Administrative Assistant

Reports to: Finance and Administration Director

Start date: ASAP

Pay rate: $45,000-$50,000 per year

Schedule: 4 days, 32 hours per week, full-time

Organization:

Mission: We unite people to protect, promote, and care for the forest preserves in Cook County.

Our community advocates for the responsible management of the nearly 70,000 acres of forest preserves in Cook County through advocacy, engagement, and stewardship of the land. Some of the best natural areas in Illinois are right here in Cook County, right outside your urban backdoor. Join our team and help us ensure they are here for the next 100 years.

Friends is an organization that gets things done with our members, volunteers, staff, board, and partners. We believe in work-life balance and are here for the marathon, not the sprint (not that we don’t sprint on a regular basis).

Operating Budget: $3,750,000

Summary:

Friends of the Forest Preserves seeks an Administrative Assistant to support human resources, technology, office management, fundraising, and general administration. They will work closely with the Finance and Administration Director, Associate Director of Human Resources, and Development Operations Manager to support the organization and staff by managing a variety of routine tasks and processes. This role is hybrid, with Mondays and Wednesdays remote and Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Friends office at 411 S Wells St Ste 800, Chicago IL 60607. Occasional all-staff field days will require the ability to meet at various Cook County forest preserve locations.

Responsibilities:

• Human resources: enter and manage data in Human Resources Information System (HRIS), Rippling. Process new hires and terminations, benefits enrollments, background checks, and job postings. Support Associate Director of Human Resources and program staff in onboarding participants, collecting employment documents, and tracking time.
• Technology: set up and perform routine maintenance on staff computers. Troubleshoot basic IT issues as needed. (A contractor is available for more complex needs.) Assign Google user accounts and Google Voice numbers, maintain directory of contact groups, and support staff in organizing shared Google Drive.
• Office management: maintain office by overseeing office supplies and supply orders, assisting with program supply orders, processing and distributing mail, shredding documents, and helping to keep shared spaces organized.
• Fundraising: assist with donor acknowledgement mailings, prepare and make remote deposits, and maintain charitable solicitation registrations.
• Other tasks as needed.

Qualifications:

• Strong technical literacy, especially with Windows and Google Suite
• Experience managing data and working in database systems
• Diligent and organized with meticulous attention to detail
• Proactive in identifying errors and improving systems and processes
• Effective working independently and as part of a collaborative team
• Efficient with time management and prioritizing a variety of tasks
• Passionate about Friends mission and supporting an inclusive work environment

Benefits:

• Health and dental insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, and $100,000 of life insurance
• 403b retirement account with 3% match starting at 1 year of employment
• 4 weeks of vacation
• 2 weeks of sick time
• 11 paid holidays