Office Assistant - City of Indio, CA - Indio, CA

***DISCLAIMER: The City reserves the right to accelerate or extend the “Closing Date” of open positions at any time, dependent upon the number of applications received. The City is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and will make all reasonable accommodations for the disabled to participate in employment programs and facilities. Women, minorities, and disabled individuals are encouraged to apply. The finalist candidate must pass a pre-employment physical and drug screen.***

DEFINITION:
Under general supervision, performs a variety of complex clerical assignments, routine and nonroutine clerical/office support duties in support of an assigned function; assists the public at the counter and on the phone with City policies, complaints, and questions; composes a variety of draft correspondence; performs other duties as assigned.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
The Office Assistant is the journey-level classification responsible for a wide variety of detailed transactions and complex clerical assignments for an assigned area. Incumbents are expected to independently perform the full scope of assigned duties.

Duties:
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (include but are not limited to the following)

Learns to perform and performs clerical duties in support of an assigned function, including typing, copying, filing, scanning, and faxing a number of documents; assists the public with questions on the phone and at the counter; answers and/or refers complaints to the correct department or agency.

Answers telephone; routes and screens calls; greets customers at counters and directs them to the proper City location; responds to public inquiries in a courteous manner; explains assigned program areas to the public; provides proper documents and resource references as required; registers the public for programs; assists customers filling out a variety of applications and forms.

Prepares a variety of documents, letters, memos, banners, brochures, flyers, and forms in draft and final structure, including logs, agenda packet materials, and reports such as weekly and monthly updates; creates spreadsheets; processes travel and training requests.

Receives and processes claims, routing to the various relevant work units; drafts standard correspondence; prepares claims reports.

Sorts and distributes mail; reviews a variety of newspapers, clipping news items related to the City.

Distributes agenda packets; distributes invoices and credit card statements; assists with specifications and bid projects; posts and mails public hearing notices; routes and tracks a variety of documents; arranges bid openings; updates inspection results; collects and tracks plan checks; issues building permits, certificates of completion, and garage sale permits; distributes various financial information, such as financial statements and budget books.

Maintains calendars and schedules; arranges meetings and appointments; schedules conference rooms; sets up council chambers for meetings; orders and prepares refreshments for a variety of City related meetings.

Calculates, collects, and processes a variety of fees, such as for plan checks, permits, garage sales, and special events; prepares deposits; accepts applications for a variety of fee exemptions, such as for user fees.

Prepares demands for payment and service order reports; processes invoices for payment; monitors and purchases operating and office supplies.

Acts as a liaison with contractors, vendors, and service providers; collects time sheets for payroll.

Enters data into the City’s computer system; maintains a variety of complex paper and electronic files, such as sales tax, property tax, assessment districts, contracts, and bankruptcies.

Establishes positive working relationships with representatives of community organizations, state/ local agencies, City management and staff, and the public.

OTHER DUTIES: (include but are not limited to the following)

May attend a variety of City meetings, such as City Council, Planning Commission, staff meetings, and safety committee meetings; may take/prepare and transcribe meeting notes.

May relive other department staff during breaks and lunch.

May provide assistance and oversight to part-time staff and volunteers.

May provide translation services for Spanish language speakers.

Performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications:
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: (The following are minimal qualifications necessary for entry into the classification.)

Education:
The required qualification is to possess a high school diploma or equivalent

Experience:
The required qualification is to possess two years of clerical experience. One year of experience may be substituted by eighteen (18) semester or twenty-seven (27) quarter degree qualified units from an accredited college or university in Secretarial Sciences, office practices, business education, or a closely related field or 360 hours of training from a recognized occupational training program in secretarial sciences, business education, or a closely related field.

License/Certificate:
Possession of a valid Class C California driver’s license

Additional Information:
KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES: ((The following are a representative sample of the KSA’s necessary to perform essential duties of the position.)

Knowledge of:
Standard office and clerical policies and procedures; filing systems; specified computer applications involving word processing, data entry, spreadsheets, database access, Photoshop, scanning, and/or standard report generation; business arithmetic; basic principles of mathematics; methods and techniques of scheduling work assignments; standard office procedures, practices, and equipment; modern office equipment, including a computer and applicable software; methods and techniques for record keeping and report preparation and writing; proper English, spelling, and grammar; occupational hazards and standard safety practices.

Skill to:
Operate standard office equipment, including a computer and variety of word processing and software applications.

Ability to:
Provide general clerical support to a specialized work unit; use applicable office terminology, forms, documents, and procedures in the course of the work; maintain accurate office files; compose correspondence and documents; meet critical deadlines; deal successfully with the public, in person and over the telephone; courteously respond to community issues, concerns, and needs; interpret, explain, and apply applicable laws, codes, and regulations; read, interpret, and record data accurately; organize, prioritize, and follow-up on work assignments; work independently and as part of a team; make sound decisions within established guidelines; analyze a complex issue and develop and implement an appropriate response; follow written and oral directions; observe safety principles and work in a safe manner; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships.