Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Secretary II

Recruitment #15-1220-01

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended. Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Postmarks are not accepted. Applications will only be accepted online.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Postmarks are not accepted. Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

DESCRIPTION

EXISTING VACANCIES
While the immediate vacancies for these positions are within the Probation Department, Registrar of Voters, and the Department of Child Support Services, please note that the eligible list resulting from this recruitment and selection process may be utilized for other future vacancies which may arise within the next year for these and other County Departments/Agencies.

THE POSITION
Incumbents in Secretary II positions, under general supervision of an administrator who has authority over a department or division, perform a wide variety of difficult to complex secretarial and clerical duties; relieve an administrator of administrative details; and perform other related duties as required.

IDEAL CANDIDATE
In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, ideal candidates will be professional, organized, customer-oriented individuals with strong administrative support skills and experience, relevant computer applications knowledge and experience, as well as a demonstrated track record and strong ability to:

  • Effectively manage the time of an administrator and one's own time to ensure that work is completed efficiently; effectively manage and prioritize multiple projects and deadlines, and organize electronic and hard copy files
  • Provide exceptional customer service ensuring that customer service (both internal and external) is a driving force behind decisions and interactions
  • Perform tasks quickly, effectively, and accurately with close attention to detail, in a fast-paced and changing environment, considering all aspects of the task or job, resulting in a high quality work product
  • Build and maintain key partnerships with members of one's own Department/Agency, other Departments/Agencies, and vendors; interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one's intentions and those of the organization
  • Effectively communicate and clearly convey accurate information verbally and in writing
  • Fully utilize computer software including Microsoft Word, Excel Outlook, PowerPoint and the internet

For a detailed listing of the position of Secretary II duties, please see the complete job description at the following link: Secretary II Job Specification.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either I

The equivalent of one year of full-time experience in the class of Secretary I, or an equivalent or higher level clerical class in Alameda County classified service, that requires a typing proficiency level of not less than 40 wpm. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or II

The equivalent of three years of increasingly responsible clerical experience comparable to the County's Secretary I classification, that requires a typing proficiency level of not less than 40 wpm.

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

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

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:
· Modern office practices and procedures, including business correspondence, record keeping systems, and standard office equipment operations.
· Correct English usage, including spelling and grammar; business letter writing and proper format for typed materials.
· Word processing and/or spreadsheet applications.
· Principles of managing and coordinating secretarial aspects of a large or complex program.
· Organization and functions of County government.

Ability to:
· Perform difficult clerical work involving independent judgment; type with speed and accuracy at not less than 40 words per minute.
· Prepare clear and comprehensive reports; draft, compose and edit correspondence from brief oral or written instructions, using word processing applications.
· Speak clearly and concisely to obtain and relay information.
· Maintain personnel and other record files.
· Identify and correct errors in English usage, grammar, and mathematical calculations in a variety of documents.
· Organize and prioritize work load; complete work under time deadlines.
· Learn to interpret and apply laws, rules, and written directions to specific situations.
· Establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers and the general public.
· Assist in devising and keeping office records of a confidential nature; maintain confidentiality.
· Evaluate demands on an Administrator's time; arrange his/her schedule accordingly.
· Work with officials and the general public in routine, emergency, and emotional situations.
· Take responsibility and use good judgment in recognizing scope of authority.

SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION CRITERIA

Some positions require the ability to take shorthand at a speed of not less than 80 words per minute and transcribe it accurately via shorthand or dictation recording equipment.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

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.

2) A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process.

3) A qualifying only (pass/fail) computer skills assessment that will evaluate the candidates' ability to use Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel, and ability to type a minimum of 40 net words per minute.  Only candidates who pass the computer skills assessment will be invited to the oral interview process.

4) An oral interview which 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 based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity 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 many 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.

Selection Plan

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

Deadline for Filing:

Monday, March 7, 2016

Review of Applications for Minimum Qualifications:

by Friday, March 11, 2016

Review of Supplemental Questionnaires for Best Qualified:

Week of March 14, 2016

Computer Assessment

Saturday, April 9 (updated 3/30/16) & Monday, April 11, 2016

Oral Examination*:

Week of May 9, 2016

*If designated as a combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, the oral interviews may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification.

The Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate qualified individuals with mental and physical disabilities, and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and Alameda County Resolution No. R-83-773. To request an accommodation due to a disability during this or other phases of the selection process, please contact the Human Resource Services Department at (510) 272-6468 before the final filing deadline. Alameda County Human Resources Services will require documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a permanent disability pursuant to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's statute of the Americans with Disability Act of 1990, as amended, and/or the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) Act. For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

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 wellbeing.  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
  • 1st 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.

Conclusion

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 ensure 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 bulletin 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

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer