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Confidential Secretary/Executive Assistant (Administrative Assistant 5)

Washington State Department of Ecology
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Per Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14.2 (Download PDF reader), Washington State employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 Vaccination as part of the hire process, prior to their start date. Requests for medical and religious exemptions will be considered. If you have questions, please contact Careers@ecy.wa.gov with “COVID-19 Vaccination” in the subject line.  
  
Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen 
 
Do you want to advance your career as an administrative professional and learn about Human Resources? Do you enjoy leveraging technology to improve processes and results? Are you interested in being part of a collaborative team that is leading change to create a culture of belonging? 

The Department of Ecology in Lacey, WA is looking to fill a permanent Administrative Assistant 5 position.

In this position, you will lead the administrative functions for the Human Resources team and provide high-level confidential executive support to the Human Resource Director.
We are looking for applicants who build high-trust relationships, seek continuous improvement, quickly assess situations to determine next steps, seek opportunities to learn and grow, and excel at listening and communicating.

Agency Mission: The mission of the Department of Ecology is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment, for current and future generations.

Program Mission: The mission of the Human Resource Office is to develop successful employees, promote healthy & productive relationships, ensure a safe work environment, and recruit great talent to achieve Ecology's mission.

Protecting Washington State's environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. We are a culture that is invested in making a difference. Join a team that is highly effective and collaborative, with leadership that embrace the value of people.

Ecology cares deeply about employee wellness; we go beyond traditional benefits, proudly offering: 
  • A healthy life/work balance by offering flexible schedules and telework options for most positions.
  • An Infants at Work Program that is based on the long-term health values of infant-parent bonding and breastfeeding newborns.
  • Continuous growth and development opportunities. 
  • A wellness program that offers education, fitness classes, and an agency-wide fondness for outdoor meetings.
  • Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work.
 
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR) are core values central to Ecology’s work. We strive to be a workplace where we are esteemed for sharing our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals and collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations.  

Diversity: We celebrate and appreciate diversity; our unique perspectives and abilities enrich us all and lead to innovative approaches and solutions. 

Equity: We champion equity, recognizing that each of us need different things to thrive. 

Inclusion: We intentionally create and hold space so that we all have meaningful opportunities to participate and contribute to Ecology’s work. 

Respect: We treat each other with respect and dignity, acknowledging the inherent worth of our diverse perspectives and lived experiences, even in times of uncertainty and disagreement.
We believe that DEIR is both a goal and an action. We are on a journey, honoring our shared humanity and taking steps to demonstrate our commitment to a vision where each of us is heard, seen, and valued.

During Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. Ecology is following current state guidance regarding building occupancy, mask requirements, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing. 

Note: This positions is being re-posted to increase the applicant size. If you have already applied you do not need to re-apply. 

Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with a next screening date of January 18, 2022. In order to be considered for the next screening, please submit an application on or before January 17, 2022.. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.

Duties

What will you be doing?
  
You will play an important role in leading the administrative functions of the Human Resources Program. You will initiate and support projects and improve processes to enable the team’s success. This includes:
  • Facilitate communication between the Human Resources Director (Director), Human Resources Office staff, executive staff, Ecology staff, other agency staff and the public.
  • Serve as public records coordinator for all personnel-related public records requests. Serve as Records and Information Coordinator for the HR office. 
  • Coordinate agency approval of charitable activities by reviewing and recommending Director's action.
  • Coordinate agency approval of employee's notification of outside employment by reviewing and recommending Director's action, tracking documents in electronic format, alerting Director of possible conflicts of interest, following up with employees and managers on questions that need to be addressed or areas of concern, research information as needed, and obtain proper signatures.
  • Use SharePoint to create, maintain or update Human Resources, Safety and Wellness internet sites. 
  • Serves as a member of the Human Resources Management Team, including making recommendations for improving processes, improving teamwork and tracking performance measures. .

Additionally, you will supervise the HR Receptionist, lead the development and implementation of administrative processes, and serve on the Human Resource Management Team.
 
 
What kinds of problems does this position get to solve?
As a subject matter expert in the application of the Public Records Act to personnel records, you will analyze and respond to complex requests. As Executive Assistant to the HR Director, you will have the opportunity to streamline and optimize business processes.
 
In order to do this, you will need to be:

  • Customer focused – understand who the external and internal customers are and what they value, ensure that priority and focus is on meeting or exceeding customers' needs, and helping others deal effectively with difficult situations.
  • Organized – effectively organize multiple assignments, sometimes of a complex nature or involving competing priorities, to produce work products that are accurate, thorough, and on time.
  • Dedicated to our team's success – as a major part of our management team, you'll need to be resourceful, exercise good judgment, and be confident stepping in and up when needed.

 
Why join the team?
  • Have the opportunity to put your current skill set to use while exercising the ability to grow professionally by working with and learning from an experienced team.
  • This position offers growth for a candidate looking to gain leadership experience and expand your knowledge of workforce-related laws, rules, and policies.
  • We are a collaborative, purpose driven, and fun team. We focus on building and sustaining relationships and have a track record of providing growth opportunities for our team members. 


Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment, educational and volunteer experience. See below for how you may qualify.

A total of Six (6) years of experience and/or education as described below: 
  • Professional level Experience in: clerical, secretarial, bookkeeping, accounting, general administrative office work experience, or supervisory experience.  
  • Education: involving a major study in business administration, public administration or closely allied field. 

The work experience and/or education must demonstrate the following:
  • At least one year of experience using Microsoft Office Suite and SharePoint, including the ability to create and modify Excel spreadsheets, create and revise PowerPoint presentations in accessible formats, create and revise Word documents in accessible formats, and create, design and maintain SharePoint sites. 
  • Demonstrated knowledge of effective communication strategies and experience successfully creating, authoring and editing documents, reports, documents, SharePoint content and other communications in accessible formats with correct formatting, grammar, punctuation and spelling. 
  • Experience successfully using judgment when handling sensitive and confidential situations and information, quickly assessing a situation or set of facts to determine a course of action, able to understand and follow complex directions and interpret laws, policies and procedures in responding to requests from customers, other state agencies and the public. 
  • Experience organizing a wide variety of information including establish and maintain digital filing systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to build relationships and collaborate with internal and external business partners to cultivate an environment of engagement, belonging, respect, empathy, active listening and trust. 

See chart below for a list of ways to qualify for this position: 

 
OR  
One year of experience as an Administrative Assistant 4, at the Department of Ecology.

OR
Two years of experience as an Administrative Assistant 3, at the Department of Ecology.

Desired Qualifications:
We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below. 
  • At least one year of experience applying the Washington State Public Records Act with responsibility for evaluating responsive records for exemptions and working with legal counsel on complex requests. 
  • Demonstrated knowledge of project management principles and experience using project standards (I.e. charters, work plans, status reports, etc).

Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.
Supplemental Information

Ecology seeks diverse applicants: We view diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect through a broad lens including race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, military background, language, education, life experience, physical disability, neurodiversity, and intersectional identities. Qualified candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Need an Accommodation in the application and/or screening process or this job announcement in an alternative format?
 
  • Please call: (360) 407-6186 or email: careers@ecy.wa.gov and we will be happy to assist.
  • If you are deaf or hard of hearing you can reach the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.
  • If you need assistance applying for this job, please e-mail careers@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not send an email to this address to follow-up the status of your application. You can view the latest status of your application on your profile's main page.
  • If you are reading this announcement in print format, please enter the following URL to your search engine to apply: https://ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Get-to-know-us/Jobs-at-Ecology.  


Application Instructions:
It's in the applicant's best interest to submit all of the documents listed below. Applications without these documents may be declined. 
  • A cover letter describing why you are interested in this position.
  • A resume outlining your experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to the minimum qualifications of this position.
  • Three professional references.

Please do NOT include your salary history. Wage/salary depends on qualifications or rules of promotion, if applicable. 
  
 For Your Privacy:
 When attaching documents to your application (Resume, Cover Letter, Transcripts, DD-214, etc.):
  
  • Please be sure to remove private information such as your social security number, date of birth, etc. 
  • Do not attach documents that are password protected, as these documents may not be reviewed and may cause errors within your application when downloaded. 

Additional Application Instructions for Current Ecology Employees: 
 
Please make sure to answer the agency-wide questions regarding permanent status as a classified employee within the Washington General Service or Washington Management Service. Do not forget to select Department of Ecology as a response to question 2, and type your personnel ID number for question 3. If you are not sure of your status or do not know your personnel ID number, please contact Human Resources.
 
Application Attestation: 
 
The act of submitting application materials electronically is considered affirmation that the information is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information and any untruthful or misleading answers are cause for rejection of your application or dismissal if employed.
 
Other Information:
If you have specific questions about the position, please email Sandi Stewart at: Sandi.Stewart@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Sandi to inquire about the status of your application.
 
To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov

Why work for Ecology?
 
As an agency, our mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment for current and future generations. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism and accountability.
 
Joining Ecology means becoming a part of a team committed to protecting and restoring Washington State's environment. A career in public service allows you to help solve some of the most challenging problems facing our state, while keeping your health and financial security a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to life/work balance.
 
Ecology employees may be eligible for the following:
*See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information
 
Student debt: how working for Ecology can help
The Department of Ecology is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Forgiveness Program (PSLF). See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.
To learn more about The Department of Ecology, please visit our website at www.ecology.wa.gov and follow, like or visit us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or our blog.

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Washington State Department of Ecology is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, military spouses or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application/testing process or this job announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 407-6186. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.

Note: This recruitment may be used to fill other positions of the same job classification across the agency.