Administrative Assistant – Internal

Description

AGRICULTURE - A Cornerstone of Washington's Economy

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has been serving the state for more than 100 years. Through service, regulation, and advocacy, we keep agriculture viable and vital in Washington State, while protecting consumers, public health, and the environment. We work extensively with farmers and ranchers, but our responsibilities – from ensuring food safety to environmental protection – touch the lives of millions of people locally, nationally, and abroad.

The agency includes 780 employees approximately and grows close to 1,000 employees at the peak of seasonal work. To learn more and view additional openings, please visit our Employment Page.

Important Notes

WSDA is recruiting for a part-time permanent Administrative Assistant 2 position within the Administrative Services Division. This position is located in Olympia, Washington. This position is non-represented.

The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the preferred candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The typical starting salary range for this position is: Range 41 Step A $21.06 - Step L $27.42 hourly. 

Duties

Some of what you'll do:

Provide administrative support to the Regulatory Services Manager, Division Coordinator, and the Administrative Services and Director's Office Division programs.

• Act as Time Keeper in Pisces; track employee leave, generate timesheets to submit to Payroll, assist employees with timekeeping related questions.
• Prepare and process invoices received from division programs to be submitted to fiscal for payment by acquiring necessary signatures and supporting documents.
• Coordinate and process retirement recognition awards and associated documents.
• Create employee ID cards.
• Create and process purchase orders.
• Track and reconcile division purchases.
• Maintain and update expenditure authority documentation.
• Perform scan and toss projects for division.
• Provide office staff with clerical support on projects.
• Sort and compile reports to be distributed to supervisors and program managers.
• Review, verify, and approve cost spreadsheets for motor pool, Teams phone line inventory, cell phone invoices, PC lease reports, and others sending adjustments or updates to Financial Services as needed.
• Conduct supply inventory of Administrative Services supplies and orders supplies from Office Depot if replenishment is needed.
• Perform the duties of Office Depot Admin for the agency.
• Maintain address book, update accounts, create new accounts, delete accounts no longer in use.
• Respond to incoming telephone calls and receives visitors, assess importance and relay messages appropriately.
• Distribute financial reports to programs.
• Compose correspondence to internal staff and vendors.
• Serve as a backup for division Administrative Assistant in ensuring the intranet and internet are up to date; work directly with Administrative Services and Director's Office staff to identify and implement updates.
• Assist with reception back-up providing coverage for breaks and when the agency receptionist is out of the office.
• Answer telephone with multiple lines, greet and check in agency customers and public visitors, accept deliveries and checks/cash
  from vendors and customers.

• Oversee the daily mail run; receive, sort, open, endorse, date stamp, and deliver mail.
• Stamp incoming checks received and follow proper check receiving procedures with other staff.
• Notify appropriate staff of CMS emergency shut downs, unusual mail, (heavy/light) days and holiday schedules, and coordinate
  with DES.
• Monitor all distribution of mail during pick-up and deliveries to divisions.
• Provide customer service with all delivery services to track mail for staff regarding parcels received in mailroom.
• Monitor Business Reply Mail account and replenishe monies when necessary through Financial Services.
• Order supplies for mailroom and act as the main point of contact for divisions ordering mailing slips, mailing supplies, and certified
  electronic labels.
• Update mailroom binder with changes including updating fee types, amounts, and forms, as needed
• Keep other mailroom staff up to date on any changes to procedure.

• Track and audit vehicle mileage usage.
• Audit and process travel vouchers using the TEMS system.
• Assist division staff with making travel arrangements including booking flights and car reservations.
• Register employees for conferences and trainings.
• Complete and track documentation for travel such as over limit lodging requests, out of state and out of country travel authorizations, air travel requests and meals with meetings requests.
• Answer staff questions related to the travel auditing and booking processes.
• Oversee travel training for new employees.

