County of Alameda

DESCRIPTION

Under direction, to provide professional support services for the administrative, fiscal, business management, and/or personnel management functions of a County department or agency; and to perform related duties as required.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

These positions are located throughout the Alameda County classified service. Assignments typically involve department wide functions/systems in a small/medium sized department or division wide functions/systems in large agencies. Staff Services Assistants report to a Division/Department Director or to a position in a general administrative series. Staff Services Assistants differ from incumbents of the higher level class of Administrative Services Assistant by performing ongoing type assignments of limited scope. Also, Staff Services Assistants perform some analyses involving procedure development and operational problems, but the predominant duties involve liaison, coordination and data gathering functions and/or the directing of relatively less complex office and business management functions. Administrative Services Assistants perform a variety of projects and assignments and the duties regularly involve complex analysis of data, including developing and identifying data sources, creating data collection methodology, and preparing and presenting analyses requiring skill in written communications, narrative reports and recommendations. Additionally, Administrative Services Assistant positions are found exclusively in medium or large County departments or agencies, except for specialized positions with County wide responsibilities (such as those located in the Personnel Department), or in departments where there are no senior management persons responsible for administrative functions, as described in the class specification for Administrative Services Assistant.

In large County departments or divisions, Staff Services Assistants may act as "Office Automation Specialists" in cases where the overall departmental automated systems responsibility rests with a higher-level class.

The primary duties of these positions are not clerical in nature, and the majority of time is spent in activities other than those related to the supervision of clerical staff or the performance of clerical duties, which distinguishes these classes from those in the general supervisory clerical series.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

NOTE: The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.

1. Assists in the preparation of the budget by gathering and compiling information for presentation to the County Administrator's Office; confers with County Administrator's staff on justification of budget; coordinates data gathering related to budget planning; prepares less complex budget projections.

2. Evaluates the effectiveness of clerical procedures; reviews staff workload and operating policies; recommends more efficient procedures when appropriate; develops forms related to data collection or department operations; prepares non complex reports.

3. Performs liaison duties with Personnel Department staff concerning payrolls, certifications, and classification actions and assumes responsibility for processing department's personnel transactions; performs liaison activities with the General Services Agency regarding space utilization, telephone set ups and building maintenance needs; performs liaison duties with a variety of other County departments on matters relating to departmental operations; represents the department in meetings and conferences, and serves on committees and task forces.

4. Supervises the maintenance of a variety of data in order to monitor the department's status regarding costs, workloads, functions and operations; designs, revises, and renews forms, sets up reporting procedures; reviews and updates filing methods; prepares statistical activity reports, coordinates billing procedures, devises complex staff scheduling plans, collects data and completes State and Federal program forms, and performs other administrative duties related to a department program operation.

5. Acts as business manager by maintaining inventories and assuming responsibility for purchasing and expenditure control on a department wide basis; may supervise a small payroll operation; assists in financial transactions related to departmental operations.

6. May supervise a group of clerical staff, which involves interviewing, hiring, assigning, scheduling, evaluating and disciplining clerical staff.

7. Participates on task forces to research the feasibility of automation; assists in developing new applications, evaluates and researches user requests, determines availability of new equipment, and designs work flow procedures. Coordinates installation of new equipment, and other aspects of conversion to automated systems, monitors production and develops schedules and goals; troubleshoots systems problems; and acts as liaison with vendors, the Data Processing Department, and other technical experts. Acts as word processing system administrator: Provides technical training; develops and revises user manuals, researches and designs new applications, writes glossaries, and assists in the integration of word processing with data processing systems. May write non-complex computer programs.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either I

Experience:

One year of experience as a Management Services Trainee in the Alameda County classified service.

Or II

Four years of increasingly responsible experience that included at least two years of administrative, budgetary, fiscal, and/or personnel management work. (A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for two years of the experience, but it will not substitute for the required administrative, budgetary, fiscal, and/ or personnel management experience).


NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties” section of this specification.

Knowledge of:

• Business and office management principles and practice.
• County budgetary procedures.
• Principles of personnel management.

Abilities:

• Analytical and problem solving.
• Decision-making.
• Oral communication.
• Written communication.
• Interpersonal sensitivity.
• Budget analysis.
• Leadership.
• Management control.
• Organization & planning.

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.