DESCRIPTION: Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Inc. (SALA) is hiring a full-time Executive Assistant to support the Executive Director and Management Team of SALA. SALA provides civil legal aid in nine southeastern Arizona counties and to eleven tribal communities.
PRINCIPAL FUNCTIONS: The Executive Assistant (EA) provides high-level confidential administrative, governance, compliance, communications, and project support to the Executive Director and Management Team. The EA helps ensure that SALA’s executive office, Board and committee processes, records, deadlines, and external communications are organized, accurate, timely, and consistent with SALA policy, funding-source requirements, Legal Services Corporation (LSC) regulations, and LSC performance expectations. The EA does not provide legal advice, make case-acceptance decisions, or represent clients.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Executive Director and Governance Support
- Manage the Executive Director’s calendar, priorities, correspondence, travel, meetings, and deadlines, including critical grant, Board, committee, audit, compliance, and reporting dates.
- Coordinate Board of Directors and committee meetings, including scheduling, room or virtual meeting logistics, agendas, Board packets, public notices when required, attendance, minutes, action-item tracking, and follow-up.
- Prepare accurate minutes and records of Board and committee meetings, including executive-session references when appropriate, while preserving confidentiality of privileged, personnel, financial, client, and management matters.
- Maintain Board and committee rosters, terms, appointments, resumes or biographies, contact information, committee assignments, conflict disclosures, training records, bylaws, policies, and other governance records.
- Assist the Executive Director in communications with Board members, committee chairs, senior staff, appointing organizations, funders, courts, bar leaders, community partners, donors, and other external stakeholders.
- Support timely preparation and submission of materials needed for Board governance, strategic planning, priority setting, risk management, organizational performance, and Executive Director reporting.
2. LSC Compliance and Performance Support
- Maintain and monitor an executive compliance calendar for LSC, grantor, audit, Board, state-law, and organizational deadlines; alert the Executive Director and responsible managers of upcoming due dates and required follow-up.
- Assist the Executive Director and Management Team with coordination, collection, organization, and tracking of information needed for LSC Program Quality Visits, compliance reviews, fiscal reviews, grant applications, grant reports, corrective-action plans, and monitoring requests.
- Support documentation related to LSC Performance Criteria and program performance expectations, including strategic planning, client-community engagement, needs assessment, priority setting, access to services, legal work management, supervision systems, pro bono/private attorney involvement, technology, and effective administration.
- Assist with tracking organizational priorities, annual priority reviews, needs-assessment activities, Board reports, client-participation materials, community input, emergency-case reporting, and related documentation as directed.
- Assist with maintaining records and routing communications related to client and applicant grievance procedures, public information requests, policy disclosure requirements, funding-source restrictions, and LSC regulatory matters, under the direction of the Executive Director or designee.
- Support staff compliance with funder and organizational requirements by preparing reminders, tracking certifications or acknowledgments, maintaining administrative files, and coordinating responses to internal compliance requests.
- Maintain appropriate documentation of Executive Director assignments, Management Team decisions, grant deliverables, Board action items, policy updates, and compliance follow-up to support accountability and institutional continuity.
3. Confidential Communications and Document Preparation
- Draft, edit, proofread, format, and finalize letters, emails, memoranda, agendas, minutes, reports, presentations, meeting materials, donor correspondence, and other executive-level documents.
- Prepare, assemble, and transmit sensitive, complex, technical, governance, administrative, grant, or legal-related materials under appropriate supervision and in accordance with confidentiality requirements.
- Receive, prioritize, and route calls, visitors, mail, and requests for information; provide accurate information or refer the matter to the appropriate staff member.
- Prepare written responses and acknowledgments as assigned, including donor acknowledgments and related correspondence in coordination with Development and Finance.
- Maintain professionalism, accuracy, neutrality, and discretion in communications with staff, clients, Board members, donors, funders, community partners, courts, members of the bar and judiciary, public officials, and the public.
4. Records, Information Management, and Confidentiality
- Organize, maintain, and protect SALA’s executive, Board, committee, policy, compliance, grant, administrative, personnel, donor, and operational records in electronic and paper formats.
