Office Associate III

Job Description

Pittsylvania County Department of Social Services is accepting applications for the Office Associate position.

Title Description- Office Associate III is the advanced level in the occupational group for Office Associates. Employees work in a service or administrative program area(s) performing a broad variety of office and program support responsibilities that require applying some program knowledge and office and administrative practices, policies and procedures to perform specific office support activities. Employees may serve as a lead worker and provide guidance to office support staff or others. The Office Associate III is distinguished from the Administrative Program Assistant I class in that employees in the latter class perform complex office and administrative support duties in a specialized program area such as in accounting, human resources, information technology and have a working knowledge of the program area and technical aspects. The Office Associate III is distinguished from the Office Supervisor in that supervisors spend a majority of their time in supervisory activities such as handling personnel issues and assigning and reviewing the work of others.

General Work Tasks (Illustrative Only)-

• Types or transcribes correspondence, memos, minutes, reports or originals from rough draft, clear copy, recordings, shorthand, or notes;
• Composes routine correspondence and memos;
• Proofreads written and numerical documents;
• Sets appointments for interviews or meetings;
• Records inventory, statistical or fiscal data in a variety of formats and compiles informational reports as needed;
• Handles or contributes to reports and other documents, including fiscal and personnel documents, of intermediate scope and impact;
• Provides information to customers regarding programs, policies and rules of the department; handles inquiries from others regarding services;
• Performs research in automated and paper systems;
• Sets up and organizes files;
• Purges records;
• Maintains filing systems;
• Troubleshoots minor computer problems sufficient to resolve or submit service requests; calls in trouble tickets;
• May provide guidance and training to other clerical staff and office volunteers;
• Prepares purchase orders and other internal documents; and
• Processes items for payments and handles petty cash.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge- Considerable knowledge of: office and administrative practices, policies and procedures as related to assigned program and office support activities; spelling, grammar and punctuation; office terminology, procedures, and equipment technology and office software programs; and mathematics to calculate percentages, formulas and averages to solve mathematical problems. Some knowledge of: elementary bookkeeping and accounting.

Skills- Skill in: operating a personal computer, printer, scanner, and a variety of standard office machines and equipment. Some skill in performing basic maintenance of computer system and general office equipment to include some troubleshooting of automation equipment problems.

Abilities- Demonstrated ability to: organize information and develop/maintain records in various formats; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; follow written and oral instructions; multi-task; establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, customers, other public and private agencies, and the public sometimes under stressful situations; collect and disseminate information; make computations with speed and accuracy; file alphabetically or numerically; proofread; type from clear copy or draft; make minor decisions in accordance to regulations and established practices; advise and interpret policies and procedures in researching and resolving inquiries, requests and complaints; and act as a leader to other clerical staff.

Education and Experience- High school diploma supplemented with related clerical or administrative experience in social services or related field OR any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.


Preferred Qualification: Experience with Local Department of Social Services software.

Special Requirements:

Applicants may be subject to a Criminal History Background search, Central Registry search, DMV/driving record check, and/or pre-employment drug screen. The investigation may include: fingerprint checks (State Police, FBI), local agency checks, employment verification and references, verification of education (relevant to employment), credit checks (relevant to employment) and other checks requested by the hiring authority.


All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory results of the required checks and screenings.

Must have a valid driver's license with a satisfactory driving recor d.

Must be willing to work in community emergency shelter in the event of a disaster or emergency.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Consideration for an interview is based solely on the information within the application and/or resume.

Applicants are encouraged to provide a complete listing of relevant work experience and qualifications.

Applications for this position must be submitted electronically through this website. Mailed, emailed, faxed, or hand-delivered applications will not be accepted.

About Us

VDSS is one of the largest Commonwealth agencies, partnering with 120 local departments of social services, along with faith-based and non-profit organizations, to promote the well-being of children and families statewide. We proudly serve alongside nearly 13,000 state and local human services professionals throughout the Social Services System, who ensure that thousands of Virginia's most vulnerable citizen have access to best services and benefits available to them.