Administrative Support Specialist

United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is North America’s neighborhood union; standing together to improve the lives and livelihoods of workers, families and communities. Our members work primarily in the retail food, meatpacking, poultry, food processing and manufacturing and retail store industries.

Washington DC, near Metro (on-site)

The Administrative Support Specialist performs administrative support and general secretarial duties for the National Strategic Retail Department and the Retail Stores Division. The Administrative Support Specialist performs various duties related to the SAP Concur expense management system.

The incumbent must be able to work with minimal supervision and to exercise independent judgment in the prioritization of their responsibilities and the work organization.

Assumes administrative support for the Directors and provides general secretarial support to the department/division professional staff including, but not limited to, typing, preparing and submitting expenses and itineraries for the Directors, opening and distributing mail, filing, faxing, preparing check requests, answering routine telephone calls, composing correspondence, reporting attendance, itineraries and LM-2 reports, assisting with inventory control, scheduling meetings and appointments, maintaining calendars, and arranging travel schedules.

Corresponds with hotels with regard to planning and preparation of meeting rooms, catering and supplies for the Department/Division and program sponsored meetings.

Reconciles and processes payment of American Express (AMEX) check requests for the National Strategic Retail Department and Retail Stores Division. This includes tracking and compiling all receipts and approvals for payment.

Prepares weekly attendance and maintains files for requests for time off for National Strategic Retail Department and Retail Stores Division.

Handles incoming and outgoing mail for National Strategic Retail Department and Retail Stores Division.

Inputs expenses for the Directors of National Strategic Retail Department and Retail Stores Division.

Manages flow of time sensitive materials that must be approved by Directors of National Strategic Retail Department and Retail Stores Division.

Manages department-wide Outlook Calendars, including Department/Division Calendars and Directors Calendars.

Manages Zoom and teleconference accounts for the Department and Division and schedules calls and meetings as needed.

Formats UFCW letters to be approved by the President’s Office.

Prepares and sends recommendations for approval to the President’s Office on behalf of Department and Division Directors.

Provides support to the Organizing Department, as needed, during absences and/or emergencies to maintain efficient office operations.

Assists in preparing the background information for the Organizing Department in response to financial assistance requests, verifies data of recommendations for Special Project Union Representatives (SPUR) and other programs and produces documents for approval/denial.

Administers aspects of the Concur Expense Management System (CEMS), including but not limited to providing technical assistance to users.

Assists in administering the Concur Help Desk/Hotline by answering user questions and solving user issues related to the processing of expenses.

Processes expenses as an auditor in CEMS, reviewing/approving or returning reports for corrections.

Must develop and maintain courteous and effective working relationships with employees at all levels of the organization as well as representatives of external organizations.

Protects the UFCW International operations by maintaining confidentiality of any data or materials of a sensitive and/or confidential nature.

Minimum 3-5 years of progressive secretarial experience, and ability to coordinate and manage several projects at once is required. Knowledge of the organization’s structure, policies and procedures is preferred.

Keyboarding: 65 WPM. Ability to professionally compose correspondence, spell correctly, use proper grammar and punctuation. Must be able to transcribe and format documents.

Must have good working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), Outlook, and SharePoint applications to create and properly finalize documents related to duties and responsibilities. Ability to learn new computer/software technology.

Communicates clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

Ability to effectively present information verbally and through written communications.

Ability to work closely with staff to accomplish organizational goals, resolve problems, and develop new systems and procedures as required.

Ability to comprehend rules, policies, and procedures, and the ability to communicate them to others in a professional and tactful manner.

Must be able to answer multiple telephone lines efficiently and courteously.

Strong interpersonal skills.

Ability to perform a wide range of administrative and general support duties of a highly responsible and confidential nature.

Demonstrated ability to exercise a high degree of integrity and initiative.

Must show a pleasant demeanor and patience.

Must have excellent organizational skills, be able to prioritize work, and have demonstrated ability to work independently with little instruction or supervision.

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Ability to exercise good judgment.

Must be able to handle multiple priorities and work projects for completion in a timely manner. Ability to maintain privacy and protect operations by keeping personnel information and sensitive correspondence strictly confidential.

The work is performed in a normal office environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The position involves, but is not limited to, written and oral communications skills, use of computer keyboard, close vision, sitting for long periods, stooping, bending and reaching.

Salary Range: $59,585 – $74,632.

The UFCW provides a very generous benefits package, including:

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage.
• Life insurance provided with ability to purchase supplemental life insurance at favorable rates.
• Retirement Savings Account.
• 401(k) plan with employer matching.
• Pension plan.
• Dependent care reimbursement account program.
• Health care reimbursement account program.
• Transportation program benefits.
• Three weeks of paid vacation, 12 days of paid short-term sick leave, Extended Sick Leave program, paid parental leave.
• Prepaid Legal Plan (for DC/MD/VA only).