Senior Administrative Assistant

Senior Administrative Assistant

Butte County is seeking a highly organized and proactive Senior Administrative Assistant to provide operational support to the Director of Behavioral Health and Assistant Directors. In this advanced journey-level role, you will act as a central hub for department leadership, managing complex calendars, coordinating meeting arrangements, and ensuring the seamless flow of internal documentation requiring executive signature. As a key member of the administrative team, you will attend meetings to record minutes, research and compile data for special projects, and play a vital role in ensuring smooth daily operations of the department. The ideal candidate possesses the discretion and independent judgment necessary to handle sensitive, confidential information.

This Classification is scheduled to receive a 5% COLA effective July 2026. The current vacancy is in the Department of Behavioral Health. The eligibility list created from this recruitment may be used to fill any current or future vacancies in ANY Butte County Department. This recruitment will be limited to the first 50 applicants.

FLSA: Non-Exempt

This job classification oversees and leads administrative and clerical office support functions, including setting priorities and directing the work of assigned staff on a project or day-to-day basis; performs a variety of administrative and secretarial support duties of considerable complexity, requiring thorough knowledge of assigned department, its procedures, and operational details; provides administrative support to assigned department head; performs administrative projects in support of department management; and performs related duties as assigned.

Receives direction from the Department Head or designee. Exercises technical and functional direction over and provides training to lower-level staff.

This is the advanced journey-level in the administrative assistant series responsible for regularly working on tasks which are varied and complex, requiring considerable discretion and independent judgment. Incumbents at this level possess a comprehensive, authoritative understanding of department functions and operations, and provide administrative support to a department head in the completion of their duties, in addition to providing direction to staff related to office workflow and processes. Positions in the classification rely on experience and judgement to perform assigned duties. Assignments are given with general guidelines and incumbents are responsible for establishing objectives, timelines, and methods to deliver services. Work is typically reviewed upon completion for soundness, appropriateness, and conformity to policy and requirements.

Knowledge of principles of providing functional direction and training; modern office practices, equipment, and communication tools used for business functions and program, project, and task coordination, including computers and software programs relevant to work performed; operations, services, programs, policies, procedures, and processes of the department to which the position is assigned; administrative principles, methods, and procedures related to accounting, budget, payroll, and/or personnel transactions; business correspondence writing and the standard format for reports, correspondence, agendas, and related documents; methods of preparing and processing various records, reports, forms, and other documents specific to assigned department, division, or program; basic principles and techniques of research, data collection, and report preparation; applicable state, federal, and local laws, regulations, codes, and ordinances and County policies and procedures applicable to department, division, and/or programs to which assigned; business arithmetic and basic statistical techniques; principles and practices of recordkeeping; principles and techniques for working with groups and fostering effective team interaction to ensure teamwork is conducted smoothly; techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and County staff; the structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate the work of assigned staff; effectively provide staff leadership and work direction; perform wide variety of complex, responsible, and confidential secretarial and administrative duties, requiring the use of independent judgment and discretion, with accuracy and speed; review situations accurately and determine and/or direct appropriate course of action using judgment according to established policies and procedures; independently compose clear and concise reports, correspondence, procedures, and other written materials; prepare and process various records, reports, forms, and other documents specific to assigned department, division, or program; maintain confidentiality of information received; research, gather, and compile department-specific information from a variety of sources; understand, interpret, and apply all pertinent laws, regulations, codes, and ordinances and County policies and procedures relevant to work performed; make accurate mathematical and basic statistical computations; independently organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow-up on assignments; effectively represent the department in meetings with governmental agencies, community groups, various business, professional, and regulatory organizations, and in meetings with individuals; use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy and procedural guidelines; effectively use computer systems, software applications relevant to work performed and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, using appropriate English grammar and syntax; establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience: Any combination of training, experience and educational degrees that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. Substitutions will be made on a year for year basis. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be: High school diploma or equivalent GED certificate; and Four (4) years of increasingly responsible experience performing administrative or secretarial duties.

A position in the class may require possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Physical demands include mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; primarily a sedentary office classification although standing in work areas and walking between work areas may be required; occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information; ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects up to 10 pounds. Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen. Hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment.

Office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Equipment utilized includes personal computer, fax machine, and standard office equipment.

All Butte County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.