Office Administrator & Receptionist Full Time

Who We Are

Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. We offer transformative learning experiences to help educators and students create a better world.  Our home campus is a 1,400-acre working farm located on the traditional, unceded homelands — Ndakinna — of the Winooskik band of the Abenaki.

What We Do

• Engage youth and people of all ages in learning experiences that inspire them to build just, diverse, resilient, caring communities.
• Steward our working lands and heritage buildings as we embody values of place and community through caring for and sharing our natural, agricultural, cultural, and human resources.
• Collaborate with educators and other local, national, and international partners to advance education for sustainability worldwide.

Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Shelburne Farms recognizes that justice, equity, and access are central to sustainability. We are committed to translating these values into action across the organization by improving equitable outcomes in our culture, programs, and services.  Shelburne Farms is working to create experiences of belonging for all, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and people of all economic realities. We are passionate about building and sustaining a diverse and welcoming working and learning environment for all program participants, guests, and staff.

Who We’re Looking for

Our Office Administrator & Receptionist role is crucial to the smooth operation of the Farm offices, supporting both onsite and remote staff. With no two days the same, you will be the lead running the day to day for our fast-paced and dynamic on campus reception hub.

• You create a welcoming reception and office environment for both staff and visitors.
• You provide excellent customer service and enjoy communicating with people over the phone, through email, and in person.
• You thrive in a position that involves collaboration and support of a wide range of administrative tasks while utilizing your creativity for invention and implementation of new systems and processes.

What You’ll Do

• Support a continuous effort to build and sustain a diverse and welcoming working and learning environment for all program participants, guests, and staff.
• Supervise a part-time Receptionist, providing them with training and development opportunities.
• Take primary responsibility for main office reception functions including: Greet office visitors upon arrival and establish a positive and professional relationship with frequent visitors such as Board members, Farm residents & partners, and neighbors, Route incoming calls accurately, Supply information regarding Shelburne Farms over the phone, via email, or in person, Monitor internal farm radio conversations and respond as needed, Keep reception area and kitchen tidy , Oversee shared kitchen space, including continuous brewing of coffee, stocking of mugs and flatware, and ordering and stocking of kitchen essentials (i.e. coffee, creamer, tea, etc.), Assist office staff with copiers and faxes and route incoming faxes, Monitor All Farm Calendar to familiarize with Farm programming and maintain Gmail inbox for info@shelburnefarms.org, Process outgoing mail, and open, date stamp and distribute incoming mail, Coordinate backup reception support as needed/available
• Create and maintain systems and procedural documents to make all aspects of the reception desk run smoothly and become more efficient.
• Record and disseminate pertinent information to all staff who support the phones and backup the reception desk about Farm programs and events as well as operational updates.
• Manage maintenance, inventory, and ordering of office supplies and equipment; Managing respective contracts.
• Submit repair/work orders and scheduling repairs for general office space and equipment, connecting with and escorting vendors.
• Maintain the reception phone menu and call group.
• Assist with meeting set up, travel arrangements and other administrative support for staff that are working on or off campus.
• Serve as a communication hub in the event of a Farm emergency or disruption.
• Support the entry of program, event and other relationship data into Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge.
• Support the Farm’s record management project leader with ad-hoc tasks in archiving and organizing digital and paper documents.
• Lead the organization’s publication inventory management system.
• Manage the ordering and inventory of safety supplies.
• Maintain Safety Data Sheet and Emergency Disruption binders.
• Support the Operations Analyst and Special Projects Manager and Human Resources Director with a variety of administration tasks, including executive team support.
• Gain cursory knowledge of internal IT resource systems to support troubleshooting for staff at the primary administrative offices as well as staff working remotely.
• Work closely with the IT Director to support the onboarding of new employees to their tech equipment, phones and computers.

Core Qualifications 

Equivalent education/experience can substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration. 

• Ability to relate to people with diverse lived experiences while creating a sense of belonging for all.
• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written that lead to good relationships with peers and visitors.
• Customer service experience of 1 or more years.
• Administrative support and or reception experience of 2 or more years
• Intermediate computer skills and the ability and eagerness to learn new software quickly.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), Zoom and Google Suite (Gmail, Google Calendar, Google meet, Google forms, etc.).
• Takes initiative and is highly self-motivated, with the ability to motivate others.
• Eager to support a supervisee and be a contributing member of a team.
• Proven ability to organize, manage and prioritize multiple tasks and projects.
• Ability to be flexible; efficiently and successfully adapt to change.
• Solution-focused with ability to create and implement new systems and processes.
• The desire to learn more about the Farm’s IT systems to support basic troubleshooting.
• Respond to emergencies and inquiries in a timely and effective manner.

Additional Valued Qualifications 

• Advanced computer skills.
• Proficiency in digital communication, office management and workflow technologies, such as Constant Contact and Survey Monkey.

Work Environment & Physical Demands 

• Able to work in close quarters in an open and busy office environment.
• Move, lift, carry, push, pull, and place objects weighing less than or equal to 25 pounds without assistance.
• Stand, sit, or walk for an extended period of time or for an entire work shift.
• Sorting mail and lifting incoming and outgoing packages.
• Ascending/descending stairs.
• Office temperature can vary during the year.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Covid Safety: We recommend all staff be fully vaccinated. We require that all staff share their Covid vaccination status. If you are not vaccinated, then you are required to do routine testing and wear a mask at all times.

Benefits 

• We offer medical coverage with a Health Reimbursement Account, a Flexible Spending Account for medical and dependent care expenses, company paid long term disability, a 401(k) with the potential for company match and paid time off to recharge. Additionally, we offer a 30% discount on Farm products.

Deadline to Apply

Applications will be reviewed as received until the position is filled.

To apply for this job, log in/register on this website and click the “APPLY FOR JOB” button on this job posting.

Please submit a resume and cover letter. Your cover letter can go in the message field or be included with your uploaded resume. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential.

In your cover letter, please address:

• How did you hear about the position?
• Why are you interested in this position?
• How do your experiences, values, and/or efforts demonstrate your commitment to the values of diversity, justice, and equity?

Shelburne Farms is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Candidates with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences are strongly encouraged to apply. The duties and responsibilities described herein are not intended to be a complete and comprehensive list; additional tasks may be assigned to this position from time to time, and the scope of the position may change based on operational demands.