Reception & Administrative Coordinator

Type: Regular, Non-Exempt, Full-time. This position is included in the collective bargaining unit represented by CWA Local 9410 and reports to our office at 55 Columbus Ave in San Francisco five days a week. Applications are due by Wed. Aug 26. Reports to the Legal Services Director, with interim reporting to the COO and dotted-line reporting to the Operations Manager for office and general administrative support.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual compensation ranges from $68,249 to $89,049, depending on years of relevant experience. This position is eligible for language premiums of $1,500 each for demonstrated oral and written proficiency in a language other than English that is regularly used in job duties.

• Generous vacation and paid holidays
• Medical, dental, disability, and life insurance coverage (ALC pays 100% of premiums for employees and 75% for qualified dependents)
• Flexible spending account (FSA)
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer non-elective contribution and match

About the Role

The Reception & Administrative Coordinator serves as the primary front-desk and administrative lead for the office. This role is responsible for greeting visitors, managing the main phone line and shared communications channels, scheduling, document routing, mail processing, and providing legal administrative support to staff. The role also provides backup support for legal intake triage and helps maintain continuous live call coverage.

We are looking for a strong team player who is dedicated to providing strong administrative support to our front desk/reception functions, legal clinics, and legal teams. We seek someone who is systems-oriented, organized, and proactive in ensuring smooth operations for our clients and staff alike. This person is detail-oriented, knows how to coordinate projects, and has strong written and verbal skills. This role is well-suited for someone who enjoys working with a wide array of people from different backgrounds, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and maintains a service-oriented outlook.

About the Organization

ALC is the nation’s first legal organization focusing on advancing and defending the civil rights of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. Since 1972, ALC has fought for access to affordable housing in San Francisco’s Chinatown, litigated high-profile civil rights cases, advocated for landmark policy changes, and provided services including community education, advocacy, and direct client representation. ALC works to further the rights of low-income immigrants and communities of color across Housing Rights, Workers’ Rights, Immigrant Justice, and National Democracy Initiative programs, and other emerging areas of law.

Responsibilities

Front Desk, Scheduling, and Office Coordination

• Welcome and assist clients, community members, stakeholders, and other visitors entering the office
• Determine the purpose of each visit and direct or escort visitors to the appropriate staff or location
• Maintain a professional, organized, and responsive front-desk environment
• Schedule appointments, consultations, and meetings for clients and community members with appropriate staff
• Coordinate calendars and logistics for front-desk and legal administrative activities
• Track incoming requests that require follow-up and ensure timely handoff to the correct team member

Calls, Email, and Fax Management

• Serve as the primary owner of multi-line phone coverage during assigned shifts
• Answer, screen, route, and document incoming calls; provide basic information; take accurate messages
• Monitor and route messages from the main voicemail, shared email inboxes, and fax platform
• Respond to general inquiries received by phone, online submission, and walk-ins, and route legal questions to the appropriate staff or program
• Coordinate backup phone call and email coverage with the Intake & Client Coordinator Specialist to maintain live coverage throughout the day

General and Legal Administrative Support

• Provide legal administrative support to program staff, including preparing, scanning, routing, and filing client-related and program documents
• Maintain organized electronic and physical records in accordance with office procedures
• Assist with routine case-related administrative tasks such as document preparation, correspondence support, interpreter scheduling, and records management
• Support timely processing of documents that must be mailed, faxed, scanned, or sent by courier by the end of the business day
• Perform administrative support tasks such as data entry, transcribing handwritten information, copying, mailing, scanning, and filing
• Collect, sort, distribute, and prepare mail, messages, and courier deliveries
• Serve as primary contact for phone answering and mail processing responsibilities
• Perform other clerical and office support duties as assigned

The position requires working with individuals who may be experiencing stressors, housing instability, mental health, and/or substance use issues. Strong emotional intelligence, active listening, and interviewing skills are highly desired. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required.

Requirements

• Fluency in Cantonese is required; candidates with fluency in Mandarin or Spanish may be considered
• Two or more years of experience working in a non-profit legal service or other social service environment, preferably in direct services, conducting front desk operations and legal administrative support
• Excellent written, verbal, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Team-oriented, proactive, and creative problem-solver
• Client/customer service orientation
• Emotional intelligence
• Able to work on several projects simultaneously, handling a high work volume and fast work pace
• Administrative experience, including proficient to intermediate skills with Microsoft Office/Adobe and other common computer programs
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice
• Awareness of cultural differences, especially within low-income, immigrant, and marginalized Asian, Arab, Middle Eastern, and Pacific Islander communities
• Knowledge of legal issues for low-income people is desired, but not required

Travel & Meetings

All ALC staff are expected to participate in regular check-in meetings with their supervisor/supervisees, staff meetings, team meetings, and other organization meetings, as required. This includes two (2) annual retreats, an anniversary celebration dinner, and meetings as needed in the San Francisco Bay Area.