CITY OF BURIEN, WASHINGTON POSITION DESCRIPTION EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO CITY MANAGER NATURE OF WORK: Under the direction of the City Manager, performs highly responsible, confidential, complex clerical, technical and administrative support functions of broad scope and significance for the City Manager and the City Council. Acts as a liaison between the City, the City Council, outside agencies and the general public. The position works from general direction and is expected to perform duties with substantial independent judgment, discretion and action. The individual exercises considerable discretion in the protection and release of confidential information and administration of policies and procedures within guidelines set by the City Manager. The individual often directly represents the City Manager. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Assists in the preparation of City Council agenda items. Drafts agenda bills for City Manager approval; assembles back-up materials and prepares agenda bills for final printing. Arranges and schedules meetings and conferences for the city manager and councilmembers. Maintains a variety of calendars for the office, advising the City Manager and City Council of calendar and meeting revisions. Maintains the daily appointment calendar for the City Manager. Prepares for, coordinates, schedules and arranges public functions, special events and meetings for the City Council, City Manager Services, and official visitors to the City. Composes and prepares correspondence and memoranda, based on limited content description or information; conducts secondary research on special projects as required. Takes and transcribes dictation, either manually or by machine for correspondence, memorandums, reports, directions, and other material. Serves as office manager for the city manager’s office. Coordinates complex, technical and administrative activities of the department with staff at all levels citywide and with the general public. Serves as liaison between the city manager, city boards and commissions, the city council, and citizens. Serves as the City webmaster/co-webmaster working with city web authors to ensure revisions meet website guidelines and standards. Assists with coordinating and implementing updates and maintenance to the City website. Contributes to the ongoing maintenance of the City’s government access channel by participating in the development of programming and design revisions. Helps ensure channel meets city standards. Executive Assistant Page 2 Provides clerical and administrative support to City Council ad-hoc committees and citizen advisory boards as assigned including scheduling the meetings, preparing meeting agendas and making other necessary arrangements, and attending the meetings and taking and preparing minutes. Drafts public announcements, news releases, and special media presentations. Calls news media on occasion to arrange for press conferences or to release news. Serves as the Public Information Officer for emergency operations, coordinating the preparation and dissemination of information to the public and the media. Ensures travel and accommodation arrangements are made for the city manager and city council. Registers the city manager and city council for conferences and workshops and prepares itineraries. May attend City Council meetings, monitors sign-in sheet and provision of other materials to the public; assists City Manager and City staff with clerical and administrative needs during the council meeting. Answers department telephones, greets customers in person; responds to complaints by directing them to the appropriate staff person or the City Manager for resolution; responds to public inquiries and requests or directs the customer to the appropriate staff person; responds to routine complaints by applying an administrative knowledge of the operational functions of the department. Provides administrative information by meeting with citizens, employees, and community groups to discuss, explain, or interpret various issues, policies and procedures, specific municipal codes, programs and actions. Performs a variety of other support tasks such as annotating the City Manager’s mail, preparing payroll information, and maintaining the City Manager’s central filing system. Prepares the City Manager annual budget, monitors expenditures, and prepares purchase orders for City Manager purchases. Coordinates meeting arrangements and ensures all necessary meeting supplies and items are available. Perceives when non-routine activities are required and offers to help without needing to be asked. Makes efforts to modify workload to assist with emergency situations, assignments, or projects whenever possible. Serves as Deputy City Clerk in the Deputy Clerk’s absence. R:\pers-con\jobdesc\B86-ExecutiveAsst-2000.doc 07/11/05 4:17 PM Executive Assistant Page 3 Occasionally may be required to work through lunch meetings, attend morning and evening meetings scheduled after regular work hours, and work overtime. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: May be required to supervise other clerical staff, which could include permanent part-time, or full-time staff, volunteers or student interns in accordance with the City’s policies and applicable laws. May assist in interviewing, hiring recommendations, and training, planning, and assigning work. KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES AND SKILLS: Qualification Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required Thorough knowledge of the functions, principles and practices of municipal government and knowledge of the principles and practices of public management, and intergovernmental coordination. Ability to maintain effective relationships with other employees, the general public, appointed and elected officials and other public and private agencies, and to work cooperatively with others as a member of a service-oriented team, in a courteous and tactful manner, including in situations that are highly emotionally charged and controversial in nature. Ability to greet the public and co-workers in a friendly manner and clearly convey a willingness to be of service and/or be open to resolving the situation at hand. Clearly explains self or answers when necessary. Takes the time to ensure message is easily understood. Closes all contacts courteously and appropriately. Willing to be helpful; willing to negotiate schedule to accommodate another’s needs. Willing to use both good verbal and non-verbal behavior to show an open, accepting attitude. Knowledge of graphics and multi-media presentation principles. Knowledge of research techniques. Basic knowledge of budgets, budget preparation, and accounting principles. Knowledge of practices and policies of providing quality customer service, including dispute resolution techniques. R:\pers-con\jobdesc\B86-ExecutiveAsst-2000.doc 07/11/05 4:17 PM Executive Assistant Page 4 Thorough knowledge of advanced secretarial and office management practices and procedures; extensive knowledge of modern office practices, procedures and equipment, business English and letter writing, document preparation, spelling. Ability to independently and/or from general instructions compose and prepare routine correspondence, reports and various documents accurately. Ability to take and transcribe dictation rapidly and accurately. Ability to work in a rapid pace work environment, to handle multiple priorities and projects and to meet deadlines. Ability to express ideas effectively in written and oral form, and to provide clear, concise information to a variety of audiences including elected officials, officials of other jurisdictions, City professional and management staff, and the general public. Ability to type 60 words per minute and possesses working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet and database programs. Knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel preferable. Ability to operate standard office machines; i.e., computer, typewriter, dictation transcriber, calculator, copy machine and fax. Ability to learn basic application programming of the city’s telephone system and local area network. Ability to exercise individual initiative and discretion in confidential matters and to respect confidential matters regarding other employees and councilmembers. Ability to work efficiently under pressure and with constant interruptions. Ability to analyze routine and complex office operating procedures and develop effective solutions or courses of action. Ability to use sound judgement in evaluating situations and to make decisions on a variety of politically sensitive and confidential issues. Ability to work independently from general instructions and broad work expectations. Ability to develop procedures for work activities and carry work through to completion using own initiative with minimal supervision. Ability to become and remain current on issues, situations and conditions relative to city operations and the community, city manager’s office and city council. R:\pers-con\jobdesc\B86-ExecutiveAsst-2000.doc 07/11/05 4:17 PM Executive Assistant Page 5 Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs. EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE: Two years of general college training or business college degree and five years experience in a progressively responsible administrative support position in a highly complex organization serving the public. Experience in a complex municipal government setting is highly desirable with previous responsibility serving a department director, chief executive, or mayor and city council highly desirable. Experience in managing multiple objectives, schedules, and deadlines. Liberal arts education helpful. PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and climb or balance. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Work is performed in an office, which is busy, oriented to public service and subject to constant work interruptions. Employees may work under the stress of continual public and/or inter-departmental contact and pressure to meet timelines. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. R:\pers-con\jobdesc\B86-ExecutiveAsst-2000.doc 07/11/05 4:17 PM