Administrative Assistant II

As an Administrative Assistant II in the Recreation/Community Center front office, you will join a welcoming, inclusive, fast-paced, and dynamic team environment where you will help organize Recreation Programs, while providing exceptional customer service and leadership in the Recreation Department.

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.

What is the Role?

The City is looking to fill (1) Full-Time Administrative Assistant II  vacancy in the Recreation Department . As the first point of contact, this position will serve as the front-line office representative for the department, providing excellent customer service to the community, while supporting Recreation programs and staff. Under general supervision, this classification performs a wide variety of responsible, confidential, and complex clerical and administrative duties and functions, requiring thorough knowledge of the department/division's operations, programs, and procedures. Additionally, this position compiles and prepares a variety of reports, provides support for fiscal and budget management, and assists in the implementation and monitoring of programs and/or projects. This position plays a key role in coordinating and serving as a liaison for programs offered within the Recreation Department, ongoing projects, and daily activities that require collaboration with other City departments, City staff, outside agencies, and the general public.

City Perks

• CalPERS Retirement:  CalPERS Classic members 2.7% @ 55 and PEPRA members 2% @ 62 retirement formula integrated with Social Security; 8.5% employee contribution. 
• Medical Insurance:  Fully paid health and dental premiums for employees and dependents (up to the Kaiser family rate); cash in lieu option available at $500 per month. 
• Dental:  The City contributes full cost of family coverage under the Delta Dental Plan. 
• Life Insurance:  The City pays for basic life and AD&D insurance coverage each up to $100,000. 
• Short-Term/Long-Term Disability Insurance: 2/3rds of salary up to the maximum monthly. 
• Voluntary Benefits:  Supplemental life insurance, deferred compensation plans and flexible spending accounts (FSAs). 
• Holidays: 13 holidays per year, plus 3 floating holidays and 1 birthday holiday. 
• Vacation:  Vacation ranging from 11 to 33 days per year based on years of service. 
• Sick Leave:  Accrued at 8.75 hours per month. 
• Tuition Reimbursement:  Cost reimbursement up to the maximum of $3,500/fiscal year for work related studies. 
• Bilingual Pay:  The City pays $2,600 per year to employees who are bilingual and who have passed a proficiency test provided by the City. 
• Alternating Work Schedule:  This position typically works 37.5 hours per week with every other Friday off. 
• Wellness Program:  Access to an array of wellness programs offered by the City such as massage days, fitness and meditation classes, Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Are we a match?

• You posses strong computer skills and have the ability to learn City programs and systems quickly.
• You posses excellent customer service and communication skills.
• You have a high attention to detail and accuracy.
• You have the ability to work collaboratively with a team and independently on assigned tasks.
• You bring flexibility and a high level of professionalism to a fast-paced, public-facing environment.
• You take pride in fostering a vibrant, inclusive team culture, using your positive energy and collaborative spirit to keep our division staff motivated and engaged every day.

In person test date - Wednesday, September 2nd

Tentative Virtual Interview date: Wednesday, September 16th

Essential responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Interprets and applies City policies, rules, and regulations in response to inquiries and concerns; responds to community member(s) on variety of routine and technical issues; assists public or City personnel in completing required documentation, forms, and applications in person and online.
• Performs various accounting/bookkeeping work, including verifying or computing financial data, preparing billing invoices, processing and reconciling vendor invoices, preparing bank deposits, and monitoring contract payments; assists with annual budget development.
• Organizes, coordinates, maintains, and updates departmental record systems; enters and updates information with departmental activity, files, and report summaries; retrieves information from systems as required.
• Gathers, assembles, updates, and distributes a variety of department-specific information, documents, forms, records, and data as requested; researches records within areas of responsibility to prepare and provide follow-up information to customer and staff inquiries.
• Provides administrative and project support for assigned management and departmental staff; acts as a liaison between management and other staff, outside agencies, and the public, coordinating resolutions when appropriate.
• Participates in administering significant department administrative processes and program areas in such areas as scheduling and monitoring of inspections or work orders, issuance of permits and licenses, registering the public for programs, and administering specific operational programs. 
• Communicates with officials and staff of other departments and agencies to obtain and relay information and to coordinate activities.
• Screens calls, visitors, and incoming mail and emails; assists and directs the public to appropriate locations and/or staff.
• Researches, purchases, and maintains inventory of office equipment and supplies; arranges for the repair and maintenance of office equipment.
• Observes and complies with all City and mandated safety rules, regulations, and protocols. 

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Education: 

• Equivalent to completion of the twelfth (12th) grade. Some college level coursework in public or business administration or a related field is desirable. 

Experience:  

• Two (2) years of increasingly responsible work in areas of clerical, record keeping, customer service, data entry, administrative support, or related experience equivalent to the City’s Administrative Assistant I classification.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Individuals who are appointment to this position will be required to maintain a current and valid California Driver’s License and satisfactory driving record throughout employment OR demonstrate the ability to travel to various locations in a timely manner as required in the performance of duties. *A current and valid out-of-state license may be used upon hire and a valid California Driver’s License must be obtained within six (6) months of appointment. 

Knowledge and abilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Knowledge of:

• Techniques for de-escalation and providing a high level of customer service by effectively assisting with the public, vendors, contractors, and City staff.
• Budget monitoring and tracking techniques. 
• Methods of preparing and processing various records, reports, and forms.
• Principles and practices of research, data collection, and report preparation. 
• Business correspondence writing and the standard format for reports, correspondence, and related documents.
• Principles and practices of record-keeping. 
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations as well as industry standards and best practices pertinent to the assigned area of responsibility. 
• Modern equipment and communication tools used for business functions and program, project, and task coordination, including computers and software programs relevant to work performed.

Ability to:

• Handle requests or concerns in a professional manner. 
• Organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow-up on assignments.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work. 
• Effectively use computer systems, software applications relevant to work performed, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and judgment within general policy and procedural guidelines.
• Perform responsible administrative support work with accuracy, speed, and general supervision. 
• Prepare and process various records, reports, forms, applications, and other documents.
• Research, compile, and summarize information from a variety of sources; and prepare reports.
• Type concise reports, correspondence, and other written materials. 
• Maintain a variety of filing, record keeping, and tracking systems.

THE COMMUNITY Located near the east shore of the San Francisco Bay, the City of El Cerrito is an ethnically diverse community offering a high quality of life within one of the nation's most sophisticated and beautiful living areas. With a population of over 25,000 residents, El Cerrito has the advantage of being centrally located in a major metropolitan area. El Cerrito is an established community with a strong self-identity and a commitment to enhancing the quality of life for its community members.

  THE DEPARTMENT The City of El Cerrito Recreation Department is renowned for running high-quality, fun & safe programs for children – winning many “Best of the Bay” awards based on the high satisfaction of parents and children. The “Department of F.U.N.” manages a full range of recreational and special activities for youth, adults and seniors, and provides activities, rentals of facilities, picnic areas, sports fields and tennis courts.  

Learn more about what it's like to work for the City of El Cerrito by watching the following videos, showcasing the El Cerrito community and organization:

Welcome to Vibrant & Diverse El Cerrito"
Discover the Perks of Working for the City of El Cerrito
"Quality of Life in El Cerrito"