Personal Assistant Needed

Hello!

We are seeking a kind, responsible, flexible, and experienced personal assistant to perform domestic and administrative tasks for several hours per week.

Hours and nature of tasks are still to be determined, (and some will depend upon the breadth of your skillsets) but they may include the following:

—running local errands (in the East Bay) such as grocery store shopping or picking up mail from PO Box

—cleaning cookware

—picking up or dropping off our older kids or say a vendor working at the house who doesn’t drive

—possible yard work

—laundry, handwashing, removing stains, folding and putting away clothes, changing the dining table linens and placemats as they get dirty

—taking out trash, recycling, and compost

—opening up mail and orders and taking down boxes to put into the paper recycling bin

—organizing (strategizing how to make our space more efficient) and help decluttering the home —this may include taking on a consultative role on what we can get rid of, help selling items so mom feels less guilt about getting rid of stuff (less stuff is very important to dad) and suggesting or buying items that help organize the home without bringing more crap in (meaning it should be meaningful and also be complementary to the current furniture…generally, if stuff comes in, other stuff should go out)

—converting from a paper to paperless office (comfortable using a scanner and organizing files on Dropbox)

—opening up products and researching how to use them / set them up for use

—watching our toddler for a bit if parents need to get something done (we have a full-time nanny but sometimes we need our arms freed up to get something urgent or important done)

—random research projects (we would provide the instructions)

—assisting with dad’s work where needed (like sometimes he needs to go to the office just to print and staple a large amount of papers, then organize them in binders)

—opening up snail mail

—cooking (we are organic and healthy and can provide the recipes)

—mom recently fell pregnant and may need mother’s helper tasks like bringing her food or tea or making her a sandwich

—make phone calls if, for example, we’re shopping around for something or a service and need to collect information or quotes

—washing, air drying, and putting back on our silk bed sheets once a week

—going to the laundromat to wash our comforter and a couple rugs (this is not very frequent)

—make calls and coordinate with a vendor and the parents to arrange appointments

—random stuff around the home like nailing up art, our cleaning supplies, etc so let us know how handy you are (like if you can put shelves up or paint) and if you have any skills in making things look nicer / design stuff

—taking dog out to pee or on a walk (she’s very old and we suspect this won’t last much longer)…wiping her feet w/a towel on the way into the house

—making purchases as needed

—possible bookkeeping

—assembling furniture or products as needed

—watering plants / trees / grass as needed —we plan to add at least some herbs to the garden if you can help with that?

—random other tasks will pop up all the time so please let us know if anything is off limits and if so, what. Could be asking you to get a smog check for our car or clean up after our dog. If you plan to say “no” to any asks, we want to know what those tasks are before a hiring decision is made.

We are looking for someone who:

—Has skill sets in as many of the above bullets as possible, so in your reply please share specifically which ones you’ve done before and your skill level (like number of years or novice/intermediate/advanced level )

—Is fragrance- free or very low scent. Mom is hypersensitive to scents which is even worse during first trimester. This means no perfume or body sprays and ideally unscented or very mildly scented products as well (this can include shampoo, conditioner, lotions, sunscreens, deoderant, laundry detergent, etc).

—Is detail-oriented and organized

—Works well independently and can solve problems but is also good at taking direction—easy to work with, humble, and cooperative

—Is willing and comfortable asking questions if you are uncertain or need help/get stuck

—Has good communication skills

—Owns your own vehicle or have reliable access to one and can get to the Berkeley hills without problems. Clean driving record.

—Arrives on time.

—Has the ability to occasionally lift light to sometimes heavier objects.

Please state which of the above tasks you have experience in, your pay rate, and the days and hours you are free each week. If you have a resume, that would be nice to see also. We may ask for a couple references further into the interview process.

We look forward to hearing from you!