Administrative Assistant - Engineering

Administrative Assistant

The City of Murrieta is accepting applications for the position of Administrative Assistant to fill one (1) current vacancy in our Engineering Department of the Community Services Department. The eligibility list established may be used to fill upcoming vacancies within this classification for up to one (1) year.

This position is an essential part of the Engineering team to provide administrative support for development services technicians and engineers in the land development, and CIP divisions. The ideal candidate will be organized, possess good time management, have strong attention to detail, and be good with internal and external customer service. Responsibilities include fielding calls from residents, processing and tracking complaints, organizing and filing engineering records, collaborating and assisting various engineering staff.

Under general supervision, performs a variety of administrative, secretarial, and office support duties requiring thorough knowledge of the assigned department, division, or program, its procedures, and operational details; provides administrative support to various departmental staff; composes and prepares correspondence using considerable judgment in content and style; performs skilled word processing, data entry and organization, telephone and counter reception, processing of invoices, recordkeeping, statistical and technical report preparation, and filing; provides information to the public and City staff; and performs related work as required.

Receives general supervision from assigned supervisory or management staff. May provide functional direction to assigned administrative support staff.

This is the fully qualified journey-level classification in the higher-level administrative assistant series. Positions at this level provide administrative support to Division heads and departmental staff. Positions at this level are capable of performing complex administrative and office support duties, including taking and transcribing meeting minutes and assisting in department-related projects and programs. Positions at this level receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit. This class is distinguished from the Executive Assistant in that the latter provides complex administrative support to an assigned department head, oversees the workflow of the office, and provides functional or direct supervision over lower-level support staff.

Provides administrative support to an assigned supervisor or manager in the daily management of operations; prepares, types, and / or processes various documents requiring professional knowledge of the department, division, or program functions, which may include, but are not limited to, permits, licenses, applications, vouchers, claims, meeting agendas and minutes, correspondence, periodic reports, contracts, agreements, legal / official documents, bid documents, etc.; schedules and / or coordinates meetings, seminars, conferences, and training sessions for department staff; acts as meeting secretary, including preparing agendas and informational packets, setting up meeting and training rooms, and taking and transcribing minutes for assigned meetings, boards, and commissions; prepares departmental agenda items for City Council or other committee, commission meetings; composes, types, edits, and proofreads a variety of complex documents, including forms, memos, statistical and analytical reports, organization charts, program plans, and correspondence for department staff from rough draft, dictation equipment, handwritten copy, verbal instructions, or from other material using a computer; inputs and retrieves data and text using a computer terminal; checks draft documents for punctuation, spelling, and grammar; makes or suggests corrections to drafts; maintains accurate and detailed records, verifies accuracy of information, researches discrepancies, and records information; verifies and reviews forms and reports for completeness and conformance with established regulations and procedures; applies departmental and program policies and procedures in determining completeness of applications, records, and files; performs various accounting / bookkeeping work, which includes verifying or computing financial data, preparing billing invoices, processing accounts payable / receivable, preparing financial reports and statements, compiling information for budget purposes, maintaining and balancing accounts, preparing bank deposits, processing payroll, etc.; prepares, copies, collates, and distributes a variety of documents, including agendas, bid packages, contracts, agreements, informational packets, and specifications; ensures proper filing of copies in departmental or central files; 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; creates and submits building maintenance requests; follows up to ensure work has been completed; communicates with officials and staff of other departments and agencies to obtain and relay information and to coordinate activities; receives and responds to inquiries, in oral or written form, from the public or other agencies concerning department / division operations; performs other clerical / administrative work as required, which may include but is not limited to copying documents, filing / retrieving files, reviewing and processing mail, faxing information, answering the telephone, scheduling appointments and meetings, maintaining calendars, maintaining inventory of supplies and materials, etc.; prepares and distributes outgoing mail; receives shipments; compares packing slips with received goods; matches invoices with packing slips to ensure accuracy; updates and maintains assigned web page content; organizes, coordinates, and attends various meetings and training as required or appropriate; completes special projects as assigned; observes and complies with City and mandated safety rules, regulations, and protocols; performs other duties as assigned.

Any combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications includes : High School Diploma or equivalent (GED), supplemented by college-level coursework and / or technical training in secretarial science, office administrative support, accounting, or a related field and three (3) years of increasingly responsible office support experience. Ability to travel to meetings, trainings, site visits, and special events throughout the City may be required. Employee must have access to reliable transportation as needed. Must successfully complete a comprehensive background investigation, which includes a state and federal fingerprint-based background check (Live Scan), driving records screening, and a non-safety pre-employment physical and drug screening exam.

Knowledge of business administrative policies and procedures; City and department programs, goals, and policies and procedures of the assigned department / division; applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility; principles and practices of data collection and report generation; methods of preparing and processing various records, reports, forms, and other documents particular to assigned department or program; record-keeping principles and procedures; financial record-keeping and budget preparation; business arithmetic, including percentages and decimals; principles of providing functional direction and training; City and mandated safety rules, regulations, and protocols; the structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar; modern equipment and communication tools used for business functions and program, project, and task coordination, including computers and software programs relevant to work performed; techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and City staff. Ability to perform difficult and complex administrative statistical and functional work involving the use of considerable independent judgment; maintain confidentiality of information received; gather and compile department / division-specific information from a variety of sources; prepare, review, and present reports, recommendations, and other correspondence and communications in a clear and concise manner; compose correspondence and reports independently or from brief instructions; maintain records and databases; make accurate arithmetic computations; establish and maintain a variety of filing, record-keeping, and tracking systems; understand, interpret, and apply all pertinent laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures, and standards relevant to work performed; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines; plan, organize, and coordinate the work of assigned staff; effectively provide staff leadership and work direction; 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. Physical demands must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. This is primarily a sedentary office classification although standing and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects weighing up to 25 pounds. Environmental conditions employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Employees may interact with upset staff and / or public and private representatives in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures.