Senior Office Assistant

Office Assistant

Under direction, performs a variety of specialized clerical and administrative duties in support of City staff and functions; prepares meeting agendas, minutes, public hearing notices, and administrative support for the Planning Commission and other committee meetings; processes invoices, purchase orders, and billings; maintains records of revenues and expenditures; and performs related work as required. Receives direction from assigned management or supervisory personnel. Exercises no supervision of staff. This is the advanced journey-level classification in the Office Assistant series responsible for performing the most complex work assigned to the series. Incumbents regularly work on tasks which are varied and complex, requiring considerable discretion and independent judgment. Positions in the classification rely on experience and judgment to perform assigned duties. Assignments are given with general guidelines and incumbents are responsible for establishing objectives, timelines, and methods to complete assignments. Work is typically reviewed upon completion for soundness, appropriateness, and conformity to policy and requirements.

Essential Functions / Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

• Prepares, processes, tracks, and seeks approval for invoices, purchase orders, change orders, and billings; monitors departmental revenues and expenses and ensures funds are available to pay invoices; gathers bids; assembles purchase requisitions; enters data for budget tracking.
• Mails public hearing notices, letters, resolutions, and agreements to various committees and commissions.
• Processes approved Planning Commission resolutions; submits copies to staff; scans and establishes files for resolutions; provides copies of all approved resolutions to the Public Works/Engineering Department.
• Prepares agendas, copies documents, mails notices, and compiles minutes for commission and committee meetings; attends commission or committee meetings and serves as secretary; prepares minutes for Planning Commission and committee action meetings; places items on committee and commission meeting agendas for approval; processes speaker cards for public meetings; schedules, reserves, and prepares City facilities for meetings and special events.
• Receives, processes, and tracks documents such as permit applications, contract agreements, proposals, plan submittals, insurance certificates, subpoenas, summons, petitions, public records requests, and claims.
• Receives, processes, and tracks complaints via phone, at the public counter, or through the computer.
• Composes, types, formats, and proofreads a variety of documents and correspondence including presentations, staff reports, letters, emails, memoranda, certificates, invitations, budget reports, spreadsheets, community outreach materials, flyers, postcards, directories, and commendations; checks drafts for punctuation, spelling, and grammar, and suggests corrections.
• Answers incoming telephone calls and e-mails; provides information and answers questions; addresses issues and concerns from members of the public, vendors, and City staff; refers issues to the appropriate staff or department; checks and replies to voicemail and email messages; greets visitors and residents at City facilities; schedules appointments for customers to meet with staff; distributes literature pertaining to City services and events.
• Creates, organizes, archives, scans, copies, maintains, and retrieves records, documents, reports, and files; maintains and/or establishes filing systems; audits files for compliance with federal, state, and local laws and records retention schedules.
• Collects, opens, and distributes incoming mail, packages, email communications, correspondence, reports, requests for service, and complaints to appropriate staff.
• Observes and complies with City and mandated safety rules, regulations and protocols.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge of: City-wide and department-specific policies, processes, and procedures. Municipal codes, code compliance, and notification procedures for code violations. Procedures for preparing, tracking, and processing invoices, purchase orders, change orders, purchase requisitions, and billings. Basic principles and practices of public meetings conducted by elected and appointed government bodies. Principles and practices of documenting and preparing specialized documents for commissions and committees including, but not limited to, agendas, minutes and resolutions. General office business and administrative practices. Principles and practices of data collection and report generation. Payroll and finance software used by the City. Budget monitoring and tracking techniques. Business arithmetic. Basic principles of scanning, filing, maintaining, archiving, and retrieving records. City and mandated safety rules, regulations and protocols. Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and City staff. The structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. Modern equipment and communication tools used for business functions and program, project, and task coordination, including computers and software programs relevant to work performed.

Ability to: Perform a diverse range of specialized administrative tasks in support of assigned department. Demonstrate responsibility when handling sensitive matters or confidential documents. Review and process invoices from vendors for payment; monitor expenditures. Prepare and type a variety of documents and forms such as correspondence, agendas, and reports using correct punctuation and grammar. Handle requests or complaints in a professional manner. Organize and prepare supplies and materials for programs and activities. Understand and respond to requests for assistance from the public and City staff, both on the telephone and in person; take detailed messages. Implement new or revised departmental programs as directed. Receive, open, review, sort, date stamp, and distribute mail. Follow written and verbal instructions. Be very detail oriented. Make accurate arithmetic calculations. File and maintain automated and hardcopy records with accuracy. Understand, interpret, and apply all pertinent laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures, and standards relevant to work performed. Independently organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow-up on assignments. Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy and procedural guidelines. Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner, organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines. Effectively use computer systems, software applications relevant to work performed, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks. Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, using appropriate English grammar and syntax. Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be: Education: Equivalent to completion of the twelfth (12th) grade. Experience: Four (4) years of increasingly responsible general clerical and administrative experience. Licenses and Certifications: None.

Additional Information

Physical Demands: Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. This is primarily a sedentary office classification although standing in work areas and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects up to 25 pounds. Environmental Conditions: Employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Employees may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures. E-Verify: The City of El Monte is an E-Verify employer. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of newly hired employees in the United States.