Front Desk Assistant At International Rescue Committee

Job Overview:

The Front Desk Assistant, at our San Diego location, will provide general office support with a variety of clerical activities and related tasks. This role will serve as the site’s primary Receptionist; greeting, welcoming, and directing visitors and clients appropriately; notifying IRC’s personnel of visitor/client arrival; maintaining the lobby and front desk; as well as the telecommunications and check-in systems.

Major Responsibilities:

Administration Support:

• Welcome staff, clients and guests by greeting them, in person or on the telephone, with a warm and friendly demeanor;
• Treat all staff, clients and guests with respect, professionalism, kindness and dignity;
• Answer or refer inquiries from clients and guests to the appropriate staff person;
• Conduct appointment-setting and follow-up calls along with checking voicemail system and sending messages to appropriate staff person;
• Maintain up-to-date information on front desk processes and procedures as well as lobby bulletin boards with up-to-date information/flyers, and a safe and clean reception area;
• Ensure staff, clients and guests are checking-in when they arrive to the IRC using the online Proxyclick system and COVID-19 Tracker;
• Enforce IRC San Diego’s COVID guidance and protocols when staff and clients are in the office;
• Monitor the use of supplies and equipment and coordinate the repair and maintenance of office equipment;
• Order office supplies when needed;
• Communicate with San Diego Management Company any building issues or security issues;
• Train, supervise and schedule volunteers to help support the front desk;
• Participate in all program meetings, staff development activities, and fully engage as a member of the team;
• Follow all policies, procedures and protocols of the agency;
• Other related duties as assigned.

Program Support:

• Support the check-in of Immigration clients for their appointments, receive documents from clients and forward on to appropriate Immigration Staff, provide referrals and information on IRC Immigration Programs such as citizenship classes and Interview Preparation Workshops (IPWs) and register them for programs for the Immigration Department;
• Support clients in CEO loan repayment process including securing checks in safe and issuing receipts of payment if requested as well as schedule tax appointments for clients in person or by phone for the VITA Tax team;
• Support the check-in of CFO (Workforce, Small Business Development, and Financial Capabilities programs) clients which includes clients for their appointments, receive documents from clients and forward on to appropriate CFO Staff, provide referrals and information on IRC economic development trainings and services;
• Provide referral forms, collect and pass off to the Safety & Wellness (S&W) Program in a confidential manner for clients who are survivors of crime, asylum seekers, and/or in need of emotional/mental health support;
• For clients coming to the front in need of support for i.e. housing but not interested in case management or do not qualify, the Front Desk Assistance should be able to direct them to the appropriate external resources provided by the S&W Program;
• Gauge the difference between emergency/crisis and urgent requests in order to ascertain the appropriate support from the S&W Program. The Front Desk Assistant should have knowledge of the domestic violence protocol and learn to observe red flags in order to refer clients.

Job Requirements:

• Associate or undergraduate degree or equivalent years of related work experience;
• Minimum 1+ years relevant work experience in administration, receptionist, or other experience in providing professional customer service;

· Consistent professional dress and manner;

• Previous multi-cultural experience and demonstrated ability to communicate well with people of varied backgrounds required;
• Ability to work independently, be a self-starter and maintain responsibility for multiple tasks;
• Ability to be flexible, prioritize and detail oriented;
• Ability to be resourceful and proactive in dealing with issues that may arise;
• Ability to speak in a clear and friendly manner over the phone;
• Ability to great clients and visitors in a friendly and welcoming manner when face-to-face;
• Excellent organization, customer service and time management skills;
• Strong English written and verbal communication skills;
• Strong computer skills including keyboard and data entry; ability to quickly learn the VITA tax program software and appointment scheduling database, Setmore database for Immigration and Box for document sharing and storage.

· Proficiency in an additional language relevant to current refugee populations preferred (particularly Swahili, Spanish, Arabic, or Farsi).

Working Environment:**

· Professional, fast-paced office environment;

· Must be able to sit and use a computer for long periods of time;

· Position hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.