Receptionist

Title: Receptionist
Reports to: Executive Director 
Status: Non-Exempt

Duties and Responsibilities 
Responsible for assisting the Executive Director in accomplishing the administrative functions of the Joint Municipal Housing Cooperative. Uses considerable judgement and initiative to perform a variety of tasks involving office management, data processing, and administrative assistance for JMHC. Acts as the Executive Director's liaison to other departments, staff, outside agencies and the general public.

Specific duties include the following:

• Acts as receptionist: Answers telephone and greets visitors; ascertains nature of their business and conducts guests to meet with the Executive Director or appropriate person. Answers general inquiries from other employees and the public, in person and over the phone. Refers calls and/or visitors to other employees or departments, as appropriate. Secures and transmits routine information on JMHC programs.
  
  
• Responsible for processing applicants for housing in low-rent and Section 8 programs and in performing a variety of clerical tasks related to the admission and continued occupancy of residents
  
  
• Requisitions and maintains inventory of office supplies and equipment and maintains appropriate records and purchase order system.
  
  
• Receives communications via the telephone, internet, fax and in person and either responds to routine questions or refers the more complex inquiries to the Executive Director or other appropriate person(s).
  
  
• Receives, opens, date-stamps, sorts, and routes all incoming mail, faxes, internal memorandums and other publications to the Executive Director or other appropriate person(s), and on occasion personally answers routine inquiries. Takes outgoing mail to Post Office.
  
  
• Collects, records, verifies, and processes financial transactions and documents as required for various financial programs/modules.
  
  
• Responsible for accomplishing JMHC's accounts payable activities including preparation of inputs and disbursement of payables and all capital fund accounts.
  
  
• Develops and maintains filing system as required. Must be in a neat and orderly fashion.
  
  
• Maintains security of confidential materials sent to the Executive Director including personnel files, financial reports, legal documents, etc.
  
  
• Locates and attaches appropriate files to correspondence to be answered by the Executive Director.
  
  
• Ensures required postings of current information on Housing Authority bulletin boards.
  
  
• Maintains separate filing systems for regular routine business items, board meeting items and reference files for the Executive Director.

Qualifications and Knowledge

• Associates degree in Accounting or Business Administration from an accredited college or university with two (2) years of progressive experience in secretarial field; clerical work, interviewing, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
  
  
• Ability to meet and deal tactfully, diplomatically, and courteously with the public and to establish and maintain effective and courteous relationships with other employees, landlords, and participants.
  
  
• Good knowledge of HUD regulations, Authority policies, procedures and practices pertaining to PHA management.
  
  
• Considerable knowledge of generally accepted business principles, practices, techniques or data processing functions.
  
  
• Good knowledge of general office procedures, and practices, including business English and bookkeeping/accounting principles.
  
  
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, other software, and general office machines.
  
  
• Ability to deal with sensitive and confidential information.
  
  
• Bondable.
  
  
• Valid North Carolina driver's license 

Supervision Received and Given 
The employee receives instructions from the Executive Director. Courses of action, deadlines, and priorities are established by procedure, the Executive Director, or the employee, depending on the assignment. Routine duties are initiated by the employee without supervisory direction. Instructions to the employee may be general or specific in nature. Problems or situations not covered by instructions are referred to the Executive Director for resolution. The employee's work is reviewed periodically for accuracy, completion, and compliance with policies and procedures.

The employee has no supervisory responsibilities.

Guidelines 
The employee refers primarily to the Authority's policies and procedures for guidance in performing duties. These guidelines cover most job-related situations although the employee may on occasion need to use independent judgment in making decisions. If guidelines do not cover a situation, the employee consults the Executive Director.

Complexity 
Employee performs duties that require good analytical and judgment skills. The employee also performs a wide variety of routine and generally related tasks. The course of action is determined by established procedure, the Executive Director or the employee. Tasks often have to be coordinated, integrated, and/or prioritized. Decisions regarding unusual circumstances should be referred to the Executive Director.

Scope and Effect 
The employee's work affects JMHC employees and JMHC's ability to accomplish its basic goal of providing housing that is decent, safe and sanitary. Success by the Secretary/Receptionist in proper application of policies and procedures enhances JMHC's ability to achieve its basic goal and provide adequate services to residents.

Personal Contacts 
Personal contacts are with residents, potential residents, outside agencies, co-workers, and general public. The employee deals with departmental and client records. Most contacts are structured or confidential in nature and the employee is expected to use normal tact and courtesy.

Physical Demands/Work Environment 
Work is principally sedentary, but may involve some physical exertion, such as kneeling, crouching, or lifting to obtain files and records, and eye strain from working with computers and other office equipment.

Work involves the normal risks and discomforts associated with an office environment, but are usually in an area that is adequately cooled, heated, lighted, and ventilated.

Must be able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers and persons outside the Agency and perform essential job functions in an environment that will sometimes include increased levels of work-related stress.

Must be able to sit or stand for up to eight hours at a time while performing work duties.

Must be able to use fingers bilaterally and unilaterally to operate office equipment.

Must have vision and hearing corrected to be able to perform essential job functions.