Executive Assistant - Government Affairs Division (20723226)

Join VTA’s Government Affairs Division as an Executive Assistant, providing high-level administrative and confidential support to executive leadership. In this role, you will help drive organizational priorities, manage complex schedules, and ensure seamless day-to-day operations.
 

Government Affairs Division
The Government Affairs Division is responsible for developing and coordinating VTA’s legislative and intergovernmental programs at the federal, state, regional, and local levels. Staff analyzes the impact of legislative and regulatory issues, and develops a coordinated strategy for responding to these issues. Government Affairs manages VTA’s legislative advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and the Bay Area. Additionally, staff keeps close contact and serves as the main point of communication with elected officials at the federal, state, and local levels.

The Government Affairs Division is also responsible for executive oversight of the Office of the Board Secretary, which provides VTA Board and Committee support including preparation of meeting agendas and minutes, distributing and responding to Board correspondence, developing and maintaining relationships with Board and committee members and VTA constituencies, and providing support services to the Board of Directors. The Office of the Board Secretary adheres to the Brown Act.

What You'll Be Doing

Definition
Under direction, an Executive Assistant provides varied, complex, and confidential secretarial and office administrative assistance to an Executive Manager.

Distinguishing Characteristics
Positions in this class assume responsibility for the overall administrative functions of a Division Chief, Director, or Deputy Director's Office. Responsibilities require considerable use of tact, discretion, initiative, and independent judgment and require general knowledge of the policies and procedures of the organization. The work often involves organizing, scheduling, coordinating, researching, compiling, exchanging, and analyzing complex information, and preparing correspondence.  Positions in this class may supervise clerical staff.

Positions in this class are distinguished from other secretarial classes in that the manager supported is an Executive Manager, and matters of a confidential nature are part of the duties of this class.  An Executive Assistant may be delegated limited authority to act on behalf of the Executive Manager.

Typical Tasks

• Provides varied, complex, responsible and confidential secretarial and office administrative assistance to one or more Executive Managers;
• Screens telephone calls and visitors; receives complaints and requests and handles or routes them for necessary action;
• Handles room arrangements and correspondence for group meetings on behalf of the Executive Manager, prepares and transmits agendas;
• Disseminates information to callers and visitors requiring judgment, knowledge, and interpretation of departmental procedures and regulations;
• Serves as liaison between the manager served and internal and external groups or individuals;
• Maintains the manager's calendar and reminds the manager of appointments; makes travel arrangements for division/department staff;
• Establishes and maintains general and confidential files;
• Takes minutes of meetings and distributes copies;
• Prepares forms required for personnel transactions, requisition forms, purchase orders, and expense reports;
• Composes routine correspondence from notes or brief instructions;
• Conducts and independently carries out a variety of assigned special projects related to the activities of the Executive Manager;
• Types a variety of documents including correspondence, reports, technical specifications, minutes of meetings, financial statements, memoranda, lists, and other written materials or documentation using word processing equipment, software, or other office equipment;
• Proofreads word processing documents and computer entries; copies and assembles materials;
• Operates a variety of office equipment, including personal computer, calculator, telephone, fax, photocopier, etc.;
• Opens the manager's mail and determines appropriate disposition; processes outgoing mail;
• Maintains office equipment including contacting service and repair personnel;
• Orders supplies, subscriptions, and memberships as needed; maintains control over petty cash;
• Learns specialty software programs of assigned unit;
• May assist with special studies, surveys, and research projects;
• May supervise and coordinate the work of clerical staff;
• Performs program administration tasks as assigned;
• Performs related work as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient training, education, and experience to demonstrate possession of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Development of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is typically obtained through training and experience equivalent to completion of the 12th grade or equivalent and a minimum of two (2) years of experience as an administrative assistant for a manager with responsibility for a variety of programs.

Type accurately at a rate of 35 net words per minute.

 

Knowledge of:

• Office administrative and secretarial practices and procedures;
• The operation of common office equipment including typewriters, calculators, copy machines, facsimiles, and personal computers with common software applications such as word processing, database, spreadsheets and PowerPoint;
• Correct English usage including spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary;
• Record keeping and filing methods;
• Principles of supervision and training;
• Basic mathematics;
• Report writing and forms design principles.

Ability to:

• Provide varied, responsible and confidential secretarial and office administrative assistance;
• Learn, interpret and apply policies and procedures;
• Organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines and follow up on assignments with a minimum of direction;
• Work in a demanding environment with changing priorities and deadlines;
• Use tact and discretion in dealing with confidential materials and information;
• Research, compile and summarize a variety of information into a usable format;
• Analyze information and materials and formulate conclusions based upon prescribed policies and procedures;
• Compose concise, factual, and grammatically correct business correspondence and reports;
• Maintain various record-keeping systems;
• Operate standard office equipment including personal computers and various software programs;
• Supervise and review the work of office support staff;
• Type accurately at a net rate of 35 WPM;
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.