Executive Assistant

THIS IS A PROMOTIONAL JOB OPPORTUNITY FOR 

CITY OF PARAMOUNT EMPLOYEES ONLY.

THE POSITION

Under direction, to perform complex secretarial and administrative support duties for the City Manager and City Councilmembers, including those highly confidential and sensitive in nature; to plan, coordinate and organize assigned activities; to research, evaluate, compose and track information from a variety of sources; to respond to questions and complaints requiring advanced interpretation and application of citywide policies, procedures, rules and regulations; to coordinate the flow of office communications and information between the City Manager’s Office, City Councilmembers, other City officials, department managers, external agencies and/or the general public; and to perform other related duties as assigned.  

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is the fourth and highest-level class in the Office Support series.  Incumbents in this class perform highly advanced and specialized secretarial and administrative support tasks that frequently require substantial confidentiality, discretion and independent judgment to make decisions and take required actions.  Duties require extensive knowledge of citywide administrative policies, procedures, rules and regulations.  This class is distinguished from the lower-level class of Administrative Assistant because the Administrative Assistant class provides secretarial and administrative support for a department head or other executive manager.     

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

An incumbent in this class receives direct supervision from the City Manager. An incumbent in this class may exercise direct supervision over subordinate clerical and/or technical administrative staff.

• Perform complex secretarial and administrative support duties to relieve the City Manager of administrative details; provide secretarial support to the City Council and other officials as needed; maintain confidentiality of sensitive and privileged information.
• Respond to inquiries from the public and/or other agents, through in-person visits, phone calls, emails, mail or website requests; investigate and resolve complaints; initiate work orders and other forms to forward inquiries to appropriate staff; apply an advanced understanding of citywide programs, policies and procedures, as well as external laws and regulations, to identify key issues and recommend possible solutions; research and gather additional information to assist other staff in their investigations or follow-up.
• Coordinate the flow of office communications and information between the City Manager, the City Council, other City officials, department managers, external agencies and/or the general public; prepare and format a variety of difficult and technical reports, letters, resolutions and other documents, including material of a confidential nature; compose correspondence independently or from instructions; type a variety of letters, statistical data, agendas, memos, bulletins, lists, forms and other materials as directed; prepare, format, edit and proofread written materials; compile, duplicate and distribute materials as needed.
• Prepare City Council as well as other committee/commission agenda items; draft and maintain procedure manuals; maintain and monitor work logs and tracking systems; develop and maintain specialized department templates and forms; maintain a variety of confidential information and complex files and records.
• Coordinate the City Manager’s calendar; coordinate and arrange meetings, appointments, events and activities; gather materials and prepare binders/packets for meeting attendants; post information on bulletin boards and websites; record and prepare minutes; schedule facilities and coordinate setup/decorations; make travel arrangements; prepare and disseminate calendars of events; order food/drink items; obtain gifts.
• Receive, open, sort, screen and distribute incoming mail; follow-up on received correspondence to ensure timely response; prepare and disseminate materials and information to the public and City personnel concerning office functions and activities.
• Develop, implement and maintain complex logs and electronic data systems; query data from manual and/or automated systems to respond to public information requests; answer customer questions; complete documents and prepare management reports. 
• Perform technical accounting work; review, prepare and process requisitions, contracts, invoices, payments, estimates, refunds, receipts, check requests and other documents; maintain expenditure records; process payments for purchased equipment and supplies; initiate and/or coordinate the purchase of a variety of products, materials and supplies for department.
• Establish and maintain filing systems; review and process employee time cards; coordinate the processing of personnel action documents.
• Monitor inventory levels of department office supplies; order, receive, store and distribute office supplies and schedule repairs as needed; initiate and follow-up on purchase requisitions as assigned; process expenditures according to established guidelines; prepare related paperwork.
• Supervise assigned clerical and/or technical office staff; coordinate and participate in the staff selection process; assign/schedule work; monitor/evaluate staff performance.
• Attend and take notes for City Managers' staff meeting and disseminate to department heads.
• Attend monthly meetings and take minutes for the City Council/School Board Ad Hoc Committee.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Functions of a municipal administrative office, including the problems, situations and conditions of special interest to the City Manager and City Council.
• Applicable laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures. 
• Advanced secretarial methods and procedures.
• Advanced office practices, procedures, and equipment.
• Principles of public sector employee supervision and leadership.
• Advanced clerical methods of researching, gathering, organizing and reporting data.
• Advanced methods of prioritizing, planning and organizing office work.
• Advanced time management techniques.
• Advanced clerical customer service techniques.
• Advanced clerical recordkeeping and data reporting techniques.
• Advanced clerical filing systems and techniques.
• Basic mathematics, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and percentages.
• Telephone techniques and etiquette.
• Correct English usage, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.
• Personal computers and standard business software to perform secretarial and office administrative tasks.

 Skill to:

• Effectively utilize modern office equipment, including personal computers and standard business software such as the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Operate a variety of office equipment, including a calculator, copier, fax machine, computer and assigned software.
• Gather accurate information through interviews and inquiries.
• Type and enter data accurately and at a speed necessary for successful job performance.
• Complete work on time despite potentially frequent interruptions.
• Perform mathematical calculations accurately using addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and percentages.
• Safely operate one or more types of vehicles if required by assignments.

 Ability to: 

• Interpret the policies, procedures, rules and regulations of an assigned department to make work decisions requiring skilled judgment.
• Plan, organize, prioritize and schedule work.
• Compile and verify data.
• Meet schedules and timelines.
• Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action.
• Interact frequently with the public and provide customer service in a calm, courteous and helpful manner.
• Communicate difficult information to potentially angry or hostile customers.  
• Work confidentially with discretion.
• Prepare or compose a variety of technically complex and/or sensitive memoranda, correspondence, reports, charts, tables and forms, including documents that must comply with difficult formats or protocols.
• Review, audit and process detailed technical documents with a high level of accuracy.
• Maintain records and files using a wide variety of organizational tools and filing structures.
• Maintain accurate calendars and appointment information for the City Manager and City Council.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Experience:

Five (5) years of administrative office experience, including at least one year providing high-level secretarial support for management.  

Education and Training:

High School graduation or equivalent.

License or Certificate:

Possession of an appropriate, valid driver's license.

Essential duties require the following physical skills and work environment:

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Work is primarily performed in a standard office setting and requires: the use of standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone; the ability to perform work that is primarily sedentary, although standing in and walking between work areas may be required; finger dexterity to access, enter and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment; occasional bending, stooping, kneeing, reaching, pushing and pulling drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information; lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling materials and objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

Environmental Elements

Work is primarily performed with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances; may require interacting with upset staff and/or public and private representatives and contractors in interpreting and enforcing departmental and City policies and procedures. 

Completed application, resume, and cover letter must be submitted by the filing deadline listed above. Application packets will be screened in relation to the criteria outlined in the job announcement. Possession of the minimum qualifications does not ensure an invitation to the recruitment process.  The selection process will include an oral interview and may include other testing processes designed to predict successful job performance. 

Candidates must be specific and complete in describing their qualifications for this position.  Failure to state all pertinent information may lead to elimination from consideration.  Stating "See Resume" is not an acceptable substitute for a completed application.  
 
Communication regarding your application and/or status will be sent to the email address listed on your application.  Please check your email regularly throughout the recruitment process as you will not receive communications by any other method.

Salary : $69,984 - $85,066