Administrative Assistant

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:  
Through the employee’s own efforts, the employee accomplishes the following essential functions:

  1. Maintain a system for efficient record keeping, regulatory compliance and reporting.
    • Maintains a filing system including Discharge Charts, Building Rosters and Sign In/Out sheets.
    • Log room and ACS inspections and maintain filing system.  
    • Maintain system for communicating incident reports to caseworkers, logging incident reports and follow-up, and communicating incidents through the DHS CARES platform for reporting.   
    • Update office binders as directed by management.
    • Maintains employee phone list and outside contacts list.
    • Keep records up to date and manage dead filing according to protocols.
    • As needed, develop new systems to assist with the efficient management of records.
  1. Answer incoming phone calls, record messages and makes follow-up calls.
    • Represent Highland Park CDC in a positive, welcoming manner when interacting with clients, vendors, and all other internal and external stakeholders.
    • Ensure that urgent messages / issues are communicated in a timely manner to appropriate parties via a phone call or text as needed.
  1. Support the administration of human resources and operations functions.
    • Assist with new employee orientation.
    • Obtaining new-hire documents as needed from candidates and new hires.
    • Email the IT department to coordinate technological needs for new hires and terminations (email set up, computer, phones, etc.).
    • Help employees regarding access to the HRIS system as needed.
  1. Leverage organizational skills to efficiently coordinate and manage organizational communications. 
    • Schedule appointments and maintain appointment documentation and calendars either electronically or manually.  
    • Process and receive internal and external mail.
    • Schedule appointments for Director and staff members, assist with monthly Shelter / Highland Park CDC Calendar.
    • Arrange inter office meetings, reserve office space.
    • Coordinate and process shipping via UPS, FedEx, USPS, and other means as needed.
    • Receive, open and sorts incoming mail.
    • Process and/or create merge mailings and mass mailings to employees when necessary (for information distribution, etc.).
  1. Ensures there is adequate inventory and stock of various supplies.
    • Maintains a system for ensuring there is an adequate inventory and a system for ordering supplies in an efficient manner.  
    • Adheres to all purchasing policies for ordering supplies.
  1. Coordinate with vendors, including but not limited to for technology repairs and maintenance.
    • Email IT department to set up new hires with technological needs and termination.
    • Coordinate with IT Department and Phone System department to resolve problems.
  1. Perform administrative support tasks:
    • Creates and / or revises various forms and reports.
    • Type correspondence as requested and as needed.
    • Coordinates the maintenance and repair of office equipment.  
    • Distribute paychecks/ paystubs.
  1. Perform other job duties and special projects assigned by management. 

ADDITIONAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

  1. Adheres to all policies and procedures, including those prescribed in the Highland Park CDC Employee Handbook.
  1. Maintain confidentiality and do not disclose information learned through the course of the job with people other than those who need to know including employee information, financial information, client information, etc.

COMPETENCIES:
To perform the job successfully, an individual demonstrates the following competencies.

  1. Customer Service Orientation:  Manages difficult or emotional situations with internal and external stakeholders; Responds promptly to customer needs; Responds to request for service and assistance.  Maintains and communicates a positive “can do” attitude with internal and external stakeholders.
  1. Problem Solving:  Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Uses reason when dealing with emotional topics.
  1. Systems Thinking:  Demonstrates an ability to (a) see how organizational systems (e.g., internal/external conditions, processes, people) interact and influence each other, and (b) how these systems create and contribute to specific issues (e.g., high voluntary turnover) and strengths (e.g., strong customer focus).
  1. Planning / Organization:  Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently:  Plans for additional resources; Develops realistic action plans.   Leverages tools to manage workflow and reprioritizes accordingly.
  1. Service and Teamwork – Understands the needs and wants of the organization, customers, co-workers and supervisors in order to provide accurate, complete and timely service and to further the mission, values and goals of the organization.
  1. Oral Communication:  Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification.
  1. Written Communication:   Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.  
  1. Ethics:  Treats people with respect:  Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values.
  1. Dependability:  Follows instructions; Responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments.
  1. Initiative:  Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks;   Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities;  Asks for and offers help when needed.  

QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully, and individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.   The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and / or ability required. 

  • Minimum Required Education & Experience:
    • HS Diploma or GED required.
    • 2 years of clerical or administrative experience.
  • Preferred Education & Experience:
    • 2 years of college preferred.
  • Computer Skills:
    • Proficient in computer software programs (Word, Excel, Power Point, CARES, etc.)
  • Language skills:
    • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.  Reads and comprehends simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos; Writes simple correspondence; Presents information in one-on-one and small groups situations outside stakeholders, clients and other employees.

GENERAL PHYSICAL REQUIRMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:

  • GENERAL WORKING HOURS:
    • Generally, this position is Monday through Friday.
  • WORKING FROM HOME:
    • Most essential functions of this job cannot be completed working from home.
  • TRAVEL:
    • May be required to travel about 5% of the time to purchase items or to attend a training or go to the post office as needed.
  • PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
    •  The physical activity for the Administrative Assistant is:  
      • Reaching.  Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
      • Walking.  Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, and has an ability to navigate from one location to another.  
      • Lifting.  Must raise objects from a lower to a higher position or move objects horizontally from position to-to-position.
      • Feeling.  Must be able to perceive attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.   Assesses potential safety threats , such as by exposure to chemicals and heat from malfunctioning equipment.  
      • Talking and hearing.  Able to express and exchange ideas by means of the spoken word.  Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make the discrimination in sound.  
      • Repetitive motions.  Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and and/or fingers. 
  1. Physical requirements for the Administrative Assistant: 
    • Sedentary work:  Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and / or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.  Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, with walking and standing required only occasionally.  
  1. The visual acuity requirements for the Administrative Assistant (including color, depth perception and field vision).
    • Required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work. 
  1. The Administrative Assistant will be subject to the following conditions in this position:
    • The worker is subject to inside environmental conditions, protected from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.   

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the Essential Functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made upon an employee’s request.

This Job Description is not intended, and should not be construed, to be an exhaustive list of all Job Functions, Competencies, Skills and Work Environment/Conditions associated with this job.  It is meant to be an accurate reflection of principal job elements useful for recruiting and selecting employees, assigning work and evaluating performance. Additional responsibilities may be assigned, and management retains the right to change this Job Description at any time. Acceptance of this Job Description does not constitute an employment agreement or contract.  The Company is an at-will employer and reserves the right to terminate employment for any reason or no reason, with or without notice to the employee.