Administrative Secretary

The Position

The current vacancy is in Ukiah with BHRS - Mental Health Services. This position provides administrative support to the Health Services Director, including assisting with routine administrative duties. The position also provides clerical and administrative support for various boards and committees and coordinates internal department meetings and meetings with outside agencies. The ideal candidate is organized, professional, and detail-oriented, with strong communication and coordination skills. They are able to manage multiple priorities, work independently, maintain confidentiality, and build positive working relationships with leadership, staff, boards and committees, and external partners.

The list developed from this recruitment will be used for a limited period to fill open and promotional, regular full-time, and part-time positions in a variety of departments, service areas, and locations throughout the County, should they occur. Under general direction performs a variety of highly complex administrative functions in support of a department director or branch director of a large multi-branch department. Duties include serving as the primary administrative secretary; performs a variety of complex and confidential secretarial and administrative duties, relieving the department head of the more routine administrative duties.

Supervisor Academy is mandatory for all supervisors and consists of nine courses that must be completed within two years. Participation is required and completed during work hours.

Job Requirements and Minimum Qualifications

Duties may include but are not limited to the following.

• Support the office of a department head by performance duties such as: oversee the daily office procedures and workflow of the department; relieve officials of routine administrative details such as checking operating reports for accuracy and conformance to policies and standards; assist in resolving administrative issues; answer various inquiries, arranges appointments; processes routine and non-routine matters independently; prepare complex, routine and non-routine reports as requested utilizing a variety of software; receive, sort, and summarize material for the preparation of reports; relay and interpret administrative decisions, policies, procedures and instructions. May deal with sensitive and confidential matters at the direction of senior level staff and/or the department director.
• Screen incoming correspondence routed to the Director, refer for reply to appropriate staff member, and follow up to ensure that deadlines are met.
• Compose correspondence independently or in accordance with general instructions, requiring a thorough knowledge of the procedures and policies of the office.
• Prepare various contracts, assuring that documents are forwarded to staff for approval and execution. Maintain contract which include monitoring flow of documents, consulting with and advising staff of essential elements of contracts, conferring with financial staff, and managing related filing systems.
• Attend meetings and conferences, take notes and/or summarize notes into minutes and distribute to appropriate staff.
• Assist with the development, communication, and monitoring of polices, procedures, and standards for the department; recommends improvements when necessary. Interpret various codes and mandates.
• Interact with a variety of high-level individuals, both internally and within the community to provide information, disseminate departmental information.
• Confer with upper management to keep them informed on key issues and progress toward objectives and to gain their support and approval; make recommendations to assist management in making needed improvements; report administrative and/or operational problems to supervisor.
• Maintain and upgrade professional knowledge, skills, and development by attending seminars and training programs and reading trade and professional journals and publications.
• Take policy, service and information requests relating to governmental activities and refers to proper divisions for processing and providing information; update and maintain service and information requests.
• Perform specialized research and statistical work manually or on computer on assigned subjects for staff and management.
• May serve as backup for other positions within the department.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

IN A SUPERVISORY CAPACITY (in addition to the above duties):

• Carry out supervisory duties in accordance with policies, procedures and applicable laws including: interviewing, hiring and training and mentoring, planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED Education and Experience: High school diploma or GED equivalent and five years of experience performing significant and increasingly responsible administrative and clerical duties in support of a supervisor or manager that included providing relief of administrative details and non-routine work; or two (2) years of full-time experience as a Secretary with Mendocino County; or a combination of education, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Supplemental course work in accounting, office management or related field is desired. Licenses and Certifications: Valid Driver's License is preferred but not required. Some positions in this classification may require possession of a valid California driver's license or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary.
• Internal departmental policies and procedures.
• Applicable, federal, state and local ordinances, codes, laws, mandates, etc.
• Office administrative and secretarial practices and procedures, such as business letter writing and the operation of standard office equipment, including a word processor and personal or on-line computer.
• External governmental bodies and agencies related to area of assignment.
• Standard business arithmetic, including percentages and decimals.
• Basic budgetary principles and practices.
• Record keeping, report preparation, filing methods and records management techniques.
• General office procedures, policies and practices, as well as knowledge of computer application, hardware, and other general office equipment related to the performance of the essential functions of the job.
• Methods and techniques used in researching, proofing, evaluating, gathering, organizing and arranging data.

In Supervisory Assignments:

• Principles and practices of effective supervision and training
• Administration of staff and activities

• Preparing clear and concise reports, correspondence and other written materials.
• Using tact, discretion, initiative and independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Analyzing and resolving office administrative situations and problems.
• Researching, compiling, and summarizing a variety of informational and statistical data and materials.
• Organizing work, setting priorities, meeting critical deadlines, and following up on assignments with a minimum of direction.
• Applying logical thinking to solve problems or accomplish tasks.
• Understanding, interpreting and communicating complicated policies, procedures and protocols.
• Typing from rough draft or printed text, or entering other data using a keyboard at a speed sufficient to perform the duties of the job.
• Transcribing information from dictating equipment.
• Communicating orally with internal staff, citizens, and other departmental staff in order to give and receive information in a courteous manner.
• Operating and performing routine maintenance of general office machines and other standard office equipment.
• Identifying and correct technical inaccuracies.
• Providing verbal and written technical direction to others.
• Working independently in performing assignments and in resolving problems and deviations.
• Maintaining confidentiality.
• Typing a variety of material to include graphs, charts, statistical reports, and standardized forms

In Supervisory Assignments:

• Selecting and motivating staff, planning, organizing, assigning, directing, reviewing, evaluating the work of staff and providing for their training and professional development.

• Read and interpret documents such as operation and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals, and so forth.
• Understand and carry out written and oral instructions, giving close attention to detail and accuracy.
• Rapidly and accurately take and transcribe oral or tape dictation using speedwriting, shorthand, or dictating equipment (at the discretion of the supervisor).
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Draft and type correspondence.
• Add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.
• Deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• While performing the essential functions of this job, the incumbent is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, to reach with hands and arms, and speak and hear.
• Lift and carry, push and/or