Program Assistant 

Salary: $45,000.00 Annually

 

Description

An employee in this class performs under the general supervision of a Division head or District Director of the area of appointment, providing administrative support to the overall office management and coordination. The Program Assistant is responsible for the confidential support regarding administrative activities of the office of appointment as well as the implementation and management of the designated program.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Schedules meetings and assist with materials and logistics;
• Obtains prior approval for items including extensions, budget revision requests, continuations, changes and other approvals as requested and justified by policies and procedures of the Department of Education;
• Oversees office systems, administrative needs, filing and record-keeping;
• Prepares letters and purchase orders, requisitions, expense claims or checks for signature;
• Ensures timely payment of invoices;
• Demonstrates unremitting effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality seamless service;
• Interprets, explains and applies departmental rules and regulations and legal documents;
• Displays pleasant telephone and business manners;
• Maintains a positive work atmosphere by behaving and communicating in a manner that supports a professional work environment;
• Exhibits strong interpersonal skills by communicating in a highly professional manner with administrators, callers and visitors by responding to inquiries and requests or directing as appropriate;
• Provides information regarding programs, courses, policies, and procedures to internal and external contacts;
• Keeps records, completes federal forms, maintains files, and writes program reports;
• May supervise clerical support staff;
• Works as part of a team and displays willingness to communicate problems to the supervisor;
• Assists in keeping office setting neat and organized;
• Assist with implementation of activities, including aiding with logistics and with writing and producing materials;
• Assist the Director or Sate Head in responding to e-mail, phone calls, legislative alerts, and other action-oriented requests;
• Performs related work as required.

 

Minimum Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree in secretarial arts, business administration or organizational development; or
• Associates degree in secretarial studies, business administration or organizational development and at least two years of related experience; or
• High School Diploma and three years of administrative experience.

Position Factors

 FACTOR I: KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of state and local laws and Department policies and procedures;
• Knowledge of principles and practices of office management;
• Knowledge of Microsoft  works, Microsoft excel or other budgeting or office related software;
• Ability to communicate orally with customers, clients, or the public in face-to-face one-to-one settings, via telephone or in group settings;
• Ability to comprehend and make inferences from written materials;
• Ability to operate a variety of standard office equipment;
• Ability to produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar;
• Ability to review or check the work of others to ensure conformance to standards;
• Ability to make independent decisions to resolve problems or conflicts;
• Ability to work cooperatively with other Department of Education employees, community workers, and the public;
• Ability to articulate the rules, regulations and procedural practices of  the office;
• Ability to work independently;
• Ability to prepare data collection instrument, conduct research, compile data, and write reports;
• Ability to plan and outline the procedures necessary for the completion of evaluation reports;
• Ability to make detailed presentations;
• Ability to express oneself clearly and concisely in verbal and written communication;
• Ability to work with diverse populations, styles and workplaces;
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, multifaceted environment.

FACTOR II: SUPERVISORY CONTROLS 

• Employee works under the supervision of a higher-level officer who describes scope of goals and objectives and furnishes guidance only on critical issues;
• Incumbent plans and schedules own work and/or work of others based on the understanding of broadly defined objectives and priorities, supervisor reviews work after completion;
• Work is reviewed through conferences, reports and achievement of objectives; 
• Instruction provided only in new situations, methods, procedures that are not clearly related to existing tasks and duties.

FACTOR III: GUIDELINES

• Applicable federal and local laws as well as Department, policies, guidelines and procedures must be followed

?FACTOR IV: COMPLEXITY

• Work is of a demanding, confidential, and organizational nature;
• Wide variety of complicated tasks requiring coordinating numerous processes/methods, careful interpretation and discretion.

FACTOR V: SCOPE AND EFFECT

• Responsible for performing administrative staff assignments and office management work for a departmental division or activity center in order to advance the goals and objectives of the agency.

 
FACTOR VI, VII: PERSONAL CONTACT AND PURPOSE OF CONTACTS

• Contacts are with co-workers, supervisor and other administrative officials to provide administrative staff support in the areas of fiscal management, personnel management, and other administrative functions and to represent the department, explaining agency's programs and procedures.

 
FACTOR VII: PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to:

• Sit and/or stand for long periods;
• Talk and hear within normal range;
• Reach with hands and arms;
• Read fine print, and review information on a PC monitor, as well as, hard copy output;
• Manipulate objects with fingers. For example, using a keyboard;
• Move about and exert some physical dexterity.

 
FACTOR VIII: WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Work environment involves normal everyday hazards or discomforts typical of offices, meeting and training rooms;
• Comfortable levels of temperature, ventilation, lighting and sound are inherent in the work environment;
• Exposure to deviations from pleasant environmental conditions is only occasional;
• The likelihood of injury is remote.