Job Descriptions

DEFINITION

To perform complex and responsible clerical and secretarial work. This position is assigned to the miscellaneous bargaining unit for labor relations purposes and is subject to overtime assignments.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This class is the journey level class in the secretarial series. Greater emphasis is placed on the secretarial duties performed than at the Office Assistant II level. Positions in this class are distinguished from Senior Secretary class in that positions in the Senior Secretary class provides support to a major management function which includes more participation in the administration functions of the office in addition to coordinating, planning and evaluating all clerical and personnel functions in the office. Functions performed at the Senior Secretary level provide greater scope of assignments impacting broader City?wide operations and greater consequence of error in completing assigned tasks.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

General supervision is provided by a Department Director or other professional level position. May exercise direct of indirect supervision over other secretarial or clerical positions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: - Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Perform complex and responsible clerical and secretarial work for a major division.
• May take and transcribe minutes of meetings, prepare the agenda, assemble background materials, and perform related support services.
• Receive telephone calls; determine which calls can be handled personally, which must be referred to the supervisor, and which should be referred to other members of the staff or to other offices.
• Set up and maintain appointment schedules and calendar of activities; reschedule appointments or meetings as necessary to accommodate unexpected changes in priorities or work schedules.
• Schedule staff or committee meetings and make all necessary arrangements relating to time, date and place; notify participants of agenda items and provide background information as required; attend such meetings when requested.
• Receive and read incoming correspondence, reports, instructions and similar documents; identify those communications which require the personal attention of the supervisor and attach appropriate background material; flag priority items for the supervisor's review.
• Compose replies to a wide variety of communications when the information required is factual in nature or involves matters of established policies or procedures.
• Refer correspondence or reports to other members of the staff for information or reply.
• Provide clerical support services to other administrative staff as necessary.
• Establish and maintain office files and records and assemble information from these and other sources in response to requests made by the supervisor.
• Maintain familiarity with established procedures for clearing correspondence, developing or forwarding reports and obtaining services, supplies or temporary office help; and provide information regarding these and similar matters to the supervisor or to members of the staff, or take the action necessary to meet the day-to-day operating needs of the office.
• Process plans, specifications, forms, reports, legal documents and similar materials in accordance with legal and procedural requirements; ensure that information is complete and in accordance with legal and procedural requirements.
• Ensure that clerical processes conform to established policies and procedures.
• Perform general clerical duties including filing, checking and recording information on records, and processing routine requests for Information.
• Prepare payroll for the department to interface with City payroll system.
• Prepare and compile extensive records and reports as necessary.
• Type a variety of materials including general correspondence and memoranda.
• Make travel arrangements for the supervisor by making plane and hotel arrangements, notifying organizations and individuals of the arrangements and preparing travel vouchers and reports upon return.
• May serve as the Secretary to a board or commission, preparing the agenda, assembling background materials, taking and transcribing minutes of meetings and performing related support services.
• May transcribe tape dictation as assigned.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Knowledge Of:

• Correct English, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Modern office methods, procedures, and practices.
• Business letter writing.
• Organization, procedures and operating details of the division to which assigned.
• Principles of supervision, training and performance evaluation.

Ability To:

• Coordinate many different secretarial tasks, determine relative importance of each, set deadlines and complete projects accordingly.
• Reschedule and distribute work assignments due to a shift in priorities.
• Learn to interpret and apply a variety of complex organizational policies and procedures.
• Independently identify appropriate applications of a wide variety of complex written policies and procedures in circumstances not clearly described by written guidelines.
• Review clerical processes and identify deviations from applicable policies or procedures.
• Plan, organize and supervise the work of others.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted during the course of work.
• Apply judgment, discretion and initiative in performing with minimal supervision complex secretarial work in a variety of projects.
• Establish format and special relationship of correspondence, charts and statistical outlines when required.
• Assist in training new personnel and supervise subordinates.
• Keep complex records and files.
• Screen mail, telephone calls and visitors.
• Project needs for office equipment and supplies.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Perform arithmetic computations where required.
• Type at a speed of 55 wpm (net corrected).
• Perform related duties as required.
• Transcribe from tape dictation at a speed sufficient to complete workload in a timely manner.
• Operate a personal computer and related word and data processing software.
• Process payroll.
• Prepare agendas and agenda items.
• Make travel arrangements.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Experience:

Two years of experience as an Office Assistant in a position comparable to an Office Assistant II with the City of Turlock.

Education:

Possession of a High School diploma or GED certificate.

LICENSE OR CERTIFICATE

Possession of a valid California Driver’s License in the category necessary to perform essential duties of the position may be required at the time of appointment. Maintenance of a valid California Driver’s License and proof of automobile liability insurance is a condition of continued employment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Maintain the following physical abilities: See well enough to read instructions, read fine print and view computer screen; hear well enough to converse on the telephone and in person; use of hands and fingers for use of computer keyboard, filing, writing and answering telephones.

NOTE: In addition to the requirements above, promotion to the Secretary classification will require a test process to validate ability to perform