Hospitality Specialist

Hospitality 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

Community First! Village (CFV) is a master-planned community that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for the chronically homeless in Travis County. The Hospitality Specialist plays a vital role in supporting the mission of Mobile Loaves & Fishes by extending hospitality to every individual who enters Community First! Village Burleson. This position serves as the first point of contact for all guests and neighbors. This position will welcome and guide all guests including the stewardship of volunteers onsite. This position will assist neighbors as they navigate village services and activities by providing information and education about available resources. This position will also help steward the space by managing office supplies, receiving and distributing mail, submitting maintenance requests, and assisting with various administrative tasks as needed.

This is an exciting opportunity to support the continued growth of CFV and help launch operations for Community First! Village Burleson. The Hospitality Specialist will begin onboarding and training at our main CFV campus on Hog Eye Road, with the anticipated transition to support our new Burleson property following onboarding, tentatively targeted for October and subject to operational needs. This role is ideal for someone who brings an enthusiastic, flexible, and highly adaptable mindset and is energized by building relationships and helping establish a warm, welcoming, and well-coordinated experience in a growing community.

This is a full-time, non-exempt position. Due to the nature and requirements of the position, hours are flexible to fit need but typically include 8am-5pm Monday-Friday. Some nights and weekends may be required. Primary work location may shift based on operational needs and phase launch timing.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Guest and Neighbor Reception
  
  
  
  • Serve as the main point of contact for all guests and neighbors coming to the Burleson site
  
  
  • Perform a variety of clerical, administrative and inventorial duties that are necessary to run the Burleson site efficiently 
  
  
  • Receive guests and demonstrate hospitality to everyone that enters the building by providing information, resources and additional support
  
  
  • Welcome, orient and check in volunteers with the spirit of hospitality and stewardship
  
  
  • Consistently interact with neighbors using a person-centered approach while assisting with general inquiries 
  
  
  • Facilitate and connect neighbors with access to appropriate care, resources, services and engagement opportunities 
  
  
  • Answer phone calls to the main phone line with professionalism and care
  
  
  
  


• Neighbor Navigation
  
  
  
  • Develop and maintain positive relationships with neighbors, striving to always create a supportive environment
  
  
  • Be the first point of contact for neighbors needing assistance
  
  
  • Navigate neighbors to the correct person or partner based on request of needs
  
  
  • Monitor the Neighbor Support Form and make appropriate referrals
  
  
  • Responsible for creating and tracking partner referrals and following up on all referrals
  
  
  • Perform regular follow up with neighbors to assess for any additional needs or resources that the neighbor could benefit from
  
  
  • Assist neighbors in getting connected to opportunities as available such as dignified income and medical transportation
  
  
  • Responsible for administrative tasks with pharmacy delivery program
  
  
  • Provide administrative support for onsite partner relationships, including scheduling, communication, and meeting coordination.
  
  
  
  


• Space Steward and Mail Facilitation
  
  
  
  • Oversee and restock supplies for the office, kitchen, break rooms, conference spaces,
  
  
  • bathrooms, and other spaces as assigned
  
  
  • Submit and track maintenance requests on behalf of staff, ensuring timely follow-up
  
  
  • Act as the primary contact for janitorial and facilities-related questions for all common buildings
  
  
  • Provide support for conference room technology, becoming the go-to expert for setup and
  
  
  • troubleshooting
  
  
  • Receive mail and deliveries and ensure packages are secured and distributed to appropriate buildings and staff
  
  
  • Work with our Accounting team on the check collection processes
  
  
  • 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.


• 3+ years of experience in administrative support, customer service, hospitality, community engagement, or a related field.


• Passion for hospitality, relationship-building, and creating a welcoming environment for neighbors, guests, volunteers, and partners.


• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to learn and navigate new software systems quickly and effectively.


• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities, maintain accurate records, coordinate multiple processes simultaneously, and consistently follow through on details in a fast-paced environment.


• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate professionally and compassionately with diverse audiences.


• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, solve problems effectively, and handle sensitive situations with discretion.


• Ability to build positive working relationships and collaborate effectively with neighbors, staff, volunteers, community partners, and external stakeholders.


• Ability to remain calm, adaptable, and service-oriented while responding to interruptions, changing priorities, and unexpected situations.


• Demonstrates integrity, accountability, initiative, and a commitment to excellence, with the ability to work independently and follow through on responsibilities.


• Experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, substance use disorders, trauma, or other barriers to stability preferred.


• Experience coordinating referrals, connecting individuals to resources, or supporting community-based programs preferred.


• Must have a valid driver's license

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Ability to move about an office space and throughout Community First! Village's phases and other MLF properties, as needed


• Ability to sit or stand for a prolonged period


• Ability to work at a computer for a prolonged period


• Ability to lift up to 30 pounds

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 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.