SECRETARIAL ASSISTANT 3 (A20)

Code: 24533 State Competitive Range: A20 (FY 2027) Work week NE: FLSA coveredOvertime table (4A:3, Appx. A)

Salary: $63,662.98 - $92,953.28/year FY 2027 schedule (last updated 2026-07-27)

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 supervision, provides secretarial, administrative and clerical support to an assigned division director, deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner, or organizational equivalent, superintendent or chief administrator of an institution, or vice president of a State college; takes and transcribes dictation, prepares letters on complex matters, provides requested information to internal and external customers, maintains a schedule of appointments and the daily engagement calendar of the executive official; utilizes various information systems for daily work assignments used by the agency, office, or related units; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• Organizes assigned secretarial and administrative clerical work and develops effective work methods.
• Takes and transcribes dictation of varied types including complex correspondence, reports, and recommendations of a confidential nature.
• Reviews, sorts, and routes incoming correspondence.
• Prepares letters on matters which may or may not be signed or reviewed by the executive official.
• Obtains pertinent material from files and/or other sources; puts it into usable form for the review and use of the executive official.
• Provides requested information to division personnel, representatives of state, local, and other groups, organizations, and agencies, and to the public in accordance with established policy.
• May interview callers at the office.
• Maintains a schedule of appointments and the daily engagement calendar of the executive official.
• Prepares meeting agendas; takes, transcribes, and puts the minutes of meetings, conferences, and hearings into official form.
• Makes arrangements for speaking engagements, travel, and for meetings, conferences, and hearings.
• Assembles statistical and other materials required for reports, memoranda, and speeches.
• Maintains mailing lists and makes necessary revisions.
• Prepares statistical and other reports.
• Maintains confidential personal correspondence and other records and files, including a follow-up file.
• Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Experience

Five (5) years of experience in taking and transcribing dictation and/or in secretarial and administrative 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 essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of secretarial, stenographic, and other office routines, procedures, and practices, and their application to specific situations.
• Knowledge of basic computer applications.
• Knowledge of commonly used data processing and office applications.
• Ability to read and interpret department regulations, programs, standards, and procedures.
• Ability to accurately take and transcribe dictation.
• Ability to act as a confidential secretary to an executive official.
• Ability to organize secretarial work, sometimes of a confidential nature., Ability to use correct English, to spell correctly, and to use correct sentence and paragraph structure.
• Ability to communicate with visitors, schedule appointments, and process requests for information in accordance with established procedures.
• Ability to take minutes of meetings, conferences, and hearings and transcribe them into official form.
• Ability to prepare complex statistical and other reports.
• Ability to prepare correspondence. Ability to multitask.
• Ability to learn, understand, and readily adapt to the computer systems used by the agency.
• Ability to create mail merges, PowerPoint presentations for daily assignments.
• Ability to maintain confidential, follow-up, and other records and files.
• Ability to learn how 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, and 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 if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The 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.

Successful completion of a clerical training program with a minimum of 700 classroom training hours or thirty (30) semester hour credits in secretarial science from an accredited college or university may be substituted for one (1) year of the experience indicated above. Course work must include typing skills, methods, and procedures; other courses may include, but not be limited to, office procedures, word processing, and business English.