• Respond to IT procurement requests and provide assistance to agency staff state-wide.
• Coordinate and process purchase requests within WSDA's automated Supply & Equipment (S&E) into Purchase Orders (POs).
• Apply and enforce WSDA's procurement policies and procedures for all purchasing actions and provides input when policies and procedures need to be updated.
• Utilize knowledge of agency signature (expenditure authority) policy, authorized order approvers and proxies when processing purchase requests.
• Review purchase requests and supporting documents for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to State purchasing policies and
  procedures.
• Confirm the appropriate use of Department of Enterprise Service's state master contracts for procurements. Recommend alternative
  purchasing options when appropriate.
• Make Sourcing decisions based on knowledge of procurement and supply practices.
• Issus P0s for goods and services using S&E system, purchasing charge cards and vendor's online ordering systems.
• Contact vendors to confirm order correctness, delivery scheduling, and billing, including resolving pricing and product change issues, and expediting orders as needed. Work with vendors on any order issues and determine corrective course of action.
• Contact vendors regarding late deliveries, short shipments, damaged shipments, and any other irregularities and negotiate acceptable settlements including revisions to invoices as needed.
• Identify whether purchased goods are inventoried per WSDA 's inventory policy and procedure.
• Reconcile purchasing charge cards to bank statements and vendor invoices on a weekly basis and alerts Finance if any fraudulent activity is suspected.

Qualifications

Who should apply?

Professionals with:

• Three years of progressively responsible experience in office/clerical, administrative work.

• Skills in conducting research on a specific work assignment.
  
• One (1) year of mailroom and cash handling experience
• One (1) year in a lead position

Supplemental Information

Employee Benefits

• A healthy work/life balance, which may include flexible work schedules, and teleworking.
• WSDA provides an excellent benefits package beyond traditional benefits. State employment offers Dependent Care Assistance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Deferred Compensation, Employee Recognition Leave; click here for more information.
• 12 paid Holidays & Vacation and Leave Accruals.
• All Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required will be provided by the agency. 

How to apply 

You must complete your careers.wa.gov profile and answer the supplemental questions. In addition to completing the online application, and supplemental questions applicants must attach the following documents to their profile to be considered for this position:    

· A resume detailing experience and education

· A cover letter describing how you meet the specific qualifications for this position

· Three professional references 

By submitting these materials, you are indicating that all information is true and correct. The state may verify information. Any untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from the applicant pool or dismissal if employed.

If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or email support@neogov.com.

The initial screening will be solely based on the contents and completeness of your application and the materials submitted. All information may be verified, and documentation may be required. Applications received via e-mail will not be accepted in lieu of applying through the state's on-line recruitment system.

Equity at WSDA

The Department of Agriculture recognizes, appreciates, supports, embraces, and respects all cultural identities and backgrounds while we collaborate in authentic ways. We hire amazing people that share in the commitment to our Pro-Equity Anti-Racist (PEAR) strategic plan, our Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act implementation plan, and our unique needs and desires for belonging, respect, and inclusion. We value the growth and development of our team members by providing equitable access to resources and opportunities for continuous learning, improvement, and advancement.

We strive to hire, cultivate, and retain a productive and dedicated workforce that reflects the communities we serve while we are committed to a workplace that celebrates our differences and supports equal opportunity employment and inclusion regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, marital status, families with children (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, status as a protected veteran, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as an individual with the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with disabilities or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Contact Us

Should you have any questions regarding this position or the online application, contact the Human Resource Office at Recruitment@agr.wa.gov.

Prior to a new appointment into the Department of Agriculture, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position. 

The Human Resources Division may use referrals from this recruitment to help fill future similar vacancies for up to six months.

Veteran's Preference: Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and wish to claim Veteran's Preference MUST attach a copy of their DD214, or other verification of military service. Please blackout any personally identifiable data such as social security numbers. For additional information on Veteran's Preference and guidance on how to determine if you are eligible, click here. 

Persons with a disability, who need assistance with their application or need this announcement in an alternative format, may call 664-1960 or toll free (877) 664-1960. TTY users should first call 711 to access the Washington Relay Service.

For more information about the Washington State Department of Agriculture, visit us at www.agr.wa.gov.