Shift Supervisor (Part-Time)

FIRST UNITED is a registered charity that has been serving Vancouver's Downtown Eastside community for 140 years. We offer responsive, low-barrier services to individuals who are low-income, underhoused or homeless. We pursue dignity, belonging, and justice to meet the daily needs of community members while engaging in systems change work to reduce homelessness and break cycles of poverty. If you're looking for purpose-filled work and want to make a difference in the community, this might be the opportunity for you.

FIRST UNITED is seeking candidates to overnight shifts in our new 50 bed, low barrier shelter on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. If it is your desire to make a difference for those most vulnerable and to gain knowledge, experience and valuable skills in working with those with complex mental health and addiction issues, this is the job for you. We offer opportunities for training and professional development. We look forward to meeting and working with you.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Shift Supervisor (Tuesday - Wednesday, 12am - 8am)
Department: Shelter
Reports To: Shelter Manager
Date: May 2025
Starting Wage: $32.79 per hour

Each job within the FIRST UNITED CHURCH Community Ministry Society should promote our accomplishment of our vision, mission and values

POSITION OBJECTIVE:

The Shift Supervisor supports the Shelter Program at First United by providing direct service and supervision to staff, shelter residents, and community members, helping them understand and adhere to shelter and organizational policies and protocols, encourage a healthy work culture guided by our mission and values, and ensuring effective operations of the shelter program

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintain a safe, supportive environment within the shelter and problem solving for the fostering of effective team relationships.
• Provide leadership while participating in and overseeing the regular activities of the shelter. Take responsibility for all decisions, including when to contact emergency services or to escalate an issue to management. Taking an active role in defusing and de-escalating aggressive situations, ensuring organizational policies, best practices and safety procedures are followed including proper incident reporting, maintain the cleanliness and safety of the space and coordinating necessary services for repairs and cleaning.
• Monitor facility to maintain safety of clients and shelter space.
• Assist clients with shelter routines.
• Support clients in following all shelter procedures.
• Help clients work through conflict with others living in the shelter.
• Keep shelter clean, restock supplies, and ensure that bed checks and wake up calls are being done.
• Communicate observations and interactions with clients to shelter manager and shelter management through documentation in shift reports, and reports.
• Ensure confidentiality and professional language and practiced at all times.
• Assist with shelter meals as required, following all food safety guidelines. 
• Intervene in incidents in the shelter, using appropriate techniques and safety procedures.
• Complete documentation as needed for client reporting, and incident reporting.
• Basic maintenance, organization & cleaning of facilities.
• Treat clients in a culturally sensitive manner.
• Assist with scheduling/shift coverage.
• Participate in Departmental, staff meetings and relevant trainings as required.
• Adhere to agency policy, procedures and practices, including Occupational Health and Safety.
• Direct staff when emergency protocols required (critical incidents, overdoses, medical emergencies, etc.)
• Complete all duties as assigned. Other duties as required.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY

Supervisory/Management Responsibility
Supervision of shelter resource workers, shelter residents, and community members.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Post-secondary diploma or degree in related field.
• Food Safe Level 1
• Basic First Aid
• NVCI
• Trained in Naloxone
• Minimum 2 years' experience working with clients who experience addiction and/or mental health

EDUCATION

• Minimum Grade 12
• Related training in non-violent crisis intervention
• Basic First Aid Certification

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to oversee employees and ensure they meet performance expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate, train, delegate, mentor and coach employees.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgement in responding to complex operational needs, client privacy, emergency situations.
• Ability to maintain a work environment that is safe, secure and healthy.
• Demonstrated skill at entering confidential information into a database.
• High degree of proficiency in MS Word and Outlook.
• Speed and accuracy in completion of tasks, including record keeping.
• Attention to detail and consistency in managing repetitive situations.
• Superior writing skills.
• Very good telephone manner and communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Fluency in English; additional languages an asset.
• Friendly, professional demanor.
• Ability to handle multiple emergent situations simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain professionalism in a stressful environment. 
• Ability to handle sensitive and/or confidential information responsibly.
• Experience in a low barrier shelter.
• Ability to maintain clean personal and professional boundaries.
• Experience working with a diverse population, with sensitivity to differences in culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity & expression, race, age, and physical and mental illness.
• Ability to remain alert and on duty throughout shifts.
• Ability to respond responsibly and effectively in emergency and crisis situations. 
• Ability to follow detailed instructions.
• Current driver's license.
• Ability to maintain professionalism in all interactions with clients, co-workers, and volunteers.
• Physical ability to lift 50 pounds, sit, stand, bend, reach, run, kneel, and perform cleaning duties.
• Pass a vulnerable sector criminal background check.
• Proven track record of consistent punctual attendance at work.
• Professional demeanor. 
• Culturally competent and sensitive. 

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work Location:
Work is generally performed indoors, with up to 10% of the time spent outdoors in all types of weather.

Physical Requirements:
Duties require extended periods of standing and/or walking. Duties require occasional periods of climbing/pushing items, lifting/carrying items, keyboarding, reaching with hands and arms, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling. Employees are required to look at a computer screen for up to 75% of the time. Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs occasionally.

Work Conditions:
Working environment is generally favorable. Lighting and temperature are adequate. Work is performed amid normal conditions of dust, odors, fumes and noises. Regular environmental exposures to cold, heat and water. This position is required to work in an environment often dealing with clients in crisis situations brought about by diverse problems. The ability to function independently and frequently under pressure, while managing multiple concurrent tasks including emergency situations is an ongoing expectation of this position.

Hours of Work:
Weekend or evening work and work on scheduled days off may be required. Moderate overtime may be required. Work on statutory holidays may be required.

Hazards:
Job requires frequent interaction with the public, some of whom may be upset, abusive and/or violent. Job requires working frequently with people in unhealthy conditions and may include exposure to bodily fluids, lice, bear spray and bedbugs. Employee is required to hear information about clients' lives which may be troubling or upsetting and may cause emotional issues including vicarious trauma. 

Other: 
Due to the nature of the job, and our commitment to a safe environment, the candidate is subject to a criminal record check. 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties and skills required of personnel so classified. 

JOB CLASSIFICATION & WAGES:

□ Exempt      □ Management     X Bargaining Unit

Wage Grid: ($32.79 - $37.64)

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We are committed to becoming a more just, equitable, inclusive, and diverse workplace, which extends to how we hire. We are continually learning new and unlearning old practices while examining systemic causes of inequity, including colonialism.

We aim to be representative of the communities that we serve. We welcome everyone to apply, and we strongly encourage applications from members of communities that have been marginalized based on indigeneity, race, colour, religion, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression. In order to achieve a representative team, preference may be give to people who are members of one or more of these groups. 

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