Senior Administrative Assistant

ABOUT THE POSITION The City of Dana Point is seeking a talented, highly motivated, and customer-oriented individual to join the Community Development Department. The ideal candidate will be a proactive team player with strong communication skills and a commitment to providing excellent customer service in a positive work environment. Candidates familiar with City Council functions are encouraged to apply. First review of applications: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 See why our team loves working in Dana Point Click to Watch! Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job. DEFINITION Under general supervision, perform a variety of complex administrative and secretarial duties for an assigned department head or other senior level official; provide general assistance to the public regarding department policies and procedures; and perform other related duties as assigned. CLASS CHARACTERISTICS This is an advanced journey level administrative classification. Positions in this classification are performing a full range of secretarial and administrative support services with a high degree of independence. Assigned duties require the incumbent to be familiar with a wide range of departmental activities, and may include various research, budgetary and administrative functions. In addition, incumbents are regularly involved in assisting higher level officials and may be responsible for supporting a City commission or subcommittee. Position may provide technical and functional supervision over other staff, as needed. This position is non-exempt under FLSA standards. EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES Essential job functions may include, but are not limited to, the following: (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) Participate in and assist in the administration of a department; research and prepare reports related to departmental functions; process and/or maintain records related to the administration of the departmental budget; monitor and report on projects or activities within the department. Type, format, and proofread a wide variety of reports, letters, memoranda and statistical charts; type from rough draft, verbal instruction or machine dictated copy; reviews drafts for punctuation, spelling and grammar; independently compose letters, memoranda or basic reports from general instruction or information related to assigned responsibilities; arrange for or distribute copies of materials. Coordinate preparation and distribution of agendas, agenda reports, packets, notices, and other documents related to the support of a commission, committee, or task force. Establish and coordinate the records management system for the department head and/or the department; maintain and update a variety of department records. Serve as initial contact/resource person for the assigned department; screen calls, visitors, and mail; respond to complaints and requests for information and assistance from the public, City staff, and representatives of other organizations; research questions to provide accurate information; refer more technical questions or issues to appropriate City staff; ensure follow up to unanswered inquiries. Make appointments and schedule meetings; arrange conference rooms or other meeting facilities; make arrangements for equipment, materials, and supplies. May serve as secretary to a Commission, committee, or other official group including preparing meeting agendas and related materials, scheduling meetings, taking and transcribing minutes of meetings. Utilize various computer applications and software packages; enter and maintain data; generate reports from a database or network system; create documents using word processing or spreadsheet software. May direct the work activities of assigned clerical personnel; prioritize and coordinate work assignments; review work for accuracy. Coordinate department and division administrative activities with those of other departments, divisions and outside agencies and organizations; attend meetings and conferences as a representative for assigned department. May maintain and order office supplies and equipment for assigned department. Assist in a variety of department operations; perform special projects and assignments as requested. Coordinate travel arrangements for department staff as necessary. Perform other related duties as assigned. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties. Knowledge of: Operations, services, and activities of assigned program area. English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases. Principles and practices of municipal government. Methods and techniques of effective customer service. Safe work principles and practices. Principles and practices of fiscal, statistical, and administrative data collection and report preparation. Business letter writing and basic report preparation techniques. Methods and techniques of proper phone etiquette. Principles and procedures of record keeping and filing. Ability to: Perform varied administrative and secretarial support duties and tasks. Research and prepare reports or provide information related to a variety of departmental topics. Operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications. Interpret, explain and apply administrative and departmental policies and procedures. Understand and carry out oral and written instructions. Provide courteous and responsive communications with the public. Establish and maintain filing systems for a variety of information and/or materials. Participate in occasional City functions, activities and/or meetings during evening, weekends and/or holidays. Plan and organize work to meet changing priorities and deadlines. Work independently in the absence of supervision. Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work. Education and Experience Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: Graduation from high school or completion of a GED and three years of increasingly responsible administrative support experience involving assisting management staff with typing, filing, calendar coordination, public relations, and project coordination tasks. Two years of college level course work in business administration, secretarial science or a related field is desirable. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. Physical Requirements: Position may require the ability to perform occasional light lifting and carrying; sitting for prolonged periods of time; occasional walking, standing and/or bending. Continuous hand use and finger dexterity is needed to use the computer keyboard and operate standard office equipment; it may require occasional pushing and pulling. This position also requires the ability to have a near vision for reading correspondence, reports, agendas and other records. Good hearing is required when communicating on the telephone or in person. Work Environment: Primarily office environment with controlled temperature conditions and exposure to environmental factors and hazardous physical substances are minimal and pose little to no risk of injury. Occasional transportation to meetings and/or events may be required. Note: All employees of the City of Dana Point are designated by both State law and City ordinance to be "Disaster Service Workers." In the event of a declared emergency or an undeclared emergency or natural disaster that threatens the life, health and/or safety of the public, employees may be assigned to assist rescue and relief workers. Such assignments may be in locations, during hours and performing work significantly different from the employees' normal work assignments and may continue through the recovery phase of the emergency. Benefits The City of Dana Point prides itself on hiring qualified individuals who enjoy working in a challenging, yet pleasant environment. We hope you consider joining the Dana Point Team! COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL LEAVE (CAL) Based upon years of service, employees accrue a specified number of hours per year to use for personal leave, sick leave, and/or vacation leave. The annual CAL accrual schedule currently is as follows: Years 1-3: 120 CAL hours, Years 4-6: 160 CAL hours, Years 7-9: 200 CAL hours, Years 10+: 240 CAL hours. PAID HOLIDAYS Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor