Secretary I - Finance

Centrally located in the heart of Iowa, Ames is a vibrant, progressive community with more than 66,000 residents providing an excellent quality of life. Home to Iowa State University, Ames offers year-round recreation opportunities, diverse cultural offerings, a stable economy, safe neighborhoods, and a high-achieving school district.

General Information

The City of Ames is conducting a recruitment to find a well organized, detail oriented, and customer service driven administrative professional to fill a Secretary I vacancy in the Finance department.

Under general supervision, of the Director of Finance, this position also provides full secretarial support for the Finance and Accounting Department, located within City Hall. The hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. This position will also perform related work as required, including any projects for City meetings.

Compensation Philosophy:

The City of Ames has a compensation philosophy that the starting pay for our merit salary ranges establishes the salary for employees who meet minimum requirements of a position. The median of any merit salary range is for an employee who can reasonably meet all expectations of the position responsibilities without initial extensive training. In order for employees to have an opportunity to grow within their position, we may consider a candidate's education, experience, and skills above the minimum requirements when looking at a salary closer to or slightly above the median. The current median salary for this position is $65,541 annually.

As of July 1, 2024, the range for this position will change to $56,334 - $67,834 (median) - $79,334. Offered salary will depend on the date when a final candidate is hired.

In order to be considered for this position, all applicants must submit their online application by the deadline listed on this posting. Your application includes complete responses to the supplemental questions. Please keep in mind that submission of a resume in lieu of work experience on your application or answering the supplemental questions is not sufficient.

Our comprehensive benefits package can be viewed at: City of Ames Benefits

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program: The PSLF Program is a federal program that is intended to encourage individuals to work in public service by forgiving the balance of their federal student loans. To qualify, the individual must have made 120 qualifying payments while employed by a qualifying employer. For more information, please visit the website through this link: PSLF Program

Examples of Essential Job Functions

Manages the office for and provides secretarial support for a division or department; greets and screens visitors and screens telephone calls; schedules appointments; makes meeting and travel arrangements; maintains inventory of office supplies; completes forms and documents to effect internal City transactions. Composes and types correspondence which requires a comprehensive understanding of departmental programs, operations and regulations and the use of Microsoft Office applications. Develops and maintains an effective and efficient office filing system. Exercises discretion and independent judgment in applying policies and procedures to division, department, or organization-wide situations; assists department or division manager in handling sensitive and confidential matters.

Other Job Functions:
May participate in compiling agenda items; prepare and distribute packets; notifying appropriate individuals, groups or agencies regarding Finance matters; maintaining manual and/or automated historical records, processes financial transactions and maintains records for various accounts receivable activities under the supervision of the Director of Finance and the Accounting and Reporting Manager. May conduct clerical accounting duties as assigned.

Each employee is expected to continually strive to bring shared values to life through our Excellence Through People organizational culture. ETP values include: committing to continuous improvement; inspiring creativity and innovation; being customer driven; making data-driven decisions; committing to diversity, equity and inclusion; championing employee involvement; striving for excellence; having fiscal stewardship; acting with honesty and integrity; exhibiting leadership; choosing a positive attitude; respecting one another; promoting safety and wellness; and cultivating teamwork. For leaders, this includes creating a work culture that brings these values to life. For all employees, this includes maintaining a Total City Perspective. The purpose of ETP is to deliver exceptional services to the public at the best price, and for employees to experience an enjoyable and stimulating work environment.

Qualifications

Education and Experience: High school diploma or equivalency credential, plus some post-secondary education or training in secretarial science, office management or business are required in education. Two years of full service secretarial or office management experience including at least one year using and having proficiency in Microsoft Office and PDF conversion software are also required; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience with/in the following are all preferred:
a) Working knowledge of basic accounting and budgeting procedures
b) Assisting in the development/implementation of project plans
c) Maintaining/updating basic web pages using web tools

**Preference may be given to applicants possessing qualifications above the minimum.**

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Considerable knowledge of modern office practices and procedures including the utilization of automated technology to enhance office efficiency and effectiveness; considerable knowledge of City and departmental policies and administrative requirements; considerable knowledge of business English, spelling, business correspondence formats, modern office machines and equipment, Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook, and PDF file conversions.

Skill in organizing and prioritizing a variety of secretarial and office management tasks to make the best utilization of time and other resources; skill in executing a wide variety of routine and specialized secretarial functions including demonstrated proficiency in word processing; skill in operating a computer and other standard office equipment.

Ability to interview and screen office visitors and telephone calls; ability to exercise sound, independent judgment in applying policies and procedures to division, department, or organization-wide situations, including sensitive or confidential matters; ability to establish and to maintain an effective working relationship with City co-workers at all levels, customers, contractors, vendors and the general public; ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; ability to type at a reasonable minimum of net words per minute with accuracy.

Supplemental Information

Required Physical Activities: Talking, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, pushing, pulling, repetitive motions, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and finger dexterity.

Physical Characteristics of Work: Work is primarily sedentary and requires sitting and/or using various computer equipment 80% of the time; and standing and/or walking 20% of the time. Frequently requires the exertion of up to 10 pounds of force, and infrequently requires the exertion of 10 – 50 pounds of force to lift or otherwise move objects.

Vision Requirements: The minimum standard for those whose work deals largely with preparing and analyzing data and written information, accounting, transcription, computer terminal, and/or extensive reading.

Environmental Conditions: For most positions in this classification, the worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions. In some positions, the worker may be subject to noise, mechanical hazards, chemical hazards, or atmospheric conditions that affect the respiratory system or the skin.

Equipment Essential to the Job: Computer hardware including keyboard, monitor, mouse, and printer; a variety of word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and specialized software; general office equipment such as writing utensils, copier, paper fasteners, paper cutter, files and file cabinets, photocopy machine, and calculator; communications equipment such as telephone and fax machine; typewriter.

Selection Process:
The selection process consists of an evaluation of education and experience, phone interview, performance assessment, on-site interview, and completion of a criminal background check, which includes a sex offender registry check. All candidates will be notified by email of their application status.

**The hiring department may forego the phone interview step and offer onsite interviews to qualified applicants depending on the number of applications received.**

E-Verify Process:
The City of Ames participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each applicant's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. All candidates who are offered a position with the City of Ames must complete Section 1 of Form I-9 along with the required proof of their right to work in the United States and proof of their identity prior to starting employment. Please be prepared to provide required documents as soon as possible after the job offer has been made. For additional information regarding acceptable documents for this purpose, please contact Human Resources at 515-239-5199 or go to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services web page at: http://www.uscis.gov.

NOTE: Applicants with disabilities may submit requests for ADA testing or interview accommodations to the Human Resources Department prior to the test or interview.

The City of Ames is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, marital status, disability, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against. Inquiries can be directed to the Human Resources Department at 515-239-5199.