Office Administrator/ Legal Assistant (2)
Office Administrator/ Legal Assistant
Full-time Office-based
Base office in Rutherfordton, NC
Position Status: Full-Time
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) is a community-based non-profit legal aid agency governed by a local Board of Directors. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina (WNC), Pisgah Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to low-income people in WNC. The organization currently has offices in Asheville, Brevard, Burnsville, Hendersonville, Highlands-Cashiers, Marshall, Newland, and Rutherfordton. With over 100 dedicated staff, including over 30 attorneys plus program staff, and an active group of 300 volunteer attorneys, the program provides free services to over 20,000 people per year to meet their basic needs, primarily in the poverty law areas of housing, public benefits, domestic violence prevention, health care, immigration, and consumer law.
PLS is seeking a full-time Office Administrator/ Legal Assistant for our regional office supporting Rutherford and Polk counties. This position will coordinate day-to-day office operations in the PLS Rutherford County office while also supporting clients, attorneys and volunteers and assisting with outreach.
Passion for promoting justice and overcoming barriers facing low-income people, being a creative and zealous staff member and a team-player, and a demonstrated commitment to achieving lasting results for clients and low-income communities are all important. By ensuring that the lowest-income people in Western North Carolina have access to full health services we will increase opportunities for positive health outcomes at the individual and community levels.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the Receptionist and Office Manager in the Rutherford County office during business hours.
- Experience coordinating or running an office and familiarity with nonprofit and/or law firm operations
- Screen clients for eligibility for PLS services, including some in-person screening as needed.
- Prepare, edit, and file legal documents, including but not limited to court documents and client correspondence.
- Conduct client interviews and provide general administrative support to attorneys and Managing Director.
- Availability for outreach and other events as needed in Rutherford and Polk counties, including some nights and weekends
- Develop and maintain relationships with communities and other non-profit agencies.
- Travel within the PLS service area and occasionally to meetings or conferences in other parts of NC.
- Adhere to program priorities and case handling policies, procedures and standards of practice, as well as the highest professional and ethical standards.
- Work with volunteers and PLS Development Team.
- Provide remote assistance through phone, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other platforms until COVID-19 restrictions permit in-office work.
- Assist with building maintenance and vendor communication
- Basic IT functions and computer inventory
- Scheduling and meeting preparation
- Other duties as assigned.
Salary/ Benefits
Salary ranges from $34,515 – $52,252 depending on experience.
Our salary scale is predetermined based on the years of relative professional work experience that qualify for this position to ensure equity in pay. Pisgah Legal Services is a Living Wage Certified Employer in 18 WNC counties: Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey.
Employees are eligible for medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage the 1st of the month following the start date. Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) pays 100% of the Employee and 50% of the Dependent Cost for BCBS Medical and Dental coverage. PLS pays 50% of the Employee Coverage Cost for BCBS Vision coverage. PLS pays 100% of Long-Term & Short-Term Disability Coverage, Life Insurance Coverage of 5x base salary + an additional $15,000 Life & AD&D Coverage. 401k Retirement Plan after 6 months of employment. Additional Fringe Benefits includes Paid Parental Leave, 12.5 Company Holidays, 22 Paid Leave Days, Paid Sabbatical Leave for Attorneys, Employee Assistance Program for entire household and a great working environment with work life balance! Click here to view our Benefits Guide.
COVID-19 Safety Information:
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Pisgah Legal Services has worked tirelessly to promote evidence-based practices across our entire organization. With this in mind, as of January 4th, all Pisgah employees will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine. Employees who are unvaccinated or have an approved exemption will be required to provide verified weekly COVID-19 test results. We currently have COVID-19 safety precautions in place.
Qualifications
- Passion for and commitment to PLS’ mission, values and vision.
- Associates degree required/ bachelor’s degree or equivalent lived experience preferred.
- Demonstrated skills at socio-economic and cultural sensitivity and the ability to work with someone who is angry, upset, or ill.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with attention to detail.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with teams and independently.
- Experience working with people in crisis preferred.
- Basic computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook.
- Availability to work Monday to Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm, with flexibility for some evening and weekend shifts especially during tax season and open enrollment.
- Possess valid driver’s license.
Submit your online application with resume and cover letter through our Career Center located at https://www.pisgahlegal.org/jobs
PLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.
Pisgah Legal Services is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with our Human Resources department.