SECRETARIAL ASSISTANT

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction, acts as a personal secretary or aide to the head of an established division and performs complex and responsible clerical work of a varied nature requiring thorough knowledge of the rules and regulations of the division; in addition, may assign and supervise the work of the clerical staff of the unit; does related work as required.

Examples of work

• Reviews, sorts, and routes incoming correspondence and personally prepares letters on routine matters which may not be signed or reviewed by the administrative official entailing a comprehensive knowledge of division programs, objectives, standards, policies, and procedures.
• Sees that pertinent material is obtained from the files and other sources, arranges it in usable form, and prepares memoranda and summaries as required.
• Acts to relieve the official of detail by providing information to those requesting it including division personnel, representatives of state, local, and other groups, organizations and agencies, and to the general public in accord with established policy.
• May interview callers at the office.
• Maintains a schedule of appointments and the daily engagement calendar of the executive official.
• Prepares agenda of meetings and takes and puts into official form the minutes of meetings.
• Makes arrangements to speaking engagements, travel arrangements, hearings, conferences, and meetings.
• Assembles statistical and other materials required for reports, memoranda, and speeches.
• Maintains mailing lists in current condition.
• Prepares statistical or other needed reports.
• Maintains confidential personal correspondence, follow up, and other records and files.
• Plans, organizes, directs, and reviews the work of subordinate employees.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Experience

Four (4) years of experience in clerical work.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Knowledge of office methods, practices, and equipment. Knowledge of the internal organization and established policies, procedures, and regulations relative to the work of the unit after a period of training. Knowledge of the problems involved in the formulation of effective policies and procedures for the office and other clerical and related operations. Ability to perform highly complex clerical tasks. Ability to prepare and supervise preparation of statistical and other reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Ability to supervise the establishment and maintenance of records and files. Ability to comprehend complex office procedures, rules, and regulations. Ability to organize assigned work and develop effective work methods. Ability to give suitable assignments and instructions to individuals and groups. Ability to prepare and supervise the preparation of suitable reports. Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. This job specification is applicable to the following title code(s) which are different work week or work month and/or variants of the job class title: Job Spec Code State, Local or Common Class of Service Work Week State Class Code Local Class Code Salary Range

Note

The definition and examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. NOTE: Appointments may be made to positions requiring bilingual skills. - Bilingual in Spanish and English SPECIAL SKILL Applicants must be able to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in Spanish and English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. Successful completion of a two-year college level course in secretarial science may be substituted for two (2) years of the above experience. LC N/A12-Bilingual In Spanish And EnglishLC N/A12- This job specification is for government use only. Salary range is only applicable to state government. Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions. 10/08/1996