Receptionist

Summary:

The Receptionist is responsible for providing a professional level of administrative and client-facing support to assist departments of Foothill Unity Center, Inc. (FUCI). This role serves as the first point of contact for clients, volunteers, and visitors, ensuring a welcoming environment and smooth access to services. The Receptionist supports daily front office operations, provides clerical assistance to staff, and may offer guidance to volunteers or trainees as needed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assure that the mission and values of the organization are upheld and that the face of FUCI reflects compassion for all, integrity in practices, and professionalism overall.
• Assist with the coordination and operation of food distributions.
• Serve as a welcoming first point of contact for clients at distributions and in the office, assisting with client check-in, intake, and general inquiries.
• Verify client eligibility and documentation, and enter accurate demographic and service data into the Client Services Management System (CSMS), PantrySoft, or CRM platforms.
• Accept and process incoming donations (food, supplies, monetary), providing receipts when appropriate, and ensure items are logged and directed to the proper department or storage area.
• Support the coordination of special events (e.g., Back-to-School, Thanksgiving, Holiday Toy Drive), assisting with intake, client services, and event logistics.
• Provide guidance and support to volunteers and trainees assigned to reception, food distribution, and event activities.
• Answer and direct incoming calls; take accurate, legible messages and ensure timely delivery.
• Maintain awareness of staff movements in and out of the building to ensure smooth operations.
• Provide administrative and general clerical support, including overflow tasks from other departments.
• Provide information to callers and visitors regarding FUCI programs and services, and assist with general inquiries.
• Direct visitors to their destinations and assist clients with queries.
• Perform related assignments as requested by the Center's management.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory:

This position does not oversee staff but may provide guidance and day-to-day direction to assigned volunteers or trainees.

Qualifications:

Education/Experience

An equivalent combination of education and experience is acceptable.

• AA Degree or equivalent or other administrative experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated previous administrative experience (3 years minimum) with a non-profit organization is preferred.
• Experience with leading justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Experience in advocating the organization’s vision and mission.
• Experience supporting community or public services programs, and nonprofit leadership preferred.
• In-depth knowledge of San Gabriel Valley community or comparable diverse communities preferred.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Ability to successfully pass a criminal background check and drug screen prior to hire.
• Reliability in meeting regular work hours, 8:00 am -4:30 pm daily or longer as needed. Willingness to work on occasional weekends and evenings with prior notification.
• Advanced/expert level of MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power point, Publisher) and Adobe.
• Advanced understanding of understanding of computer systems to assist other staff as needed.
• Ability to keep information confidential and exercise good judgment. Ease with others and strong interpersonal skills.
• Spanish language skills preferred.
• Good organizational skills and the ability to organize work to meet priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, follow through, work under pressure, and to complete work independently.
• Key qualities are self-motivation, reliability, maturity and responsibility, flexibility, and a sense of humor.
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to interact with the public graciously and with compassion and empathy, in person and over the telephone with a diverse population.
• Work cooperatively with colleagues as a team member.
• Ability to publicly advocate on behalf of Foothill Unity Center and the people it serves.

Personal Characteristics

• Compassion for vulnerable people of all races and ethnicities, origins, abilities, religions, genders, and ages.
• Critical thinker and problem solver who is comfortable making tough decisions.
• High degree of emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, empathy, and humility.
• Comfort working in a multi-ethnic and diverse organization.
• Deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Work Environment:

• The work is typically performed in an office environment, with a moderate noise level.
• Occasional travel to company or client locations during the day and occasional evenings and weekends may be required.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to sit, stand, and move as needed to complete requisite paperwork.
• Ability to commute to various client settings in the community, and to other FUCI locations.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 20 lbs. of employee and business files.
• Ability to work at a computer terminal for the bulk of the workload for this position.

• Health Insurance – Medical coverage to support employee well-being.
• Dental Insurance – Coverage for dental care, including routine check-ups and procedures.
• Vision Insurance – Assistance with eye care, including exams and eyewear.
• Life Insurance – Financial protection for employees.
• Paid Time Off (PTO) – Earned leave for vacation, personal, or sick days.
• Holiday Time Off – Paid time off for recognized holidays.