- Apply SALA records-retention, data-security, confidentiality, and document-management procedures, including secure handling of privileged, client-related, personnel, financial, donor, and management information.
- Maintain orderly executive office files and ensure that key governance, compliance, and management documents are accessible to authorized personnel and protected from unauthorized access.
- Assist in maintaining administrative records for publications, legal materials, subscriptions, office resources, and related updates for SALA offices.
- Use appropriate safeguards when handling electronic communications, shared drives, document repositories, virtual meetings, and confidential files.
5. Administrative Operations and Management Team Support
- Provide administrative support to SALA’s Management Team and administrative staff, including scheduling, meeting coordination, project tracking, research, document preparation, and follow-up.
- Coordinate meetings, trainings, events, travel arrangements, conference reservations, community or partner meetings, donor cultivation activities, and other executive or organizational functions.
- In coordination with Human Resources, assist with administrative tracking related to employee onboarding, background-check requirements, policy acknowledgments, and other employment-related administrative records.
- Maintain cash receipts logs, donation processing records, and mail distribution procedures as assigned and in coordination with Development and Finance.
- Support effective day-to-day operation of the administrative office, including workflow organization, supply and publication coordination, and improvement of administrative systems.
- Perform occasional overnight travel as required.
- Perform other confidential, administrative, compliance, governance, and management-support duties as assigned by the Executive Director.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Knowledge of modern legal office, nonprofit, executive office, or public-service administrative procedures and practices.
- Excellent writing, editing, proofreading, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and document-formatting skills.
- Strong proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, video-conference platforms, and electronic document-management systems; ability to learn other systems used by SALA.
- Ability to manage complex calendars, deadlines, records, meeting logistics, and multi-step projects with accuracy and follow-through.
- Ability to work independently, use good judgment, maintain confidentiality, and manage competing priorities under time pressure and frequent interruptions.
- Ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with staff, Board members, clients, community partners, funders, courts, donors, public officials, and members of the public.
- Ability to understand and follow SALA policies, funding-source requirements, LSC-related procedures, and instructions from the Executive Director or designee.
- Commitment to SALA’s mission of providing civil legal assistance to low-income persons and communities.
PREFERRED SKILLS:
- Experience supporting an Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, governing body, or senior management team.
- Experience in legal aid, nonprofit, federally funded, public-interest, government, court, or law-office settings.
- Familiarity with LSC-funded legal services programs, Board governance, grant compliance, performance reporting, records retention, client confidentiality, and nonprofit accountability.
- Excellent organizational skills, adaptability, initiative, dependability, analytical judgment, and ability to solve problems in a fast-paced public-service law office environment.
- Experience preparing Board packets, minutes, policies, reports, public notices, donor correspondence, grant materials, or compliance documentation.
- Spanish fluency or fluency in another language used by SALA client communities is helpful.
MINIMUM EXPERIENCE/SKILLS:
- High school diploma or equivalent required; college coursework, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, paralegal studies, business administration, public administration, nonprofit management, or related training preferred.
- Three to five years of progressively responsible administrative, executive assistant, legal assistant, Board support, compliance support, or office-management experience.
- Equivalent combinations of education, training, and experience that demonstrate the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.
- Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information, prepare accurate written materials, coordinate multiple stakeholders, and meet deadlines.
COMPENSATION: Salary range $40,000 - $70,000 DOE. Up to 5% additional compensation for fluency in languages used by client communities. Excellent benefits, including health insurance, pension plan, and generous leave.
EOE: SALA is committed to equal employment opportunities for all workers, regardless of race, gender, disability, or other protected class status. SALA is committed to compliance with all federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws and regulations. All interested applicants are encouraged to apply.
CONTACT:
Hiring Committee
Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Inc.
Continental Building
2343 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite 200
Tucson, AZ 85719-6007
(520) 623-9465 / FAX: (520) 594-6554
Email: [email protected]
DEADLINE: Open until filled; submit cover letter, resume, and three references
Pay: $40,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
