Senior Secretary

Job Description

PLEASE ATTACH THE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS LISTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

Job ID: 36930
Agency: Department of Health - Division of Family and Community Health
Location:Sioux Falls, SDSalary: $20.47 Hourly, depending on qualifications
Pay Grade: F
Closing Date: 8/20/26

This is a Full-Time 40 Hours Weekly position with the Department of Health - Division of Family and Community Health. For more information on the Department of Health, please visit .

Summary:

The South Dakota Department of Health's programs and services help prevent illness and injury, promote healthy places to live, work and play; provide education to help people make good health decisions; prepare for, respond to, and prevent public health threats; and support efforts to enhance quality and accessibility of healthcare. Our services touch the lives of every person in the state of South Dakota.

We recognize that employees are our most valuable resource and we are committed to promoting a culture of excellence in DOH. We trust our employees to be innovative, challenge existing processes, and make the best decisions. We are interested in employing a diverse and skilled workforce that exhibits the values of leadership, accountability, communication, integrity, and teamwork. Public health is a diverse and growing field that offers many career options for people from a variety of educational backgrounds. Imagine yourself as part of a winning team that is making the lives of South Dakotans healthier and safer.

Please visit our website at for further information about the Department of Health and our various programs.

The Senior Secretary serves as a front-end operations and customer service resource for the local office as well as support for the Legal Team stationed in the Sioux Falls Office. This role helps create a professional, consistent, and client-centered experience by supporting client communication, scheduling, registration, documentation readiness, referral coordination, billing-related workflows, office procedures, and electronic record processes.

Senior Secretary - Responsibilities and Expectations

Responsibilities:

• Serve as part of the front-end operations and customer service resource approximately 24 hours per week.

• Serve as primary support to two members of the DOH Legal team approximately 16 hours per week.

• Greet and assist clients in person, by phone, and through various technologies in a professional, respectful, and helpful manner.

• Perform initial client screening and route clients to the appropriate health professional, program staff, or resource.

• Learn, apply, and adhere to policies and procedures for multiple Department of Health programs related to assigned duties.

• Perform assigned professional tasks that facilitate and support multiple program areas.

• Exercise independent judgment and analysis in organizing daily work assignments and resolving defined procedural issues.

• Organize and coordinate assigned program activities involving multiple concurrent tasks.

• Interact daily with department staff, external agencies, community partners, and the public to provide or collect information.

• Formatting and proofreading documents (font consistency, spacing, page numbers, typos, clarity)

• Filing documents with the Office of Hearing Examiners and the courts

• Assisting with administrative tasks for public records requests (maintaining an Excel-based denial log, transmitting documents, assisting with document collection)

• Organizing, compiling, and transmitting documents

• Corresponding with parties to schedule hearings

• Other miscellaneous duties as needed

Expectations

• Demonstrate accountability to the organization and role; follow managerial direction; maintain professionalism, confidentiality, ethical conduct, and uphold public trust in all client, staff, and partner interactions.

• Take ownership of the client-facing experience by promoting respectful communication, timely follow-up, accurate information, confidentiality, and a welcoming environment for clients, families, partners, and the public.

• Support consistent front-end office practices, including client communication, scheduling, registration, documentation readiness, referral coordination, billing-related workflows, fee collection support, and electronic record processes.

• Exercise independent judgment in organizing daily work, resolving defined procedural issues, prioritizing competing tasks, and elevating matters outside assigned authority to the appropriate supervisor, manager, operations staff, or program authority.

• Engage in required training, quality improvement activities, and program evaluation; support organizational changes; maintain competence in administrative and electronic systems; and foster continuous improvement across assigned office and program functions.

The typical work schedule is Monday through Friday during standard business hours. Occasional work outside of standard business hours and limited travel may be required to support clinics, training, meetings, community events, satellite clinic operations, public health response activities, or other operational needs.

Licenses and Certifications:

High School diploma or GED is required.

Valid driver's license.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• one year of experience in a healthcare, public health, customer service, office operations, billing, scheduling, or related administrative setting;
• strong interpersonal skills and the ability to serve as a professional first point of contact for clients, staff, and partners;
• proven ability to manage scheduling, data entry, client communication, forms, and follow-up efficiently;
• strong organization, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment;
• commitment to professionalism, confidentiality, quality service, and supporting positive health outcomes;
• ability to support standardized workflows and communicate opportunities for process improvement.

Knowledge of:

• modern office practices and procedures;
• business English and professional communication standards;
• basic bookkeeping concepts;
• confidentiality requirements.

Skills to:

• using electronic record systems and scheduling tools;
• using Microsoft Office, Outlook, Teams, and other office or program-specific software;
• organizing information and maintaining accurate records;
• completing data entry and tracking follow-up needs;
• ensuring documentation readiness;
• communicating clearly, respectfully, and professionally with clients, families, staff, partners, agencies, and the public.

Ability to:

• serving as a professional first point of contact and providing a welcoming, client-centered experience;
• learning, applying, and following policies, procedures, forms, workflows, and program requirements accurately;
• supporting front-end office operations such as communication, scheduling, registration, referrals, billing workflows, fee collection support, inventory tracking, and reporting;
• prioritizing competing tasks, managing interruptions, adapting to changing needs, and working independently in a fast-paced environment;
• exercising tact, patience, discretion, and sound judgment with individuals from diverse backgrounds and needs;
• identifying routine workflow barriers, resolving defined procedural issues, and escalating matters outside assigned authority appropriately;
• maintaining confidentiality, upholding ethical standards, and protecting public trust;
• supporting quality improvement, program evaluation, standardized workflows, and organizational changes.

Additional Requirements: To be considered, please attach your resume.

This position is eligible for Veterans' Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

NCRC: If you possess a National Career Readiness Certificate, please submit the certificate with your application. For more information on how to acquire a National Career Readiness Certificate contact a South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation Job Service Office. A certificate is not necessary to be considered.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information here . This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

Must apply online:
You must apply online, emailed resumes or submissions will not be accepted.
South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources and Administration
Telephone: View phone number on kelolandemployment.com Email: View email address on kelolandemployment.com

"An Equal Opportunity Employer"

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