Office Assistant III

Office Assistant III

Under general supervision, perform highly responsible, specialized, and technical office support activities; explain rules, policies, and operations related to department records, programs, and services; may serve as a lead-worker and provide training and work assignments to a group of office support staff; and perform other related work as required.

The Office Assistant III is the advanced journey level in the Office Assistant series. Incumbents either act as lead-worker to a group of office support staff, or exercise detailed subject matter knowledge of a specific and complex program area or specialized record keeping system, or independently perform complex clerical tasks. Incumbents in this position exercise initiative and independent judgment within general policies and procedures.

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• As lead-worker, instructs employees in the interpretation and application of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures related to the department's programs and automated systems.
• Prioritize and manage workload distribution.
• Act as technical resource on more difficult problems or specialized issues; monitors quality and timeliness of unit work.
• Identify and provide individual instruction to co-workers for work deficiencies and provide feedback to supervisor as requested.
• Answer inquiries related to department services, programs, and operations.
• Obtain information, resolves discrepancies or errors, disperses relevant information, or refers client to the appropriate personnel or location.
• Explain the proper use of forms and documents.
• Produce notices, reports, letters, legal documents, fiscal, or statistical information.
• Verify that information or data is complete, accurate, and consistent.
• Operate automated systems, which involve interpretation of requirements and assisting in the layout and formatting of fields, screens, and report formats utilized in database, spreadsheet, or word processing software.
• Produce statistical, data processing, and production related reports.

Knowledge of:

• Modern office practices, and department specific methods, procedures, policies and regulations.
• Programs, goals, and purpose of the assigned department.
• English grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation.
• Business letter writing.
• Lead-work and staff development techniques and practices.
• Computer terminology and computer keyboard arrangement.
• Common word processing, spreadsheet, and database software packages.

Ability to:

• Exercise sound judgment when initiating processes, actions, and alternatives within established procedures and regulations.
• Interpret and explain procedures to others.
• Provide verbal and written instruction to others.
• Exercise sound judgment when prioritizing, organizing, assigning, and monitoring workload.
• Apply the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures pertaining to initial application for the assigned department's services.
• Enter data accurately into automated system.
• Locate, identify, and correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective work relationship with others.
• Deal tactfully and courteously with the public, county employees, and other staff.
• Lead and train subordinate employees effectively.
• Follow written and oral directions and instructions

Essential functions:

• Operate a personal computer and modern office equipment with repetitive hand and arm motion.
• Communicate effectively with others in person, in writing, and over the telephone.
• Analyze data, interpret directions, procedures and regulations, and develop appropriate responses.
• Create correspondence, spreadsheets, and presentation materials using various computer software programs.
• Complete multiple priority projects with conflicting deadlines and under stressful conditions.
• Maintain confidential information in accordance with legal standards and/or County regulations.
• Frequent use of depth perception, peripheral vision and color perception
• Frequently lift, carry, reach, push, pull, twist and manipulate large and small objects.
• Occasionally kneel, bend, twist, squat, balance and crawl.
• Frequent use of hand-eye coordination.
• Occasionally lift and carry up to 40 pounds.
• Normal dexterity, frequent holding and grasp
• Frequent use of data entry device including repetitive hand and arm motion.
• Sit, stand or walk for long periods of time.
• Regular attendance is an essential function.

Minimum qualifications:

Experience: Two (2) years of clerical experience equivalent to an Office Assistant II in Merced County.

Education: One (1) year of college or business school training may substitute for one (1) year of the required experience.

Desirable: Type at a corrected rate of 45 words per minute from clear copy.