Join the Words Alive Team

Employment Opportunities - Detailed Description

POSITION:  Administrative and Engagement Coordinator

COMPENSATION: $19.50/hour – $22/hour

STATUS: Regular, Full-Time, Non-Exempt

HOURS:  40 hours a week, occasional nights and weekends as needed. Time during the day flexible during regular working hours (8-6).

LOCATION: Requires in-person/in-office work at offices in San Diego

SUPERVISES: Volunteers

REPORTS TO:  Executive Director

WHO WE ARE: Words Alive connects children, teens, and families to the power of reading.  We serve students of all ages and their families throughout San Diego County. During the 2022-2023 year, we served 5,000 children, teens, and families facing extraordinary life circumstances through family workshops, read alouds in classrooms, and teen book clubs. Words Alive is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

POSITION OVERVIEW: Words Alive’s Administrative & Engagement Coordinator is primarily responsible for supporting the daily operations of the organization, facility operations, and accounting clerk functions for the organization. This position is responsible for an array of responsibilities coordinating how individuals invest their time, talent, and treasure into Words Alive’s mission.  They must seamlessly manage highly organized processes, a network of exceptional volunteers, and the data critical to the organization's success. In addition, the Administrative & Engagement Coordinator is a key staff member supporting the Board of Directors, Executive Director, and Engagement Team.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Office Management/Administrative Support (20%)

  • Professional and timely front desk reception

  • Answer phone and manage general inboxes. 

  • Open, sort, and respond to incoming mail and packages. Manage outgoing mail.

  • Order, inventory, and stock supplies.

  • Maintain updated rosters and attendance records (time tracking/leave requests) for staff.

  • Track and update key organizational information on website.

  • Coordinate, and take minutes at, regular staff meetings.

  • Ensure organized and accessible information on shared server/drives.

  • File physical documents and/or create and file electronic (scanned) documents.

  • Maintain administrative operating procedures manual.

  • Coordinate efforts to recognize work/service anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, etc.  

Accounting & Database Support (20%)

  • Accounting clerk functions including accounts payable/accounts receivables; billing and collection; disbursements; employee expenses; expense management; bill payments; coding and reconciliation of credit card statements; petty cash reconciliation; preparing and making bank deposits; processing of donations and pledges; receipt management; etc.

  • Prepare and issue donor acknowledgement / tax deductibility letters.

  • Record and track in-kind donations.  Send acknowledgement letters.

  • Prepare reports, including regular reports detailing deposits, postage/copy machine usage, others as requested.

  • Ensure files are kept, maintained, and presented for the annual audit. 

  • Manage donor database, including accuracy of the database including constituent records, coding, and consistent data entry.

  • Update constituent records, enter data, and provide routine maintenance on the database.

  • Prepare reports as requested.

Board/Executive Support (10%)

  • Schedule Board and committee meetings.

  • Maintain updated rosters and attendance records for Board and committee members.
    Attend, and take minutes at, Board and committee meetings.

  • Maintain accurate and updated virtual files for the Board of Directors and Board Committees

  • Schedule and prepare materials for visits, meetings, and events.

  • Provide administrative support to the Executive Director as needed, including tracking financial transactions and scheduling support.

Facility Management (10%)

  • Maintain clean and professional appearance of common spaces.

  • Coordinate building maintenance and caretaking. 

  • Manage access codes, parking passes, keys, etc.

  • Serve as a liaison with a constellation of vendors, including insurance brokers, IT, janitorial, maintenance, phone/internet, printing, security, etc.

Social Media and Website (10%)

  • Coordinate with Social Media team to regularly post updates to social accounts.

  • Regularly update website with engagement information, resources, and content. 

  • Coordinate content for inclusion in regular newsletter.

Support for Volunteer Operations (20%)

  • Coordinate online and in-person recruitment efforts for volunteers.

  • Facilitate orientations and onboarding for new volunteers, including eligibility and requirements tracking.  This may include handling privileged/confidential information included in background checks, TB test results, and COVID vaccination status.

  • Track service hours and maintain accurate volunteer records, with a keen eye on data integrity. 

