Administrative Coordinator

Direct Report: Chief of Staff

Benefits: Full-time; Exempt with benefits: Blue Cross Medical/Dental/Vision, 403(b) Retirement Plan, Holidays, 4 weeks Paid Time Off, 10 weeks paid Parental leave, EAP, Leadership Pipeline

Salary: $64,130

Alternatives Overview

Our mission is to inspire young people to create a just future through practices that heal individuals, restore communities, and transform systems. Since 1971, Alternatives has modeled innovative alternatives to the status quo in Chicago's youth services field. Our school and community-based therapy, prevention and leadership development programs support young people to individually and collectively address causes of substance abuse, grief and trauma while building social-emotional, career and social change skills. In addition to working directly with young people, we train, coach and advocate for youth-serving institutions like Chicago Public Schools to be restorative and trauma-informed.

Position Overview

 The Administrative Coordinator will be responsible for running Alternatives’ volunteer program for recipients of SNAP/Medicaid including program oversight and benefit enrollment support for volunteers. The Administrative Coordinator will also be responsible for a variety of administrative tasks that support the function of the Chief of Staff, Executive Director and Executive Team at large. Alternatives’ Administrative Coordinator must be committed to racial equity.

Responsibilities

Perform the following from a racial, gender, sexuality, and ability equity lens:

Volunteer Program:

• Monitor and maintain volunteer postings. Actively track, update, and manage volunteer listings across organizational platforms and external public boards (e.g., Serve Illinois, local community networks) to ensure visible pathways for individuals seeking qualification hours.)
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all volunteer inquiries; promptly acknowledge and respond to high volumes of prospective volunteer emails, ensuring accurate timelines and clear next steps are communicated.
• Collect and screen preliminary volunteer details (names, dates of birth, and case details) to align their tracking requirements with Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) mandates.
• Schedule and conduct individual onboarding sessions for incoming volunteers on a rolling basis. 
• Build and manage volunteer schedules to ensure participants are consistently provided enough service opportunities to securely meet their mandatory 20 hours per week (80 hours per month) threshold for SNAP Benefits.
• Educate incoming volunteers on organizational policies, site safety, and the rigid reporting mechanics required to log their hours accurately.
• Assist volunteers in accessing and utilizing the "Manage My Case" dashboard to verify their status, review state correspondence, and check the "Check if I meet SNAP work requirements" screening tools.
• Guide volunteers through the Illinois Application for Benefits Eligibility (ABE) portal (www.abe.illinois.gov), directly assisting them in troubleshooting account creation, password resets, and initial application entries if needed.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) eligibility standards, income thresholds, and specific exemptions for both SNAP and Medicaid.
• Attend relevant training and convenings to stay updated on new trends, requirements, and compliance standards for SNAP and Medicaid eligibility. 
• Complete, sign, and distribute official organization verification letters and state-specific compliance forms (such as the IDHS SNAP Activity Report Form IL444-2610).
• Support SNAP/Medicaid recertification of volunteers
• Develop trainings for participants in the volunteer program
• Keep internal logs of completed volunteer hours to match state records.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for internship inquiries and screening interns for various agency programs.

Administrative/Executive Support

• Support scheduling for the Executive Director and Executive Team
• Oversee administrative tasks for the Executive Director/Team such as obtaining signatures, managing credit card reconciliation (compiling receipts, filling out forms, sending to the finance department), reimbursement forms, supply requests and tracking PTO.
• Coordinate travel arrangements and prepare itinerary for ED external appearances, meetings, events, travel, conferences etc.
• Coordinate logistics for in-person meetings such as securing facilities and coordinating catering
• Participate as an adjunct member of the Executive Team including assisting in scheduling meetings and attending all E-team related meetings as appropriate
• Assist the Executive Team in coordinating the agendas and taking minutes of various meetings 
• Support the Chief of Staff in secure speaking engagements and coordinates appearances for ED
• Prepare and assemble reports and packets in advance of board meetings
• Arrange all Board meetings in a timely manner including securing space, collecting all relevant materials for Board members, setting up conference lines, and taking minutes.
• Support administrative projects 
• Other Job duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree or 3+ years of experience in administrative or human services profession. 

Proficiency in Google Workplace (calendar, gmail, docs, sheets, forms)

Strong organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail.

Demonstrated ability to organize and manage the progress of large projects.       

Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, volunteers, and external partners.

Demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with sound decision making capability.

Demonstrated ability to achieve performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Flexible, adaptable and self-led attitude

Consistently learning and working within the following frameworks: Anti-racism, Anti-oppression, Positive Youth Development, Trauma-informed and Balanced and Restorative Justice.

Must successfully complete the Alternatives Internal Leadership Pipeline Program within two attempts as a condition of continued employment. Failure to meet this requirement may result in termination.

Committed to working in a community-based, youth-centered organization, with flexibility, cultural responsiveness, and a high level of professionalism and confidentiality

The COVID vaccine is mandatory for all employees to the full extent permissible under applicable law.