Administrative Assistant, Level 1

POSITION SUMMARY

The Administrative Assistant, Level 1 provides administrative, organizational, and customer service support to assigned departments, staff, leadership, and the public. The position performs a variety of administrative duties, including front-desk and client support, scheduling, correspondence, records management, data entry and database management, payroll and purchasing support, program budget tracking, meeting and event coordination, communications, and general office operations. The role serves as a key point of contact between the department, community members, other City departments, and outside stakeholders;

supports special projects and routine department functions; and works with considerable independence to ensure efficient, responsive, and well-organized departmental operations.

• Provide front-line customer service and community support by greeting visitors, answering phones, responding to email and voicemail inquiries, directing requests to appropriate staff, providing information about departmental programs and services, and maintaining a professional and welcoming office environment.
• Perform a range of administrative support functions, including scheduling, calendar coordination, correspondence, records management, and maintenance of office systems and procedures; support executive directors, senior managers, and program staff as assigned.
• Track program expenditures and support budget administration for one or more program budgets; process purchase orders, invoices, vendor payments, and reimbursements using City financial systems; monitor unpaid invoices and purchase order balances; support fiscal year-end processes and ordering.
• Coordinate meetings, interviews, trainings, events, and other departmental activities by managing schedules, preparing agendas and materials, arranging logistics, and providing on-site support as needed.
• Maintain physical and electronic filing and records systems, including department-specific databases, document management platforms, and shared drives, to ensure accuracy, compliance, and appropriate access to records; support compliance monitoring and data quality oversight as assigned.
• Manage incoming and outgoing communications, including phone calls, email, mail, shared inboxes, and deliveries; route information appropriately and ensure timely follow-up.
• Enter, update, and maintain data in department-specific databases and information systems; verify data accuracy; monitor submissions from other staff; conduct routine research; and assist with reporting and tracking.
• Support departmental communications and outreach, including preparing newsletters, social media content, program mailings, flyers, and other materials using available software and publishing tools.
• Prepare standard correspondence, forms, reports, and other documents; process space permits or other routine administrative filings as assigned.
• Support payroll preparation and processing, including maintaining payroll records, tracking leave balances, and completing related personnel and administrative forms.
• Coordinate with internal departments, such as Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Facilities, to support administrative, operational, and service needs.
• Support onboarding of new staff, maintain inventory of supplies and equipment, place and track orders, and perform general office support tasks as needed.
• Assist with special projects, outreach efforts, and events by coordinating logistics, preparing materials, and supporting implementation.
• Participate in staff meetings, trainings, and other organizational activities.
• Perform related duties as required.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, human services, or a related field preferred.
• One (1) or more years of relevant administrative experience in a professional office required; two (2) or more years preferred.
• Knowledge of the Cambridge community and multilingual skills or bicultural experience preferred, but not required.
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Outlook, Word, and Excel; familiarity with other office software and database or tracking tools preferred.
• Ability to learn and use department-specific databases and information management systems (e.g., People Soft, LACES, SharePoint, Smartsheet, or Google Workspace) as required by assignment.
• Ability to learn and use digital communications and design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, or similar platforms) to support departmental communications and outreach, as required by assignment.
• Ability to accurately enter, update, monitor, and verify data in databases and…