Confidential Assistant - Engineering

at  Emerald Coast Utilities Authority

JOB SUMMARY: PG H106

Employees in this job perform a wide range of administrative and office support activities for the department and/or Directors or Deputy Executive Director of the Engineering Department to facilitate the efficient operation of the department. Coordinate departmental office activities and perform administrative support and office assignments for a department head. Assignments include such duties as office coordination, scheduling meetings, preparing and maintaining office records, reports, confidential files and correspondence pertaining to the department’s area of responsibility.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Associate degree or equivalent from a two-year college or technical school with major course work in secretarial science, business, or a related field. (Educational documentation will be requested upon offer of employment.)
Three years of responsible and/or specialized secretarial or administrative support experience.
Any combination of education, training, and experience which provided the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
Must possess strong MS Office skills, including Word and Excel. Experience with Adobe Pro, Publisher, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Access desirable.
Licenses and Certifications:
Possession of a valid Driver License.
Employment offers to all new hires are contingent upon the job candidates successfully passing background, motor vehicle and reference checks, nicotine screening, drug screening, and post job offer physicals (that may include pulmonary testing). Offers of transfers or promotion to current ECUA employees are not subject to nicotine screening. All applicants are subject to physical assessments as required by job.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Employee is regularly required to use hands, fingers and arms to hold, feel, or reach. Must be able to talk and hear. Visual requirements include close focus on small words and data, color, peripheral, and depth perception.
The job requires moderate physical effort and involves frequently viewing a computer screen.
Employee works in a normal office environment with no unpleasant, disagreeable, or
hazardous conditions.
As a disaster team member, the employee is required to be available to work before, during, and after disaster as directed.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES/SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Knowledge of:
Modern office methods, practices, and procedures including the operation of standard office equipment and the advanced uses of standardized computer software applications involving text and data processing, interpretation, and presentation.
Business letter writing and the standard formats for other business documents using proper business English including correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Knowledge of office and administrative procedures and systems such as filing, record keeping and digital documentation.
Knowledge of principles and practices of basic office management.
Skill in:
Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with ECUA employees, other agencies, and offices, and meeting and dealing with the general public in an effective, courteous, and cooperative manner in order to give and receive information.
Analyzing inputs and accurately performing numerical calculations to obtain totals, balances, and other data; verifying information from complex forms and transferring to computer or manual reports.
Operating all contemporary office equipment such as a personal computer, typewriter, and calculator and the use of standardized and custom computer software applications involving text and data processing, interpretation, and presentation.
Interpreting, explaining, and applying applicable laws, regulations, and policies; making sound decisions in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies; assembling and organizing complex data and preparing reports from such data.
Ability to:
Work independently and/or direct action on complex and confidential administrative or operational tasks.
Maintain complex and sensitive documents and records, assemble and organize data, and prepare summaries of reports from such records.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Receives and screens visitors and telephone calls, takes messages, schedules appointments and provides information to callers requiring knowledge of departmental operations, supervisor’s point of view, and the interpretation and application of policies and procedures.
Processes invoices, vouchers and purchase orders - verifies items received and invoices are correct in accordance with purchasing procedures.
Performs credit card allocation and statement reconciliation and maintains purchasing card records.
Assists in the study of office operations and services and provides recommendations for improving efficiency and economy of operations; makes recommendations regarding the purchase of office equipment.
Establishes and maintains office files, logs, indexes, control records, or other information concerning the work under the department head’s control.
Serves as liaison between the department head and staff by transmitting information, explaining appropriate work instructions, and following up on assignments.
Assists in the preparation of budgets and financial reports; prepares payroll information and overtime reports and updates personnel records.
Composes and types routine letters, memorandums, reports, minutes of meetings, scientific or technical material, numerical data, charts and forms.
Composes, formats, prepares, and edits correspondence and reports with some latitude as to content.
Proofreads and corrects prepared materials for correct grammar, format, completeness, and content.
Enters, retrieves, updates, verifies, and deletes information from electronic files.
Sorts, opens, and distributes incoming mail to staff; associates incoming correspondence with files or related materials needed for meetings, correspondence, and reports.
Reads incoming correspondence and reports, screening those items that can be handled personally, and forwarding the rest to staff or department head.
Makes scheduling commitments for professional staff and the department head for meetings or conferences and assembles related necessary materials.
Updates management on status of issues before scheduled meetings.
Schedules and arranges meetings and conferences; makes travel arrangements as needed.
Takes minutes or recordings of meetings and translates into text.
Creates and maintains confidential documents related to utility operations, personnel actions, and departmental functions. Maintains confidentiality of documents and information received.
Keeps informed of office details and advises the department head of problems.
Determines needs and orders office supplies, equipment, repair and maintenance services through agency channels.
Creates and revises forms; proposes procedures, formats, and standards for the office correspondence.
Reviews and evaluates applications, contracts, or other documents to determine if prescribed requirements are met for acceptance or approval.
Locates and reviews pertinent information from files, documents, newspapers, and other sources; and prepares a summary of content..
Gathers data for surveys or performs research on special subjects or projects.
Works with employees for inventory of materials.
Emails or calls vendors and/or brokers to have materials picked up.
Verifies weight slips to ensure ECUA is paid for proper commodities.
All other duties as assigned by department.