Nonprofit Operations Specialist

Applicants must submit a cover letter in order for their application to be considered. See the section at the bottom of this description text for complete details.

Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, a top-rated US nonprofit organization based out of Penn Valley, California, is currently seeking a Nonprofit Operations Specialist to serve in a serene ashram and monastery environment.

Background

The Nonprofit was established to preserve and disseminate indigenous knowledge and spiritual philosophy from the ancient Sanskrit heritage of the Vedic tradition. The Nonprofit’s head monk, His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda, is a Himalayan siddha and a living saint who offers spiritual guidance to sincere seekers through several forums including spiritual fellowships, meditation services, workshops and retreats. In addition to these services, Self Enquiry Life Fellowship is undertaking several projects related to the preservation of Sanskrit-based wisdom, Vedic fine arts and classical music. For more details, please visit hansavedas.org, hansavedas.academyand bookstore.hansavedas.org.

Meaningful Employment

Employees become part of a core team and work alongside dedicated volunteers and will get an opportunity to work in the serene ambience of a spacious property that has dedicated office space for each member of staff. The team is directly guided by His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda. This position offers a unique opportunity to blossom spiritually and serve in an organization which values and promotes Himalayan meditation and higher yoga, personal spiritual empowerment, and mindfulness. The Nonprofit offers careers to those who are looking for meaningful service-oriented employment and makes an extra effort to nurture staff who are seriously looking to inculcate a spiritual lifestyle.

Mindful Professionalism

The candidate must be flexible, open to learning and adapting to alternative office procedures, including the formality of protocols necessary when working with monastics. The candidate should be able to align and grow into this position seamlessly, by adapting to the fellowship culture and service-oriented mission of the Nonprofit. Therefore, mindful demeanor and mature communication skills with the community of meditators and devotees are essential. The ideal candidate will blend spiritual sensitivity with strong administrative experience and technical expertise on various online platforms.

Position Summary

The candidate should exhibit initiative and leadership in the areas of communication and fellowship coordination. Fluency in MS Office Suite and Excel are required. Basic knowledge of Salesforce CRM is preferable. The position requires a front-line point of contact who can hold communication streams proactively while taking initiative to follow through. The position will also require training/learning mass-engagement software tools and back-end platforms that support the Operations work in the area of digital communication and tracking follow ups.

Primary Responsibilities (scope of duties spread over as daily, monthly, and annual workflow)

• Office and facilities management, including managing vendors, contractors, digital service providers, office organization, supply stocking, ordering, shipping, and receiving, etc.
• Serve as the primary liaison for guests and visitors of the Centre/monastery. Ensure that guests and visitors follow and understand the daily schedule, visitor protocols and opportunities for volunteer work (seva).
• Coordinate travel to the Centre by devotees, volunteers, Directors, Officers, Contractors, Donors, etc. including making flight, hotel, and rental car arrangements for visiting guests, coordinating transportation to and from airports, facilitating housing arrangements, and acting as the primary contact person for out-of-town guests.
• Coordinate with the Property Maintenance personnel to ensure that repairs and maintenance needs are met in a timely manner.
• Manage and oversee the Nonprofit’s volunteer program, including managing the volunteer schedule and leading online planning meetings, volunteer initiatives, record keeping and time tracking.
• Serve as the frontline contact for devotees and the public by answering and responding to a wide array of telephone inquiries and emails in a professional and sensitive manner on behalf of the Nonprofit.
• Facilitate event registration, attendance, and outreach for online and in-person events.
• Manage event coordination and planning, including leading volunteers in venue research, travel arrangements, event logistics, rentals, expense analysis and tracking, packing and transportation of fellowship items, etc.
• Integrate data from various online platforms used by the Nonprofit, both manually and using automation tools; transfer and import data into the Nonprofit’s CRM (Salesforce); utilize integrated data for creating outreach lists and other necessary reports and shortlists; suggest improvements to data integration workflow as needed.
• Manage contractor and vendor accounts and facilitate paying bills; liaise with landlord for repairs and improvements as needed; source competitive estimates and prepare actionable proposals.
• Maintain the monastics’ schedule of appointments; manage phone, online, and in-person appointments for devotees, volunteers and spiritual seekers who seek blessings from our resident monk(s).
• Administer and manage the Nonprofit’s publication sales via Shopify, including order fulfillment and shipping.
• Maintain and manage the Nonprofit’s publication inventory.
• Maintain detailed records tracking packages and shipments; sort, review and direct incoming mail and prepare outbound mail.
• Maintain communication with and coordinate the efforts of the various City/Area Centres of the Nonprofit by building relationships with the Volunteer Coordinators and Core Volunteers of the various City/Area Centres through conference calls, email communication and meetings.
• Coordinate the digital migration and proper filing and organization of the various documents of the Nonprofit, including for Volunteers and Area Centre leaders.

Secondary Responsibilities (duties that need assisting or comanaging with other staff on a weekly or monthly basis)

• Assist with maintenance and administration of the Nonprofit’s CRM (Salesforce)
• Collaborate on special projects, perform research, write reports, develop relationships, and represent the Nonprofit
• Assist with the implementation of Nonprofit policies and ensure proper filing
• Assist accounting branch with federal and state compliance filings

Qualification Requirements & Preferences

• Administrative experience in an office, preferably a nonprofit organization, is required
• Bachelor’s degree and/or professional work experience strongly recommended
• Proficient in MS Office products specifically Excel; Proficiency with online tools is required
• Willingness to learn new software platforms, such as Salesforce, Constant Contact, Eventbrite, Slack, Uscreen, Track It Forward, Thinkific, Google Suite, VoIP
• Must be seeking a spiritual environment for inner growth and be spiritually aligned
• Event planning and coordination skills
• Must be a professional, cooperative team player, and a proven self-starter
• Excellent organizational skills and detail-oriented
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Exemplary interpersonal and leadership skills; able to work with and inspire volunteers
• Courteous communication skills; positive & spiritual demeanor
• Experience with Salesforce Nonprofit Starter Pack (or other CRM) is preferable
• Must be comfortable with public speaking
• Must have own vehicle and automobile insurance
• Must be a US citizen or a US Permanent Resident
• Must uphold honor code in managing work hours and workflow

Benefits

Lunch and snacks on workdays; access to basic wellness supplements; free attendance at workshops and retreats of the Nonprofit; on-the-job training & external courses. Exempt full-time salary will depend upon qualification and professional experience.

Submit: A Cover Letter explaining the motivation to serve with a spiritual organization clearly specifying spiritual intent or serious interest in alignment with mindful living, a Curriculum Vitae (or a résumé detailing education, professional work experience and technical skills), and a list of references.

https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-3478668

Read this article to learn more about our shared values at the workplace:

https://hansavedas.org/work-is-worship/