Administrative Specialist I (Promotional)

Applications: Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing (Tuesday, July 7, 2015).  Postmarks are not accepted.  Applications will only be accepted online.

THE AGENCY

Human Resource Services provides state and local mandated support services to all County departments, agencies, and to some special districts including merit-based examinations, position classification, salary administration, grievance resolution, disciplinary appeals, labor negotiations, unemployment insurance, employee benefits, and dental insurance. There are three areas in which Human Resource Services provides discretionary services: Training, Departmental Personnel Support Services, and Child/Family Care Programs.

THE POSITION

The position is located in the Human Resources Services Department*.  Under direction, the Administrative Specialist I provides professional level administrative, operational and organizational services to County departments and agencies; plans and conducts a variety of studies and inquiries; facilitates the implementation of a wide variety of programs and projects, and does related work as required.

Responsibilities of this broad administrative series normally encompass a variety of activities, such as planning and conducting organizational and policy studies, performing activities related to personnel, purchasing, contracting and budgeting and overseeing functions and staff in administrative services areas. Administrative Specialists may also supervise the work of a small support staff on a project or day-to-day-basis. Although the work is diverse, all positions are typically characterized by all of the following elements: 

• The necessity for independent decision making;
• Project, activity and/or functional planning, oversight and evaluation;
• The ability to significantly influence departmental policies, functions or service delivery activities; and 
• The limited availability or nature of supervision. 

*The eligible list created by this recruitment may be used to fill this current vacancy and any that arise county-wide. 

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications stated below, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a track record of success in the following areas:

EITHER I: 

Experience:

Equivalent to two years of full time experience at the level of or higher than the class of Administrative Assistant in the Alameda County classified service (non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts).

Completion of the Alameda County Management Academy “Management & Supervision Certificate Program” may substitute for six (6) months of the required qualifying experience.

OR II:

Education:

Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university (180 quarter units or 120 semester units) with major coursework in business or public administration, or a field related to the work.

(Additional professional or paraprofessional administrative experience may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.)

Experience:

Administrative support experience equivalent to that performed by the Alameda County classified service of Administrative Assistant is desirable.

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

The examination will consist of the following steps:

1. A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements.  Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process which is a written examination.
2. Those candidates who pass the written examination will be invited to the final test component which is an oral interview.
3. The oral interview will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score.  The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION. 

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit.  Such a system is competitive and is based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunities for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness, and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position.  Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the "What You Need to Know" section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

*WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN*  Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

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 & Welfare Benefits

• Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
• Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
• Vision
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
• County Allowance (Employer Credit)
• Health Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Group Legal
• 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.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to insure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.  

Iona Childers, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
Iona.Childers@acgov.org
510-272-6463  
www.acgov.org/hrs

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer