Do you envision a world where everyone in our community experiences economic justice and financial inclusion? We do too! Please see the full job description below.

Position: Vita Site Coordinator -Seasonal-Various Bronx Locations
Program: Vita Tax Program
Reports to: Tax Program Director
Salary: $22.00 per hour
Posted: November 1, 2022
Start Date: January 2023
Part-Time or Full- Time Seasonal Site Coordinator- VITA Tax Program

OVERVIEW

We are the top free tax preparation community-based organization in the Bronx, with 12 sites, including four year-round locations. We help eligible New York City residents file their tax returns and claim credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. Since 2003, we have prepared free tax returns for more than 100,000 clients, returning over $100 million in total refunds to underserved communities.

All of Ariva’s tax program staff and volunteers are IRS-certified. All of our tax sites are sponsored by the IRS VITA program.
We are now actively recruiting experienced site manager to work with us as site coordinator in the 2023 filing season. We need staff all days of the week, including evening and weekends, and can offer interested candidates hours that suit their schedule.

Face-to-face in-person service is an essential component of this position and quality reviewers work in person at one of our offices. All staff must be vaccinated and must mask and follow our health and safety procedures in our offices.

Site Management
● The IRS has detailed requirements for VITA site operations. The Site Coordinator is expected to be knowledgeable about those requirements, including, but not limited to, the IRS 10 Quality Site Requirements and the IRS Quality and Tax Alerts.
● The Site Coordinator is responsible for tracking and safeguarding program supplies, promptly notifying the Tax Program Director when supplies are depleted, missing or damaged.
● The Site Coordinator has oversight over all aspects of the site, not just the tax preparation area. The Coordinator must also oversee the Intake and waiting area and must coordinate and oversee any additional services offered at the site; typically , tax time savings programs, opportunities to open bank accounts if appropriate, free financial counseling
● A strong and positive relationship with our site hosts is critical to the success of the program. The Site Coordinator should be in close and regular contact with their host counterpart, ensuring a positive experience, not only for our clients, but for our community hosts.
● Daily communication with the Tax Program Director. Ariva depends on our site coordinators to be in continuous communication with our Tax Program Directors. At the end of each shift, the Site Coordinator should email the Director an update on the day and any issues that need to be reported, including any client complaints. In emergencies, or in the case of serious issues, the Coordinator should telephone Ariva central office immediately for guidance. These include any client related emergencies, issues with the physical site, and issues that slow or stop tax production, including a software crash or a shortage of staff for the shift.

Staff and Volunteer Supervision
The Site Coordinator has direct supervision over all persons at the tax site, both staff and volunteers. Duties include:
● Provide guidance and training to staff and volunteers as needed on the tax prep process, assistance in addressing any questions or concerns with individual returns.
● Ensure all staff and volunteers have required IRS certifications, and the volunteer agreements for each volunteer is on file at the site AND copies emailed that day to Ariva’s central office.
● Ensure intake is completed and returns are prepared and quality reviewed according to IRS requirements and within scope of staff and volunteers’ certifications.
● Provide particular support to volunteers, recognizing they are not paid, but are donating their time to Ariva. We do not expect them to perform at the same level as our paid staff and we want our volunteers to be happy and come back to us year after year.
● Supervise performance of staff and volunteers, providing guidance as needed, and promptly reporting any performance or attendance issues to the main office.
● Ensure timesheets are accurate and that staff are not signed in before their assigned shift, before signing off on the timesheet. Sign the timesheet at the completion of the shift.
Client relations Establishing and maintaining positive client relations is a central requirement of the Site Coordinator position.

Responsibilities include:
● Manage Ariva staff and volunteers in a manner that promotes excellent client service, efficiency and a pleasant environment.
● Support a culture of responsiveness to client complaints and concerns; one which minimizes conflicts.
● Promptly report any client issues, problems or concerns to the main office
Other Responsibilities:
● Follow health and safety procedures (wear mask if no shield on site , social distance, clean working area)
● Ensure the site and its visitors follow safety plans.

Core Competencies:
● No particular educational background is required. (Site Coordinator need not have a college degree or any type of background in accounting or finance). But certain skills are essential to this position:
● At least three years’ experience- paid or volunteer- in income tax preparation
● Previous experience in the VITA program highly desirable
● Must pass all IRS required trainings including IRS certification exam at the Advanced level and the Site Coordinator training.
● Some prior experience in project management, and experience working in a fast paced multi-tasking environment is desirable.
● Experience with staff supervision or volunteer management also desirable.
● Excellent customer service skills an absolute requirement
● Must be responsible and reliable. It is critical that staff come to work on time and as scheduled
● Good computer skills for inputting tax return information.
● Detail oriented
● Bilingual English/Spanish highly desirable

Schedule: This seasonal position requires some availability for training in early January. Regular work hours will begin in mid-January and end in late April. We have multiple shifts available weekdays, day and evening, as well as Saturday and Sunday daytime.

To Apply: Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume to Maribel Montilla at mmontilla@ariva.org