Bilingual - Administrative Assistant (Bakersfield, CA) - United Domestic Workers

UDW Overview: 

United Domestic Workers of America, UDW/AFSCME Local 3930 is a statewide labor union that represents more than 170,000 home care and family child care providers in 45 counties in California. Founded in 1979, UDW is a diverse, progressive labor organization that seeks dynamic, committed individuals who will support our members and those for whom they care locally, statewide and at the national level. 

UDW is one of California’s largest labor unions. We consistently support and lead important social justice initiatives like fighting for racial justice, income inequality, and affordable health care for all. We are committed to respect and dignity for seniors, people with disabilities, and the children in our care.  We fight for better working conditions and fair pay for home care and child care providers, and full funding for life-saving programs like In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and subsidized family child care. For more information about UDW, please visit our website at www.udw.org.

Job Information:
Job Title:  Bilingual -  Administrative Assistant
Job Type: Non-Exempt (Hourly)
Department: Organizing & Field Services 
Reports to: Regional Manager
Schedule:  In-person - Full Time, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (office hours)
Job Location:  Bakersfield, CA
Salary Range: $22.02 to $32.49 per hour (depending on experience)

Job Summary:
As Administrative Assistant II, you will excel in clerical and secretarial duties, autonomously handling complex tasks to enhance office efficiency. You will be a key contact point, skillfully managing communications, ensuring confidentiality, and promoting smooth interactions for a professional workplace. Your role includes managing calendars, coordinating meetings, events, overseeing supplies, training staff, and executing mid to high level administrative tasks.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Administrative Assistant I
•    Warmly welcoming visitors and addressing any inquiries they may have to create a positive first impression, overseeing all reception desk initiatives and duties.
•    Demonstrating polite and professional communication skills through phone, email and mail correspondence.
•    Safeguarding the confidentiality of member, provider, and staff information at all times.
•    Engaging with members, providers, staff, and visitors to ensure a seamless and positive experience.
•    Anticipating the needs of others to proactively enhance their interactions.
•    Managing incoming communications by answering phones and directing calls to the appropriate staff members.
•    Handling incoming correspondence such as faxes and emails, ensuring timely distribution.
•    Receiving, sorting, and distributing deliveries and mail efficiently.
•    Performing various clerical tasks, including copying, faxing, mailing, and filing documents.
•    Organizing and coordinating meetings, presentations, office events, and travel arrangements, and sending reminders for appointments.
•    Creating and editing documents using Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Publisher.
•    Drafting various communications such as memos, emails, invoices, reports, and other correspondence.
•    Monitor and manage inventory levels of office supplies, placing orders as needed.
•    Maintaining a neat and tidy reception area and common spaces to ensure a professional environment.
•    Assisting in the preparation of materials for distribution, orientations, meetings, and events.
•    Collaborating on departmental projects and undertaking additional duties as assigned within the scope of the role.
•    Maintaining petty cash funds, recording transactions, receipts, distributions, reconciling accounts, and ensuring proper documentation while following policies and procedures for handling petty cash and monetary items.
•    Manage office expenses and budgets, process invoices, assist with reconciling accounts, prepare financial reports, coordinate with vendors and clients, and support the finance team with tasks like data entry and budget preparation.
•    Primary onsite liaison for facilities and building maintenance initiatives, providing support, reporting activities, and communicating updates and directions between vendors, contractors and the Facilities department.
•    Assist with department projects and perform other duties as assigned, which are reasonably within the scope of work in this job classification.

