Administrative Specialist

Position Description

Work, Serve, Thrive. With the City of Durham

Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.

Hiring Range: $52,903 – $64,319

Work Day/Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. Full-Time, 40 hours per week.

In 2022, the Durham Community Safety Department (DCSD) launched four 911 crisis response programs—collectively known as HEART (Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Teams). Please visit our website and dashboard, watch this CNN clip, listen to this NPR segment, or read this piece from The Assembly. In 2025, DCSD has added a new division focused on Stabilization Services. This expansion represents an exciting new phase in DCSD's development—and a thrilling opportunity to pair alternative response programs with stabilization services that can better support Neighbors.

ABOUT THE ROLE The Durham Community Safety Department (DCSD) is seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive Administrative Specialist to serve as a central administrative and operational support professional for the department. This position will function as a key office coordinator supporting daily administrative operations, timekeeping and payroll processes, office management functions, and general departmental administration.

The ideal candidate will help ensure the department's administrative operations run efficiently by maintaining organized office systems, supporting staff and leadership, coordinating workflow, managing supplies and shared spaces, assisting with personnel and payroll processes, preparing professional correspondence and memoranda, and providing high-quality customer service and administrative support in a fast-paced environment.

This role requires strong communication skills, discretion, adaptability, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while supporting a growing and evolving department.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Serves as the department's primary timekeeping support, including reviewing timesheets, coordinating with supervisors and employees regarding leave and payroll matters, assisting with payroll processing activities, and ensuring timely and accurate submissions.
• Coordinates and oversees office management functions such as maintaining office and program supplies, monitoring shared/common spaces, coordinating facility-related administrative needs, and supporting overall office organization and functionality.
• Prepares, edits, proofreads, and routes memoranda, correspondence, reports, presentations, forms, and other administrative documents.
• Provides administrative support related to procurement, onboarding, scheduling, records management, training coordination, and other operational functions.
• Coordinates meetings, calendars, conference rooms, trainings, and departmental events, including logistical support and communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Assists with administrative tracking, reporting, data entry, file maintenance, and maintenance of departmental records and documentation.
• Responds to inquiries from staff and the public and provides professional customer service and follow-up.
• Supports special projects, operational initiatives, and other administrative functions as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

• Associate's degree in business or related field
• Two years of advanced administrative support experience.
• Experience supporting payroll, timekeeping, office management, or operational administrative functions.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including professional correspondence and memo writing.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and business systems/software applications.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in handling sensitive information.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

Additional Preferred Skills

• Experience with UKG, Oracle, or other payroll/timekeeping systems.
• Experience supporting public sector, public safety, healthcare, or human services operations.
• Experience with procurement, purchasing, or administrative financial processes.
• Experience coordinating office operations or serving in an office manager capacity.

Benefits – General Full-Time Employees

• 12-13 paid holidays per year
• 13 standard work days of vacation per year
• 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement
• 2 weeks paid military leave per year
• Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans
• State and City retirement plans
• Short and long term disability plans
• Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions
• City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System
• Paid funeral leave
• Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling
• Paid life insurance equal to annual salary
• 48 hours for volunteer work each year*
• 4 hours parental leave each year
• Workman's Compensation Insurance
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plans