HomeStart Office and Front Desk Administrator
Over the course of the last 20 years, HomeStart has permanently housed more than 10,000 individuals living on the street and in shelters and has prevented nearly 3,000 families from experiencing homelessness. HomeStart is uniquely positioned to dramatically reduce homelessness. HomeStart serves hundreds of people each year in the Greater Boston Area. Our clients include single parents and their children, victims of domestic violence, veterans, and persons with disabilities. All of them are living at or below the poverty line.
We are a team of around 80 dedicated professionals representing a rich diversity of professional skills and lived experience. At HomeStart, we don’t just accept difference - we celebrate it, support it, and thrive on it for the benefit of our team and the communities we serve. HomeStart is an equal opportunity employer and as such, we do not discriminate against any team member or candidate because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, or any other basis protected by law. We encourage all to apply because we believe a diversity of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.
The Office and Front Desk Administrator is the face of HomeStart and is an integral members of the agency. This position is multifaceted but heavily focused on engagement with people (e.g. clients, partners), agency support, and office administration. This Office and Front Desk Administrator will work both at the front desk and as a floater supporting departments in need of a team member at any given time with data entry tasks. HomeStart is currently in a hybrid work setting as such, we are only open to the public three days a week – Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Thursdays.
Responsibilities:
Engagement
· Greet visitors and direct them to the proper person or respond to queries as appropriate.
o Visitors include current or former HomeStart clients, members of the public seeking help, partner agency staff, members of funding agencies, etc.
· Check-in clients for daily appointments. Keep log of arrival, contact with case manager, out time, etc.
· Assist clients or members of the public who come to the office. Respond to general questions, provide light problem solving, connect to HomeStart case manager etc.
· Answer phones and respond to callers in patient and informative manner.
· Check and respond to HomeStart general emails. Respond to queries in a businesslike manner – including greeting, salutation, and information in the body of the email.
· Check and respond to HomeStart general voicemails.
· Other duties as assigned.
Agency Support
· Research and learn other agencies supporting individuals experiencing homelessness in Boston to relay to clients and guests who contact HomeStart.
· Oversee procedures & maintain operational forms & records for front desk. Ensure each day there is a sufficient supply of materials.
o *Sign-In sheet, Resource Packet, Mutual Respect Agreement, Front Desk Operations Manual.
· Maintain agency Resource Packet. Keep information in packet up to date. Ensure there are sufficient copies each week ready. Check in quarterly with all managers about any changes that need to be made.
· Keep track of absent/on leave/vacation team members.
· Maintain photocopies of materials for walk-ins. Sufficient supply of copies should be ready and available every day.
· Program Data Entry (i.e. adding new clients into Clarity, enrolling existing clients into different programs, entering Walk-in Questionnaire Data, etc.) as needed.
· Fielding phone calls from clients who have not been reassigned an advocate yet due to position gaps.
· Other duties as assigned.
Office Administration
· Manage and sort office mail and packages.
· As part of the onboarding process, obtain new staff information (correct pronouns, birthday, agency cell phone, Vonage extensions, ID Badges, business cards, etc.)
o Business cards to be reorder whenever staff need new cards.
· Maintain general organization of communal office space.
· Creation of agency document of staff clients by program.
· Keep track of and order office supplies (i.e. HomeStart Envelope and Letterhead, supply room stock, kitchen utensils, water, postage, etc.).
· Maintain Front Desk Operations Manual and update quarterly.
· Monitor office recycling (toner cartridges, cardboard, 1-800 Junk).
· Manage office voicemail/email: update email list, update phone system extension list, setting up new emails ASAP, etc.
· Maintain monthly calendar. Collect monthly meeting and calendar items. Send out all staff monthly by 1st of month.
· Maintain in-office sign-up spreadsheet. Ensure clients, advocates, and managers on duty are properly signed up.
· Update Birthday list of staff and add to spreadsheet as well as office calendar.
· Manage office equipment (agency cellphones, water machine, copiers, etc.).
· Post signs on front door as well as at security desk of pending office closures (both planned, e.g. holiday, or unscheduled, e.g. winter storm closing).
· Sanitize all high traffic and common spaces at the close of business each day (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays).
· Other duties as assigned.
Duties will change and evolve based on needs of the agency.
Qualities:
· A willingness to serve people of all backgrounds and meet clients/guests where they are at.
· Understanding of the Housing First model.
· An ability to multitask and be comfortable working in a team and independently.
· Great amount of attention to detail and professionalism.
· Organization, customer service, and research skills.
· Spanish Speaking Required, Haitian Creole or another language preferred.
Salary is $49,500 for a bilingual candidate. To be considered, please send resume and cover letter to Jewel Evans (evans@homestart.org).
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $45,000.00 - $49,500.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
- 8 hour shift
- Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person