Federal Street Receptionist

Overview

The Committee for Public Counsel Services, the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking two part-time Receptionists to work 20 hours per week in the agency’s administrative office in downtown Boston. The Receptionists welcome visitors, answers incoming phone calls, and processes daily mail deliveries.

The schedule for one part-time Receptionist will be from 9:00AM – 1:00PM and the other will be 11:00AM – 3:00PM, Monday through Friday. The Receptionists will be eligible for full benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance. 

We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for the rights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all.

Our Values

Courage   •   Accountability   •   Respect   •   Excellence

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our assigned clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and the fullness of excellent legal representation.  We are dedicated to building and maintaining strong professional relationships, while striving to accept, listen to and respect the diverse circumstances of each client, as we dedicate ourselves to meeting their individual needs.  It is our CPCS mission to achieve these goals, and in furtherance thereof, we embrace and endorse diversity, equity and inclusion as our core values as we maintain a steadfast commitment to: (1) Ensure that CPCS management and staff members represent a broad range of human differences and experience; (2) Provide a work climate that is respectful and supports success; and (3) Promote the dignity and well-being of all staff members. CPCS leadership is responsible for ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion. The ability to achieve these goals with any level of certainty is ultimately the responsibility of each member of the CPCS community.

AGENCY OVERVIEW

CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one.  The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters.

The clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and limited English proficiency, among other protected characteristics.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Receptionists are key employees for the agency’s Administrative Office, welcoming visitors and notifying employees of visitor arrivals.  The Receptionists also answers, screens, and forwards incoming telephone calls to the appropriate employee or department as well as receiving, sorting, and distributing daily mail and deliveries. 

The schedule for one of the part-time Receptionist will be from 9:00AM – 1:00PM and the other will be 11:00AM – 3:00PM, Monday through Friday (20 hours per week/0.57 FTE). The Receptionists will be eligible for full benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance. 

The ideal candidates will have the understanding that this is a highly visible position and will possess the professional attitude, personality and integrity to deal with clients, visitors and agency staff at all levels.  They must believe in strong customer service and always act with professionalism and responsiveness in all situations. 

Qualifications

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

The ideal candidate should have a professional phone manner and the ability to effectively interact with the public as well as with all CPCS staff.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalency.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

• At least two years of experience as a receptionist or administrative assistant preferred;
• Promptness and reliability are essential;
• Strong organizational and detail skills are necessary;
• Bi-lingual skills (Spanish) highly desirable; and,
• Experience with Microsoft Word and Outlook also desirable.

Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities for this position include the following:

• Serving CPCS visitors by greeting, welcoming, and directing them as necessary as well as monitoring visitor access and maintaining security awareness;
• Notifying agency personnel of visitor arrivals;
• Answering, screening, and forwarding incoming telephone calls to CPCS central office to appropriate departments or outside legal assistance providers or agencies;
• Maintaining professional boundaries and following agency policies on calls from incarcerated clients;
• Ensuring reception area and mail station are tidy and presentable and overseeing supply inventory relevant to reception and mail areas;
• Receiving, sorting, and distributing daily mail/deliveries for Boston office; as well as posting outgoing mail;
• Performing other clerical receptionist duties such as scanning, electronic filing, and photocopying; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

EEO Statement

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal and state statutes and organizational policies.  Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Chief Human Resources Officer, Sandra DeBow-Huang, at sdebow@publiccounsel.net