  • Manage tools and resources that support volunteers.  This includes position descriptions, trainings, and a regularly updated handbook clearly articulating policies, procedures, and expectations.

  • Engage volunteers with regular communications, learning opportunities, and networking events.

  • Regularly collect feedback from volunteers to improve our volunteer experience.

Special Projects & Other Duties (10%)

  • Support events and campaigns such as: annual gala/fundraiser, peer-to-peer fundraising, volunteer appreciation, donor events.

  • Design engagement marketing materials such as flyers, posters, emails, and other collateral.

  • Other duties as assigned

EXPECTATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

The ideal candidate has/is a(n):

  • Experience (2+ years) in administrative or office setting, strong preference for AR/AP experience.

  • Self-starter who takes ownership of projects, with strong time management skills and ability to navigate many priorities simultaneously.

  • Highly organized and can coordinate many moving parts of processes and calendars successfully.

  • Excellent, positive communicator – verbal and written.

  • Strong number sense, with a keen eye towards data accuracy.

  • Ability to work collaboratively within a complex and fast-paced team environment.

  • Good interpersonal skills and an ability to work with a diverse variety of individuals.

  • Accountable with a strong sense of responsibility.

  • Resourceful and can take initiative and gather information to work through a project independently.

  • Comfortable asking questions and clarifying directions.

  • Sensitive to confidential and protected information; commitment to maintaining confidentiality.

  • Optimistic, positive, welcoming, thoughtful, gratitude-driven, and professional demeanor.

  • Unwavering commitment to the mission and population served.

Educational, Experience, and Technical Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience.

  • Some higher education preferred: certificate programs, degrees, or equivalent experience.

  • Excellent computer skills. Including virtual platforms such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), remote working platforms (Teams, Zoom), time management apps (Asana), CRM systems (DonorView), and website (Squarespace)

  • Experience (1+ year) of office-based experience.

  • Very organized and can manage many moving parts of processes, programs, and calendars successfully.

  • Self-starter who takes ownership of projects, with strong time management skills and ease in moving quickly through many priorities simultaneously.

  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with a diverse variety of individuals.

  • Accountable, with a strong sense of responsibility.

  • Resourceful and can take initiative and gather information to work through a project independently.

  • Comfortable with numbers and data.

  • Ability to respect and uphold confidentiality.

We strongly prefer:

  • Experience with accounting clerk functions (deposits, expenses).

  • Experience with QuickBooks Online or similar accounting software. 

  • Experience with executive support, working with Boards of Directors

  • Prior experience volunteering with or working for a literacy, education, creative arts, or nonprofit organization.

  • Written or verbal language skills in language(s) in addition to English.

  • Lived experiences aligned with the organization’s mission, participation in Words Alive programming.

  • Experience managing staff and/or volunteers

Physical Demands, Travel, and Availibility

  • This position is responsible for maintaining the physical goods for our programming and regularly includes bending, lifting, twisting, carrying, and moving materials and equipment regularly weighing 30 lbs. or more. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals to perform essential functions.

  • Ability to work on a computer and phone for at least 80% of the workday. 

  • Role includes in-office work. The office is on the second floor of a building with no elevator.  Reasonable accommodations will be made.

  • Ability to drive to and from meetings, activities, and events occasionally throughout Words Alive’s service area. Overnight travel is a rare possibility.

WORDS ALIVE VALUES & CULTURE
At Words Alive, our programs and impact made in the community are driven by our core values, which represent the motivation, dedication, and focus of our Words Alive staff and volunteers. Our values include:

  • Commitment: by pledging to make reading matter for everyone

  • Equitability: by working to level the playing field

  • Empowerment: by investing in lifelong learners

  • Responsiveness: by listening to community needs and developing innovative solutions

  • Collaboration: by partnering with the community

  • Connectedness: by creating a familial environment that includes all Words Alive participants and support

TO APPLY: Carefully review this job posting, expectations, compensation, and criteria to ensure it is a good fit. Submit 1) a brief cover letter or introductory video sharing why you’d like to work with Words Alive, and 2) a resume or summary of experiences qualifying you for this position via email (only) to: [email protected].