Administrative Assistant, Level 1

City of Cambridge; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Cambridge is seeking an Administrative Assistant, Level 1 to provide essential administrative, organizational, and customer service support across departments. The role involves front-desk duties, scheduling, budgeting support, data entry, payroll assistance, and coordination of meetings and events.

Applicants should have a high school diploma or equivalent with 1+ year of administrative experience; associate or bachelor’s degree preferred and familiarity with Office suites and city

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate’s or bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 1+ year of relevant administrative experience; 2+ years preferred.
• Knowledge of Cambridge community and multilingual/bicultural experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide front-line customer service and community support; greet visitors and answer inquiries.
• Perform scheduling, calendar coordination, correspondence and records management.
• Track program expenditures and assist budget administration; process POs and invoices.
• Coordinate meetings, trainings, events, and logistics; provide on-site support.
• Maintain filing and records systems; ensure data accuracy and access.
• Manage communications; route information and ensure timely follow-up.
• Enter and verify data in databases; assist with reporting and tracking.

Skills

Microsoft Office Suite

Outlook

Word

Excel

PeopleSoft

LACES

SharePoint

Smartsheet

Google Workspace

Education

High school diploma

Associate/Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

PeopleSoft

LACES

SharePoint

Smartsheet

Google Workspace

Job description

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.

ESSENTIALJOB FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

• 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.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Experience

• 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.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 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., PeopleSoft, 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 information systems; conduct routine research; support data quality compliance; and assist with tracking and reporting.
• Ability to support program budget tracking, process purchase orders and invoices, track expenditures, monitor vendor payments, and assist with fiscal year-end processes using City financial systems.
• Ability to prepare correspondence, reports, mailings, newsletters, social media content, and other communications and program materials with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize competing responsibilities, work independently with minimal direction, multitask, meet deadlines, and follow through effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal, customer service, and communication skills, including the ability to interact professionally and effectively with community members, clients, the public, staff, and other stakeholders; ability to respond to program inquiries and make appropriate referrals.
• Demonstrated reliability, professionalism, good judgment, and ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• Commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to adapt and work effectively with individuals and groups across diverse identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

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

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Works under the general supervision of the assigned department head, director, or designee. While assignments and priorities are established by the supervisor, duties are frequently performed with considerable independence and initiative; work is reviewed for accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with established policies and procedures.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

This position has no formal supervisory responsibilities, but may provide functional guidance or training to interns, temporary staff, volunteers, or others assigned to support departmental activities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed in a standard office environment with open workspaces, fluorescent lighting, air conditioning, and regular use of telephones, computers, printers, and other office equipment. Noise levels are typically low to moderate and may increase during phone calls, walk-in visitors, deliveries, and other routine office activity.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Work is primarily sedentary and office-based, requiring frequent computer use, keyboarding, telephone use, writing, bending, reaching, stretching, and the ability to organize and maintain multiple files. The position also requires the ability to operate standard office equipment and to lift and carry books, files, documents, and office supplies weighing up to 10 pounds.

The City of Cambridge's workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies