Administrative Assistant

Lutheran Settlement House is part of a movement rooted in radical compassion and focused on making lasting, meaningful change in people’s lives and in our community. The voices of our clients guide our work, telling us what supports they need and what needs to change in our city. Our staff shares deeply held values that make us a welcoming, responsive, and reliable safe haven for some of Philadelphia’s most vulnerable populations. We accompany our clients in times of crisis, we are catalysts for building community, and we joyfully celebrate the strength of those we serve. If this sounds like you, if you’re looking for a workplace where you can live out your values and a workplace that values your growth and development, we invite you to apply.

The Administrative Assistant is a vital role in our fast-paced, multiservice organization. This role is located at our Fishtown location’s front desk reception area, effectively managing the “front door” of the agency. This role is responsible for maintaining a welcoming and structured environment, taking ownership of the front desk space and all responsibilities that coincide with that position.

This role can be split into two part-time positions (20 hours each) with a 9am – 1pm shift and a 1pm – 5pm shift, Monday - Friday, or can be made a full-time role (40 hours per week plus benefits) of 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday, depending on the skills and interests of the candidate.

The morning shift is fast-paced and people-focused, often multitasking receptionist duties like answering and directing phone calls, managing entry-and-exit doors, and greeting and assisting a variety of visitors, clients, and volunteers.

The afternoon shift is generally quieter, with duties focused on higher level administrative work that supports our executive leadership staff by helping to manage schedules, coordinate meetings, and input program data where needed.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Morning Shift:

• Welcome visitors and provide direction and assistance with respect and compassion
• Answer incoming phone calls and handle inquiries, call transfers, and messages
• Provide accurate information regarding the services we provide
• Exercise discreteness and ensure client confidentiality in all communications
• Receive and sort mail/deliveries/couriers; log package deliveries and notify appropriate staff
• Assist with miscellaneous office tasks, including copying, filing, and mailings, etc.
• Problem solve with clients in need by distributing the proper resources and information
• Assist with distribution for our food pantry and other donations

Afternoon Shift:

• Support LSH’s leadership team with scheduling meetings and trainings
• Input program data into agency database, as needed
• Prep carts/pantry for the following day
• Update staff directory, resource directory, and refresh forms and flyers as needed
• Inventory and check expiration dates on donations, as needed
• Be responsive to client needs – i.e. by retrieving items from the donation room, getting perishable items for pantry clients, or providing referral information
• Assist with ordering food and supplies for meetings and events

Qualifications:

• High school degree or equivalent
• Some administrative experience preferred
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, particularly Outlook, Word, and Excel, and comfortable with the internet and online forms
• Ability to learn new computer applications such as a databases or Canva, if provided training
• Must possess strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Demonstrates patience, adaptability, and resourcefulness
• Maintains a friendly and professional demeanor, and stays calm under pressure and when dealing with difficult situations
• Balances competing priorities (such as multiple visitors, phone calls, etc.) based on the immediacy and relative importance of presenting needs, while maintaining a calm and professional demeanor
• Ability to multitask and adjust to frequent change
• Organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to enter data without error
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential materials

For Part-time Positions (34 hours per week or less), Benefits include:

• Philadelphia Sick Time is accrued at a rate of 1 hour per every 40 hours worked.
• Our 401k retirement savings program offers a 1% match, and we offer pre-tax flexible spending accounts for health, travel, and dependent care.
• We value growth and learning, and offer trainings and conference participation whenever possible. We value the voices of our staff, and we offer mini-grants for staff to pilot new ideas in their work.
• We understand that employees are people first and foremost, and are committed to an overall supportive and flexible organizational culture.
• Our work is critical but we know it’s not easy, so we aim to infuse joy wherever possible. Whether we are offering free yoga and exercise classes, ending all-staff meetings with Karaoke or Bingo, or committing steadfast to a snack-based meeting culture – we aim to balance the weight of our work with laughter and levity as often as we can.

For Full-time Positions (35 hours+), Benefits include the above plus:

• Low cost medical, free dental and vision insurance, as well as agency-funded life and disability insurances.
• We offer 8-weeks paid parental leave for staff (eligible after one year of service) who give birth, adopt, or foster a new child in their home.
• Our paid time off package includes an annual 3-4 weeks of vacation, 12 days of paid sick time, and 5 personal days to use at your discretion.
• We observe 16 organization-wide holidays, and an early close on Fridays during the Summer.