Administrative Assistant (Classified/MOU)

Administrative Assistant

At the Western Municipal Water District ("Western Water"), we're looking for an experienced Administrative Assistant to support our Operations Mechanical Services team. We need someone who is organized, detail-oriented and can support a variety of team needs while balancing shifting priorities and a range of day-to-day tasks. If you're a team player with strong interpersonal skills who will continue raising the bar, then this is your chance to join an exceptional team of highly skilled professionals and be part of something bigger.

Western Municipal Water District stands out:

• Western Water is one of the largest public agencies in Riverside County providing water and sewer services to nearly one million people;
• We see ourselves as more of a business than a bureaucracy.
• We view our customers as an essential partner in ensuring long-term water security for our region;
• And together, the Western team is focused on being the definitive leader in water and sewer services, upholding the highest level of stakeholder trust.

The Administrative Assistant is responsible for coordinating a variety of high level organizational, ministerial, and administrative support functions for the Western Water department staff, member agencies, and the general public. This position plays a significant role within the organization by supporting the department head and team with coordinating meetings and providing crucial administration and updates to the daily activities for effective, efficient, and highly responsive execution of tasks.

The Ideal Candidate at Western Water is more than just an administrative organizer. We are looking for a seasoned Administrative Assistant with strong interpersonal skills to support the day-to-day activities of the team. We need someone who has the experience of skillfully assisting with administrative functions, department level board and committee activities, meetings, and document preparation while having strong interaction with executive management and staff --all while bringing new ideas and approaches for improving processes to get the job done. Additionally, we need someone comfortable working both in an office environment and out in the field.

Personal Competencies/Characteristics:

• A relationship-builder who is proactive in establishing and maintaining partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• A skilled professional with a heightened sense of emotional intelligence and an awareness of executive management, community and customer issues, and political sensitivities.
• Open, approachable, and action-oriented; exercises good judgment; treats others with respect.
• Collaborative approach to working with others; able to bring people together and leverage common interests to perpetuate the goals of Western Water.
• Outstanding organizational and leadership skills.
• A self-starter who exhibits high initiative and a strong work ethic; embraces the opportunity to make a difference along with:
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to plan for and anticipate the needs of the department.
• Effective organizational capabilities with the expertise to prioritize and manage multiple competing tasks with a calm and composed approach.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, and facilitate communication between departments and individuals.
• Demonstrates proficiency in holding oneself accountable coupled with the ability to understand own level of authority.

If you're ready to join a highly professional, results-oriented team, able to see the bigger picture, have a heightened sense of emotional intelligence, and are aware of Western Water's management and district and community issues--we'd love to hear from you.

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this classification.

In addition to the essential administrative functions of this position, below are some of the specific duties expected for this role:

• Relieves the department management team of a variety of administrative details by assisting with duties of an advanced, complex, and sensitive nature; plans, organizes, and carries out administrative assignments and special projects related to assigned department, including assisting with budget preparation, planning, and implementation; recommends organizational or procedural changes which impact support activities; recommends improvements in workflow, procedures, use of equipment, and forms.
• Collects and compiles material for review and analysis; provides recommendations for changes in programs, policies, or procedures to improve efficiency and cost effectiveness of operations.
• Participates in the preparation of department budget; monitors budget expenditures and revenues; initiates department purchases for office supplies and other items as assigned; authorizes payment of invoices.
• Performs other financial and accounting related duties, including receiving and reconciling payments with purchasing orders, tracking vendor and invoice information, and assisting with price quotes, purchase and expenditure requests, and purchase orders.
• Organizes and carries out administrative assignments; researches, compiles, and organizes information and data from various sources on a variety of specialized topics related to programs in assigned area; checks and tabulates standard mathematical or statistical data; prepares and assembles reports, meeting agendas and minutes, manuals, articles, announcements, and other informational materials.
• Composes, types, and edits a variety of documents including detailed and often confidential correspondence, forms, memos, reports, statistical reports, invitations, graphic materials, and specialized documents for the executive level managers and other management and department staff from rough draft, dictation equipment, handwritten copy, verbal instructions, or from other material; proofreads materials for accuracy, completeness, compliance with departmental policies, format, and English usage, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling; inputs and retrieves data and text using a computer.
• Assists with reviewing forms and reports for completeness and conformance with established regulations and procedures; applies departmental and program policies and procedures in determining completeness of applications, records, and files.
• Designs and implements file, index, tracking, and recordkeeping systems.
• May provide support to Western Water boards, committees, and task forces, including coordinating and scheduling meetings, appointments, and speaking engagements, reserving meeting rooms, maintaining reports, compiling and distributing agenda packets, attending meetings, formatting and distributing minutes, and following-up on decisions as required.
• Prepares and processes reports, forms, and records, such as Board meeting agenda items, requests for payments, requests for proposals, contracts and agreements, and reimbursement requests.
• Coordinates and integrates department services and activities with other Western Water departments and outside agencies.
• Coordinates travel arrangements and accommodations for department personnel and submits all related paperwork.
• Maintains calendars and makes meeting arrangements; schedules meetings; reserves meeting rooms for meetings and conferences; performs or arranges for necessary set-up, equipment, and materials to be available at meetings.
• Receives and screens visitors, telephone calls, emails, and regular mail; provides information to the public to ensure an understanding of departmental and District policies and procedures and handles issues which may require sensitivity and use of sound independent judgment; listens to questions and explains procedures according to existing guidelines; refers matters to appropriate Western Water staff and/or takes or recommends action to resolve the request or complaints to ensure the issue has been appropriately handled.
• May provide technical and functional direction to and train assigned subordinates to ensure office workflow is maintained and office goals are met; assigns work according to changes in workload priorities; evaluates office and administrative functions to recommend changes in office procedures.
• Completes special projects as assigned.
• Attends various meetings and training as required.
• Observes and complies with all Western Water and mandated safety rules, regulations, and protocols.
• When assigned to field inspection, must possess mobility to work in changing site conditions; possess the strength, stamina, and mobility to perform light to medium physical work; to sit, stand and walk on level, uneven, or slipper surfaces; to reach, twist, turn, kneel, and bend, to climb and descend ladders; entry into confined spaces and the use of confined entry equipment; and to operate a motor vehicle and visit various Western Water sites; vision to inspect site conditions and work in progress and color vision to observe color-specific safety symbols and signs.
• The job includes fieldwork requiring frequent walking in operational areas to identify problems or hazards, with exposure to hazardous materials in some site locations.
• Must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects averaging a weight of 30 pounds, or heavier weights, in all cases with the use of proper equipment and/or assistance from other staff.

Qualifications:

Knowledge of:

• Business administrative policies and procedures.
• District and department programs, goals, and policies and procedures of the assigned department or division.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Principles and practices of data collection and report generation.
• Methods of preparing and processing various records, reports, forms, and other documents particular to assigned department or program.