Administrative Assistant II
•    Handling intricate administrative tasks such as preparing reports, conducting research, and analyzing data.
•    Taking on a greater role in project coordination, tracking deadlines, updating project statuses, and collaborating with team members.
•    Playing a more active role in decision-making processes, providing input on office procedures, and recommending improvements.
•    Engaging in more advanced communication tasks such as drafting official correspondence, preparing presentations, and representing the office in meetings or events.
•    Conducting higher-level calendar management, including scheduling meetings, coordinating travel arrangements, and managing multiple calendars for senior executives, management, or team members.
•    Taking the lead on organizing and executing office events, such as team-building activities, workshops, or training sessions.
•    Managing confidential information with more discretion and professionalism, such as handling sensitive documents, maintaining confidentiality protocols, and implementing data security measures.
•    Assisting in budget management tasks, including tracking expenses, processing invoices, and preparing financial reports or spreadsheets.
•    Serving as a point of contact for escalated inquiries or issues, resolving complex problems independently, and liaising with internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely resolution.

Administrative Assistant III
•    Assist with supervisory duties, overseeing lower-level administrative staff, tasks, and providing training and guidance.
•    Provide training and mentorship to administrative staff, sharing knowledge and best practices to support their professional development and success within the organization.
•    Assist with budget management, including monitoring expenses, processing invoices, and assisting with financial reporting.
•    Assist in developing and implementing administrative policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with organizational guidelines and industry regulations.
•    Identify opportunities for process improvement and efficiency enhancement, contribute valuable insights and recommendations to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and prevent similar issues from arising in the future.
•    Demonstrates adept navigation and reporting in challenging scenarios, such as team conflicts, client dissatisfaction, member issues, and delicate organizational matters.
•    Proficiently resolves intricate problems requiring advanced problem-solving skills and decision-making acumen.
•    Perform specialized administrative tasks specific to their department or industry, such as preparing specialized reports, creating presentations, or managing confidential information.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
•    Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, particularly adept at using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and various scheduling and communication software to facilitate efficient workflows. 
•    Possess a solid understanding of basic office procedures, including managing incoming communications, scheduling appointments, and maintaining office equipment.
•    Familiarity with receptionist duties, such as greeting visitors, answering phone calls, and directing inquiries to the appropriate personnel.
•    Proficiency in using Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Publisher to create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and reports.
•    Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively interact with internal and external stakeholders in a professional manner.
•    Strong organizational abilities to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritize workloads, and meet deadlines efficiently.
•    Attention to detail in handling sensitive information, maintaining confidentiality, and ensuring accuracy in data entry and document preparation.
•    Exhibit a warm and welcoming demeanor to create a positive first impression for visitors and provide exceptional customer service.
•    Proactively anticipate the needs of others, demonstrate initiative in problem-solving, and take ownership of tasks to ensure smooth office operations.
•    Ability to multitask and prioritize tasks effectively in a fast-paced office environment, adapting to changing priorities and maintaining composure under pressure.
•    Understanding of managing incoming communications, including screening and routing phone calls, responding to emails, and handling mail distribution.
•    Knowledgeable in performing basic clerical tasks such as copying documents, faxing information, mailing correspondence, and organizing files for easy retrieval.
•    Proficient in coordinating meetings, maintaining calendars, scheduling appointments, making travel arrangements, and organizing events with attention to detail.
•    Polite and professional communication skills to interact with individuals at all levels of the organization, displaying tact, diplomacy, and courtesy in all interactions.
•    Proficiency in creating and editing documents using Microsoft Office programs, ensuring formatting consistency, grammar accuracy, and document clarity.
•    Ability to maintain a neat and orderly office space, including organizing supplies and keeping work areas tidy and clean.
•    Advanced Administrative Skills: Ability to handle intricate administrative tasks efficiently, including preparing reports, conducting research, and analyzing data with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
•    Project Coordination: Proficiency in project coordination, tracking deadlines, updating project statuses, and collaborating effectively with team members to ensure project completion within specified timelines.
•    Decision-Making: Demonstrated capability to actively participate in decision-making processes, provide valuable input on office procedures, and recommend improvements to enhance overall operational efficiency.
•    Mentorship and Training: Experience in acting as a mentor to junior colleagues, guiding them in their training and development to foster a supportive and collaborative work environment.
•    Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills to engage in advanced communication tasks such as drafting official correspondence, preparing presentations, and representing the office in meetings or events with professionalism.
•    Calendar Management: Ability to manage multiple calendars for senior executives, management, or team members by scheduling meetings, coordinating travel arrangements, and ensuring efficient time management.
•    Event Organization: Proficient in organizing and executing office events, including team-building activities, workshops, or training sessions, to promote team cohesion and professional development.
•    Confidentiality and Data Security: Maintain confidential information with discretion and professionalism, handle sensitive documents, maintain confidentiality protocols, and implement data security measures to ensure data protection.
•    Budget Management: Assist in budget management tasks, such as tracking expenses, processing invoices, and preparing financial reports or spreadsheets to support effective financial planning and decision-making.
•    Problem-Solving and Stakeholder Management: Ability to serve as a point of contact for escalated inquiries or issues, independently resolve complex problems, and effectively liaise with internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely issue resolution and maintain positive relationships.
•    Policy Development: Competence in assisting in the development and implementation of administrative policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with organizational standards and industry regulations to promote consistency and operational efficiency.
•    Supervisory Skills: Ability to assist with supervisory duties by overseeing lower-level administrative staff, delegating tasks, providing training, and offering guidance to ensure efficient team performance.
•    Process Improvement: Ability to identify opportunities for process enhancement, offer valuable insights, and recommend strategies to streamline workflows, boost productivity, and mitigate potential issues in order to drive continuous improvement.
•    Conflict Resolution: Demonstrated expertise in navigating and resolving challenging scenarios, such as team conflicts, client dissatisfaction, member issues, and sensitive organizational matters with tact, diplomacy, and professionalism.

