Directions Kitchen Supervisor Competition #29-23

About this Role

Directions Youth Services is a division of Family Services of Greater Vancouver (FSGV), which for more than 90 years has provided a variety of essential resources for children, families and individuals in the Greater Vancouver community.  We believe in the resiliency of Vancouver’s youth who are at-risk, homeless, and street-involved. We assist youth under the age of 25 to get counselling for trauma, mental health or substance issues. Our teams strive to create spaces and build connections with youth who are facing challenges of street life, substance use, mental health concerns, and disconnection from their communities. Directions inclusive programs of shelter and drop-in, safe houses and other unique programs are committed to being a community leader in harm reduction work and fostering low-barrier spaces where all youth are welcome. 

Working within the mission, vision, values and person-centred philosophy of the Agency, the Directions Kitchen Supervisor is responsible for the provision and management of effective and accessible pantry and kitchen programs for high-risk and vulnerable youth, experiencing challenges related to food security and/or isolation in Vancouver. The focus of this position is to increase participant capacity to prepare healthy, low-cost meals while reducing isolation levels and increasing social and community connections. It actively supports the Agency’s awareness and goals around diversity and inclusion.

About our Opportunity:

Our Valued Benefits:

• Starting at three weeks’ vacation for full time staff
• Three (3) paid household leave days a year
• Two paid Wellness Days a year
• Paid sick days
• Two and a half paid Agency days for full time staff
• Five paid days for education leave/year
• One paid Moving Day/year
• Subsidized professional association annual dues (if applicable)
• A work culture that values transparency, teamwork, learning, fairness and integrity

Health and Wellness Resources:

• Generous health/dental benefits after 3 months.
• Three flex benefit options to meet your individualized needs
• Option of psychological/counselling services (up to $1500/year)
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Long Term Disability Plan
• Insurance, Travel insurance, ++

Pension: Pension plan enrollment

Work Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Sunday-Thursday) 2-10pm (schedule is flexible)

Salary: GS 11 Step 1 ; $58,909.50 annual salary

Location: Directions Youth Services, 1138 Burrard Street, Vancouver BC

Posting End Date: Posting will remain open until filled

Essential Responsibilities:

Kitchen Program Management

• Facilitate and manage the Directions Centre Pantry and Kitchen program for diverse populations of youth by creating friendly, safe and non-judgmental environments that promote connections amongst members and community inclusion.
• Plan and develop healthy and economical menus and recipes, and purchase food, supplies and equipment for the kitchen.
• In conjunction with Program Manager, provide leadership to the team through recruitment, development of training and supervision of staff and volunteers. Includes participation in interviewing and evaluation of staff performance and professional development.

Admnistrative Responsibilites

• Collect participant data and feedback from Kitchen/Pantry programming; complete required program documentation, reports, and forms; and submit information on program statistics on a regular basis.
• Authorize expenditures within the existing assigned budget and make budget recommendations.
• Support Program Manager in seeking and securing grants and funding sources for Kitchen/Pantry program.

Other Responsibilities

• Responsible for program facilitation and scheduling kitchen volunteers and staff.
• Supervise staff and volunteers, providing 1-1 debriefing sessions after critical incidents as well as growth and development connections and opportunities.

What you bring:

Education, Training, Experience

• Post-secondary education in Social Work, Youth Work, Child and Youth Care, and/or Nutrition- Health-Cooking, with minimum of 2 years’ direct experience in kitchens or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• 1-year supervisory experience

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Extensive knowledge of healthy eating practices and nutrition, menu planning, low-cost shopping and effective budgeting practices, financial literacy as it relates to food programs.
• Understanding the purpose of program evaluation and reporting.
• Knowledge of substance misuse, adolescent development and the problems encountered by substance using individuals.
• Knowledge and awareness of issues that may affect sexually or criminally exploited youth.
• Knowledge and belief in the Harm Reduction model.
• Demonstrated knowledge of safe and proper food preparation practices.
• Excellent interpersonal and group facilitation skills and ability to work with diverse groups of people with a community development focus.
• Ability to take a leadership role within kitchen program and broader Directions programming, and work in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to effectively support and supervise volunteers and staff.
• Resourceful problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position including lifting donations up to 20kg.

Additional Requirements

• Successful completion of criminal record check
• Proof of Covid-19 vaccination status will be required
• Current Food Safe Level 1 certification

How to apply:

If this describes you, please submit your application to us through our website, https://fsgv.ca/careers/

Only short listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. Thank you for your interest.

We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that represents the communities we so proudly serve, while encompassing the principles of equity, inclusion and diversity. We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, people of all gender expressions and sexual orientations including queer, trans, and two-spirit people. In our words and actions, we recognize the challenges for those facing inequalities, while acknowledging our privilege, as we continuously strive to remove bias and reduce barriers that individuals may experience in the hiring and job-seeking process. We invite feedback from all applicants who apply for roles with the Agency.

If you require a disability-related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please email your resume and cover letter (indicating the competition number #29-23 in email subject line) outlining your interest and relevant experience to your contact information to  for follow-up. **if you are an internal candidate, please indicate “Internal Candidate” in the Comments section at the bottom of the online application**

Our programs are located on the traditional, ancestral, and unseeded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw(Squamish), Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil Waututh), Qayqayt,Katzie, Kwantlen, Kwekwetlem,Semiahmoo,Matsqui,and Tsawwassen First Nations. Huy ch q’u.