Shelter Worker - Standby

About the Role

Agate is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end homelessness and relieve hunger through action and advocacy. We provide emergency services, shelter, and housing programs for individuals and families. We encourage applicants with lived experience to apply (anyone who has not received services from Agate within the last two years is welcome to apply). We believe that housing is a basic human right.

Our Values: Integrity, Equity, Humanity, Creativity.

The Shelter Advocate is a member of a team responsible for daily operations at either of Agate's two housing-focused shelter program sites. One shelter is in downtown Minneapolis and primarily serves single adults experiencing homelessness, with a focus on partnered adults of all genders. The other shelter is an innovative new building in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis that serves single adults based on community needs.

The Shelter Advocate works closely with other employees in a team atmosphere to ensure consistent, affirming, safe operation of the shelter for all guests and volunteers.

This is a very active position that requires employees to complete physical tasks throughout the shift and remain awake at all times. This position is on standby 2-3 nights per week. They will punch in on their phone at 9:15 pm and remain punched in until 10:45 pm. If a staff member calls off or does not show up, the standby is required to come into one of the shelters and work until either 7:30am or 8:30 am. If the standby worker does not come in for a shift, they are on standby for it will result in termination. Standby employees should not accept shifts that they are unable to come in to work for the full overnight shift. The status for this position is on-call but could become part-time or full-time depending on the number of shifts picked up per week.

Responsibilities

General Responsibilities & Safety

• Ensure the shelter operates safely for all guests, staff, and volunteers.
• Build and maintain professional rapport with guests.
• Enforce shelter policy in a consistent, fair manner with a positive and respectful demeanor.
• Answer and direct calls to the shelter and monitor entrances to allow guests to access the shelter.
• Make regular rounds inside the shelter to ensure guest safety and maintain a calm and peaceful atmosphere for sleeping guests; call emergency services when appropriate and manage guest behavior throughout the shift.
• Use de-escalation and crisis response skills to address behavior issues or conflicts, always maintaining professional boundaries.
• Monitor and review security camera footage throughout the shift; document and report incidents accurately.
• Work collaboratively with program staff, property management, and facilities teams to support overall site operations.

Operational Duties & Hospitality

• Serve as the first point of contact for guests, staff, and visitors—offering a warm, professional, and trauma-informed welcome.
• Respond to voicemails, emails, and other communications promptly.
• Ensure daily program routines and procedures, including meal service, occur at scheduled times.
• Perform cleaning and light maintenance tasks as needed and appropriate.
• Make sure the office and program spaces are kept tidy.
• Do laundry throughout the shift.
• Support food service, including putting meals out, coordinating the delivery of meals, and supporting volunteers who come onsite to provide food or meals.
• Demonstrate appropriate professional boundaries with guests and colleagues.
• Conduct shelter guest intakes, upon request.

Administrative Duties & Documentation

• Facilitate collection and maintenance of required daily shelter documentation including intakes, bed assignments, data collection and input into online databases and logbook entries.
• Troubleshoot technical issues with office equipment and phones and reach out to Admin for assistance as needed.
• Actively participate in regularly scheduled staff meetings and supervisory one-to-one meetings.
• Understand and adhere to mandated reporting responsibilities.
• Other job duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Lift up to 50 pounds occasionally and 20 pounds routinely.
• Have experience with Microsoft Office products.
• Must possess a personal mobile phone with an active data plan sufficient to download required applications and reliably respond to on-call shifts.
• Pass background check.
• Ability to meet expectations regarding paperwork and documentation through organizational skills, a strong attention to detail, and the ability to work efficiently and accurately, competency and comfort using technology and computers.
• Work respectfully with guests, coworkers, and key stakeholders who are diverse with respect to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and religion.
• The ability to establish rapport quickly with people experiencing a crisis through the use of trauma-informed care, client-centered care, and strength-based approaches.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Coordinated Entry Systems.
• Experience with HMIS.
• Bilingual skills relevant to the individuals we serve (Spanish, Hmong, Oromo, Somali, Amharic).
• Experience working in settings with all genders.