Preferred Qualifications, Education, and/or Experience: 
•    High school diploma or general education degree (GED) or Associate degree in a related field.
•    1-8 years of Administrative Assistant and Receptionist experience.
•    Proficient in Microsoft Office and video conference platforms (like Zoom, and Microsoft Teams)
•    Flexibility to work weekends.
•    Excellent computer skills, especially typing.
•    Attention to detail.
•    Desire to be proactive and create a positive experience for others.
•    Bilingual a plus. (Spanish or Vietnamese) 

Preferred Bilingual Language(s) in either:
•    Spanish 
•    Vietnamese 
•    Korean
•    Tagalog
•    Russian 
•    Assyrian
•    Somali
•    Arabic

Requirements: 
•    Must possess a valid California driver’s license, auto insurance that covers business driving, and an automobile for business use.
•    Willingness to work long and irregular hours, often including nights and weekends.
•    Willingness to travel. 

Employee Benefits:
•    Health Insurance
•    Dental Insurance
•    Vision Insurance
•    Life / AD&D
•    Long Term Disability (LTD)
•    401(k) Savings Plan
•    Pension Plan
•    Paid Vacation Days
•    Paid Sick Leave
•    Personal Day (8 hours)
•    16 Paid Holiday
•    Floating Holiday

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement:
UDW has adopted a COVID-19 vaccination policy to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees. As a condition of employment, our employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a reasonable accommodation is approved or as otherwise required by law.

Physical Demands: 
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk and listen. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is required to stand, walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. 

Work Environment: 
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is primarily exposed to an office-type environment. The employee will frequently work on or around office equipment and furniture. The noise level in the work environment is low to moderate. The employee will frequently work with deadlines under pressure and will occasionally be required to work alone. The employee is occasionally exposed to outdoor environments which can include exposure to vehicles, moving mechanical parts; vibration; odors, fumes, gases, smoke, dust, or airborne particles; and outside weather conditions.

Equal Opportunity Employer:
UDWA is an equal opportunity employer, and, as such, does not discriminate against an employee or applicant based on race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, disability, or any other classification protected from discrimination under applicable law.

Notice of E-Verify Participation: 
This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. For more information on E-Verify, or if you believe that your employer has violated its E-Verify responsibilities, please contact DHS (888) 897-7781, dhs.gov/e-verify

Women, people of color, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply for this position, please visit UDW’s career page and submit your application.
UDW’s career link →   https://udwa.hiringplatform.com/list/careers