administrative & Operations Assistant
Employment Status: Part-time, full-time, or as-needed depending on performance and organizational needs
Available Working Hours: Assignments may be scheduled between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Schedule: Variable; days and hours may change based on operational needs
Location: [Insert primary work location]
Compensation: [Insert hourly rate or salary range]
Travel: Local driving and emergency food deliveries are required
Opportunity for Growth: Employees demonstrating strong skills, productivity, reliability, and flexibility may receive additional hours and advance toward full-time employment.
To Apply
Please submit your résumé and a brief explanation of why you would be a good fit for a growing nonprofit organization with changing responsibilities and a variable schedule.
Applicants should describe their experience with:
- Administrative work and task follow-up
- Understanding and carrying out verbal or recorded audio instructions
- Answering and making professional telephone calls
- Hiring, interviewing, onboarding, or human resources
- Driving, deliveries, or route coordination
- Managing changing schedules and priorities
- Working independently and completing assignments without repeated reminders
Please confirm in your application that you:
- Understand that the schedule may vary and that work may be assigned between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
- Have a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and current automobile insurance.
- Are willing to make emergency food deliveries when a scheduled driver is unavailable.
- Understand that the position may begin part-time or as-needed, with the possibility of earning additional hours and advancing toward full-time employment.
Food for Maryland is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, performance, organizational needs, and the applicant’s ability to perform the essential responsibilities of the position.
Pay: From $20.00 per hour
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Work Location: In person
