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Who We Are

Columbia Legal Services is a nonprofit civil legal aid organization that advances social, economic, and racial equity for people living in poverty. We support communities and movements by bringing deep legal expertise that is grounded in – and strongly guided by – an understanding of race equity.

We seek systemic solutions by bringing class action lawsuits, using cutting edge legal theories, engaging in policy advocacy, and supporting communities in building their own power. We have a special responsibility to serve people whose access to free legal services is restricted, due to institutionalized or immigration status.

At CLS we seek a team that reflects our organizational values of community, race equity, and justice. This includes hiring staff with connections to the communities we serve whenever possible, and a commitment to strive for justice and equity in our hiring practices and in our staff culture.

Position Summary

Columbia Legal Services seeks an Executive Assistant/ Project Manager to work closely with our Executive Director, Organizational Management Team, and Board of Directors on a wide range of executive and management functions and to support our organization with a high-level of administrative support and coordination. This position directly supports and reports to the Executive Director.  

CLS requires that all employees adhere to our COVID-19 vaccine mandate through proof of vaccination or by requesting a medical or religious accommodation. 

Responsibilities

Project Management Support and Coordination  

• Manage, implement and track multiple, ongoing initiatives and projects, and provide input and project management support to the Executive Director, Organizational Management Team and Board of Directors.  
• Coordinate and support internal and external meetings and organization-wide trainings, all-staff meetings and the annual staff retreat and annual Equity Day. 
• Support staff engagement and teambuilding activities and events, and other organizational outings and trainings when they arise.  
• Coordinate union bargaining process and support the Labor Management Committee. 
• Provide support and project management on organization-wide participatory budgeting process including surveying staff and community as needed. 

Administrative Support and Coordination  

• Develop meeting agendas, keep notes, calendar, maintain SharePoint site, create timelines and provide technical support for the Organizational Management Team.  
• Provide backup administrative support to other members of the Organizational Management Team as needed. 
• Support Executive Director, Controller and Equity Director through calendaring, scheduling calls and meetings, arranging travel, processing paperwork, organizing and responding to email as needed and overseeing confidential recordkeeping.  
• Support projects to manage and update internal administrative policies.  
• Serve as liaison with the Tech Team on behalf of Executive Director. Assist with managing Tech Team projects.  

Board Support 

• Serve as liaison for the Board of Directors and its committees, including preparation and organization of ongoing and quarterly correspondence and materials; meeting support such as taking minutes and set up, food, and scheduling travel; updating SharePoint site; maintaining board materials and documents; and facilitating board training.  
• Provide support for community board members with technology, accommodations, transportation and connecting with advocacy and community engagement staff as needed.  
• Manage Board of Directors initiatives and projects including strategic planning.  

This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee; others may be assigned. 

Qualifications 

The ideal candidate will have all or most of the experience below or a combination of comparable experience where they have demonstrated similar skills or responsibilities.  

• The position requires excellent judgment and the ability to effectively solve problems and work independently. This includes the ability to coordinate multiple initiatives, events, and projects at the same time, to prioritize responsibilities, and to meet deadlines.  
• Commitment to racial, social, and economic justice. 
• A minimum of two years of demonstrated proficiency working in a business environment, coordinating projects and engaging in general administrative work including email correspondence and scheduling meetings and appointments. 
• Comfort with technology and excellent working knowledge and application of video conferencing solutions and the Microsoft Office365 Suite, including experience with SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.   
• Handle sensitive issues with integrity and confidentiality. 
• Strong interpersonal skills, including patience and flexibility, and the ability to build relationships with Board of Directors, staff, and visitors.  
• Ability to travel occasionally and provide quarterly weekend support. 
  

Compensation

This full-time, non-exempt position is a confidential role and is not eligible for representation by Washington Legal Workers, our in-house labor union. Salary is commensurate with years of experience and is expected to range from $70,000 - $80,000.   

CLS has a 35-hour workweek. We also offer a comprehensive compensation package including the following: 

• 14 paid holidays annually 
• Winter Break office closure between Christmas and New Year's 
• 12 sick days annually 
• 15-21 paid vacation days annually (based on years of experience) 
• 3-5 personal days annually (based on years of experience) 
• Paid parental and family medical leave benefits  
• Paid sabbatical every 7 years 
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program (for employees with less than 10 years' experience) 
• All positions eligible for some remote work 

Additionally, we pay 100% of employee premiums for excellent health, vision, and dental benefits plus 50% of the maximum out-of-pocket deductible and offer heavily subsidized family premiums.  

We also offer a 403(b) retirement benefit with employer contribution and a match, disability and life insurance, a subsidized transit pass, and an employee wellness program.  

To Apply

This role is only open to current CLS employees. Please notify Kia by end of day on June 10, 2024 if you are interested in applying (you do not need to submit an application by that date). Then, please submit a resume via BambooHR by June 14, 2024. If we do not have internal candidates, we will post the position externally.   

Please reference Articles 3 and 4 of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement for information about changing roles and considerations for hiring current employees to fill vacancies and reach out if you have questions. 

If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application process, please contact careers@columbialegal.org. 

We are committed to an environment of mutual respect, collaboration, and equal opportunity for all employees, and strongly encourage applications from people of color, immigrants, people who have been affected by mass incarceration, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups. We believe in building and sustaining an organization that is reflective of the communities we serve, and is diverse in work background, experience, education, race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental and physical abilities. We believe that the resulting diversity is both a source of program strength and a matter of fundamental human fairness.