A key customer and corporate partner of Northwest Center, the Amazon partnership started in 2003. Amazon opened Seattle’s first Community Banana stand in late 2015 as a public service. Bananas are seen as a healthy, fully compostable, and affordable snack. Northwest Center supports this operation by staffing Amazon’s community banana stands with “Banistas.”
Northwest Center’s mission is to promote the growth, development, and independence of people with disabilities through programs of therapy, education, and work opportunity
Amazon opened Seattle’s first Community Banana stand in late 2015 as a community engagement initiative. Northwest Center supports this operation by staffing Amazon’s community banana stands with “Banistas.”
The Bike Banista position provides professional 5-star customer service and experience at all times; and often serves as the first in-person contact that visitors and community members have with Amazon. The Bike Banista staff engage the community by riding preset routes through Seattle and Bellevue, providing friendly interaction and free Bananas at preset stop locations. The position may also require working at any or all of the banana stand locations, as needed, between the hours of 7:30AM and 4:00PM Monday through Friday. (Occasional weekend, evening or offsite events available). Banistas are also provided projects and other assignments in the event the stands are not available, or weather conditions do not provide the opportunity for the bicycles to operate.
Location: Seattle (South Lake Union) & Bellevue, WA
Schedule: Full Time M-F between 7:30AM - 4:00PM, Occasional Saturdays as needed.
Starting Wage: $26.16per hour | Full Wage Range: $26.16 - $31.13 per hour
What we can offer:
-
Competitive and affordable Medical (including hearing & hardware coverage!), Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life Insurance
-
17 Accrued Paid Time Off Days Annually
-
Additional 11 Annual Floating Holidays, Parental Leave, and Paid Compassion Leave
-
Retirement 401(K) with a company match
-
Company-Provided Orca Pass – Unlimited use
-
Employment Assistance Program (EAP) via Spring Health
-
Mental Wellness Program including six free therapy sessions per year
-
Opportunity for career development with our NWC Mentorship Match program
-
Physical Wellness Reimbursement Program - $25/month
-
Student Loan Contribution Program - $50/month
-
Pet Insurance Discount Program
Check out the entire list of benefits Northwest Center has to offer:
http://www.nwcbenefits.com/
What You Will Do
-
Arrive to the bike storage location ready to work at scheduled time, in provided Banista uniform.
-
Perform opening Safety Check, set-up and/or closing procedures; ensuring all program related items are placed in appropriate locations.
-
Greet and engage every visitor to the bike in a friendly, warm, professional and courteous manner. Bike Banistas are required to provide a 5-star impression at all times.
-
Select work appropriate music to play during operating hours.
-
Unload bananas from boxes into the bike’s crates, while separating bananas into individual pieces.
-
Remove plastic or other material from the banana bunches.
-
Keep the bike’s crates full and plentiful for the duration of operating hours.
-
Sort any bruised or damaged bananas out and place them in the compost bin.
-
Ensure the bike is organized and clean at all times.
-
Monitor the compost bin and facilitate emptying when full.
-
Track daily metrics in tracking software on distribution, compost, carry-over cases, and additional areas as specified by leadership.
-
Track all comments, general inquiries, and public response to identify common themes and emergency situations needing attention.
-
Contribute to monthly inventory counts on bike assets.
-
Report any and all bike repairs needs to leadership.
-
Support Banana Stand openings, as needed.
-
Support the redistribution bananas across stands, as needed.
-
Suggest operational improvements to leadership, as needed.
-
Attend trainings on new process roll outs.
-
Learn FAQ’s and banana facts to share with visitors.
-
Decorate the bike for holidays and/or special events with approved designs.
-
Communicate issues needing supervisor attention immediately, i.e. unexpected media on scene, etc.
- Follow structured timelines and accommodate unexpected requests.
-
Interact with the public and discern security issues if they arrive, ability to follow security escalation requirements.
- Ability to work at various banana stand locations (including some offsite locations) between 7:15am and 3:45pm Monday through Friday, including occasional after-hours requests and weekends.
- Perform other duties as assigned for needed duration.
Who You Are
-
GED or high school diploma required
-
Minimum 1 year customer service experience
-
6 months experience operating bicycle in an urban environment is preferred
-
Must possess a valid Washington State Driver's License
-
Commitment to Northwest Center’s mission of inclusion and ability to successfully work in a diverse environment.
-
Commitment to personal and road safety practices.
-
Ability to work in a variety of environments, including outdoors.
-
Ability to perform subtraction, multiplication and division for equations up to 3 digits.
-
Ability to remember training content and recall daily trends in banana distribution.
-
Must be proficient with MS Windows, Excel, and Outlook e-mail.
-
Ability to work independently with limited supervision.
-
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate with leadership, co-workers, and visitors.
-
Ability to understand, interpret and follow Northwest Center (NWC) and client Policies and Procedures.
-
Strong conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.
-
Responds calmly and professionally to emergencies, angry customers, or other stressful situations in the workplace.
-
Attention to detail and accuracy.
-
Exercises good judgment in areas of responsibility. Identifies or assists in identifying alternative solutions to problems or situations.
-
Employs imagination and creativity in the application of duties and responsibilities. Is not averse to change.
Working Conditions & Physical Demands
-
Need to physically operate electric bicycle riding between Amazon buildings and offsite locations. Standard route is within a 1.5 mile radius.
-
Need to be able to physically push bike up moderate inclines in storage space and on the road, as needed.
-
Comfortable operating electric bicycle on public streets and bike paths in a busy urban environment. Other cars, pedestrians, and bikes will be actively traveling in close proximity.
- Must be able to lift bananas and stack boxes up to 50 lbs. repetitively.
-
Must be able to work in conditions below 40 degrees for up to 3 hours or up to 90 degrees. (Frequent indoor breaks provided)
-
May need to carry supplies to other buildings.
- Ability to walk consistently within a 1.5 radius is required.
- Ability to read, write, speak and comprehend the English language.
-
Ability to see both distance and details at close range, within a few feet of the observer (with or without corrective lenses).
-
Ability to identify and understand the speech of another person (with or without a personal auditory hearing device).
-
This is a dog friendly environment with over 1000 dogs on campus. Individuals with dog allergies or those who do not particularly care for dogs may not be the best fit.
- Must be able to handle bananas and/or various food products without allergic reaction.
Northwest Center is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and/or receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact us at jobs@nwcenter.org.
At Northwest Center, we do not just accept diversity and inclusion — we celebrate it, support it, live it, and flourish in it to benefit our employees, the community, and our clientele. We believe that our strength lies within our diversity and the forward motion toward a day when people of all abilities can learn and work together.
We believe that curiosity and critical thinking are essential to the dialogue and improving decision-making, planning, resource allocation, and how we treat others. Our goal is to create and implement more equitable practices, policies, and culture. To be equitable means to value and respect individuals from all cultural backgrounds, genders, races, identities, and abilities. Northwest Center is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, including disability and veterans’ status.
IND123