EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAL ASSISTANT
In New Jersey, Executive Secretarial Assistant is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
Qualifying takes an associate's degree and 1 year of relevant experience. The FY2026 range lands between $73,707 and $108,073, and state payroll currently lists about 27 people in the title, led by Children and Families.
How to apply
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Exam
This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.
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Exam
Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.
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Agency posting
Department of Children and Families posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Human Services's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Health posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Transportation posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Law & Public Safety posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Labor and Workforce Development's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Office of the Public Defender's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 27 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $93,360. The agencies employing the most are:
- Children and Families (10)
- Human Services (5)
- Health and Senior Services (5)
- Transportation (3)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
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.
Definition
May be assigned to act as secretary to a deputy commissioner who is authorized to act for cabinet officers in their absence; sub-cabinet level executive having responsibility for management of more than one operating division and/or their organizational equivalents; heads of autonomous agencies or commissions, in but not of departments and whose chief executive officer is a gubernatorial appointee; and to a president of a state college; does related work as required.
Examples of work
When so required, assigns, and instructs employees engaged in clerical duties and supervises the performance of their work. Reviews, sorts, and routes incoming correspondence. Personally prepares letters on routine matters which may or may not be signed or reviewed by the executive officer. Obtains pertinent material from the files and from other sources and puts it into usable form for the review and use of the executive officer. Acts to relieve the officer of detail by providing information to those requesting it including division personnel, the representatives of state, local and other groups, organizations and agencies and to the general 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 officer. Prepares agenda of meetings and takes, transcribes and puts into official form the minutes of meetings. Makes necessary arrangements for speaking engagements, travel arrangements and for hearings, conference and meetings. Assembles statistical and other materials required for reports, memoranda and speeches. Maintains mailing lists and makes the required revisions thereto. Prepares statistical or other reports. Maintains confidential, personal correspondence and other records and files, including a follow-up file. May be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Experience
Six (6) years of experience in secretarial and administrative clerical work. Applicants may substitute a two-year college level course in secretarial science for one (1) year of the required experience.
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 modern secretarial office routines, procedures and practices and their application to specific situations. Ability to read and interpret department regulations, programs, standards and procedures. Ability to act as confidential secretary to an executive officer and to relieve him/her of office detail. Ability to organize secretarial work, sometimes of a confidential nature, which may entail taking the lead of clerical employees. 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 authoritative form. Ability to prepare statistical and other reports. Ability to prepare routine correspondence. Ability to maintain confidential, follow-up and other records and files. 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.