Administrative Assistant 5 | Rail, Freight, & Ports Division

Description

About WSDOT

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is a multimodal organization with a global reputation for excellence! Our dedicated workforce is responsible to plan, design, build, and operate an integrated transportation system that safely and efficiently moves people and goods throughout the state. In addition to maintaining over 18,000 lane miles of state highway and 4,100 bridges, WSDOT manages the world's longest floating bridge, executes an award-winning Active Transportation Plan, holds a record for the world's widest tunneling project, and operates the largest ferry system in the nation! 

The Opportunity

WSDOT is currently seeking a dedicated, energetic, and experienced senior administrative professional who thrives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment to fill an Administrative Assistant 5 vacancy located in Olympia, WA. This position reports to the Director of the Rail, Freight, and Ports (RFP) Division. In this role, you will act as the expert authority on all administrative matters within the RFP Division, serve as a member of the division’s management team, make informed decisions and act on administrative and personnel matters. The Administrative Assistant 5 will be responsible for administrative duties that include employee travel, formal correspondence, legislative referrals, fiscal notes, bill analysis, state/agency regulations, guidelines, organizational charts, and administrative procedures. Our top candidate must be professional, organized, confidential and reliable with the ability to work independently as a knowledgeable team member on a wide array of issues, projects, and tasks.

What to Expect

WSDOT’s RFP Division is recognized as a trusted partner and national leader in the Rail, Freight, and Port domain. We strive to be a catalyst for economic growth, for transporting passengers by rail, and for the efficient movement of goods by all freight modes. Primary areas of RFP responsibility include funding, contracting, and capital improvement for the Amtrak Cascades, operations, capital delivery on the Palouse River & Coulee City freight rail system, administering grant and loan programs, freight and rail planning, port zero-emission project delivery and grants, truck parking, and coordination with all freight modes.

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Administrative Assistant 5 will:

• Develop and monitor the division's out of state travel plans, arranges travel, ensures that agency procedures and/or regulations are adhered to by organization managers and support staff.
• Act on behalf of the Director in administrative matters including making decisions regarding the division’s administrative policies and procedures. 
• Interpret and implement organizational policies and procedures and assist in developing general administrative policies for the division.
• Keep the Director informed of significant items requiring review and or action, inform staff of important issues or changes to policies and procedures; assemble, and summarize information and data for use by the Director and division staff.
• Manage the Director's calendar and provide scheduling support for RFP managers and staff; coordinate complex scheduling of virtual and in-person meetings for Director with internal and external high-level staff, stakeholders, and state legislators. 
• Prepare and maintain administrative and business reports and records, arrange and coordinate administrative aspects of projects. 
• Develop and manage a consistent system for management, naming, storage, retrieval, and version control of division files and documents across multiple platforms including Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and shared drives.
• Serve as the division's legislative task and action item coordinator. 
• Track legislative bills, legislative committee requests and referrals, and fiscal notes assigned to the division; refer to appropriate staff member for completion; monitor status of critical bills.
• Manage the Rail Inbox, answer the RFP Division main phone line and assign inquiries to appropriate staff and tracks for completion.

Qualifications

To be considered for this opportunity, the following are required:

• Four (4) years of recent progressively responsible office administrative experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience that would provide the desired skills, knowledge and ability required to perform the work. 
• Experience using organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize work; find information quickly; and multi-task handling issues quickly but accurately.
• Ability and experience, editing, and proofreading professional communication materials.
• Experience scheduling and arranging meetings and events.
• Excellent oral communication skills and ability to tailor message to explain policies, regulations, and procedures to a wide variety of audiences, including, state and county employees, vendors, and the public.
• Thorough knowledge of current Microsoft Office software programs (especially Outlook, Word and Excel) and proficiency in Adobe Acrobat.
• Personal integrity to maintain confidentiality pertaining to sensitive office matters.
• Ability to interpret rules, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to handle office details independently and confidentially to accomplish assignments or solve problems.

It is preferred that qualified candidates also have:

• One (1) year as an Administrative Assistant 4.
• Two (2) years as an Administrative Assistant 3. 
• A bachelor's degree in business administration, public administration or closely allied field.
• Three (3) years of administrative or supervisory experience.

Important Notes

• This recruitment may also be used to fill additional positions per business needs.   
• This position offers flexible/hybrid remote work options.
• In addition to base salary, employees may be entitled to other forms of compensation depending on the type, duties, or location of the position. For union-represented positions, more information on other forms of compensation can be found in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements. Information on other compensation types for non-represented positions can be found in Chapter 357-28 of the Washington Administrative Code.
• WSDOT does not use the E-Verify system, therefore we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov.

Why WSDOT

• Work-Life Balance – We are committed to ensure that our staff experience the reward of public service, while also sustaining a routine that suits each individuals’ lifestyle. As such, there are a number of flexible schedule options available, including occasional telework for eligible positions.  
• Paid Leave – In addition to 12 paid holidays, full-time employees may earn up to 25 paid vacation days per year!
• Tuition Assistance – Permanent employees have several options for assistance with education expenses, including tuition reimbursement programs, government discounts at participating colleges throughout the state, and eligibility for federal student loan forgiveness.  
• Plan For Your Future – WSDOT offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes a variety of healthcare options. Employees also have their choice of state retirement programs, and much more. Go to State Benefits for more information.

Check out this video to learn more: Why WSDOT?

How to Apply

Applications for this recruitment will be accepted electronically. Your relevant experience may be evaluated to determine salary. Therefore, it is very important that the “Work Experience” portion of the application be completed in as much detail as possible. 

In order to be considered for this opportunity, please include the following with your online application:

• An attached Resume outlining (in reverse chronological order) your experience to date.
• An attached Cover Letter that further explains your qualifications and indicates why you believe you are a viable candidate for this role.
• Contact details for a minimum of three (3) individuals who can attest to your work performance, technical skills, and job-related competencies. NOTE: This information may be entered in the “References” section of the online application; does not require an additional attachment. 

Please click the "APPLY" button to proceed. Note that you will be prompted to either sign in or create an account. This step is required in order to submit an application to this opportunity.

WSDOT is an equal opportunity employer. We value the importance of creating an environment in which all employees can feel respected, included, and empowered to bring unique ideas to the agency. Our diversity and inclusion efforts include embracing different cultures, backgrounds and viewpoints while fostering growth and advancement in the workplace. All persons, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity, are encouraged to apply. Persons with disabilities needing assistance in the application process, or those needing this job announcement in an alternative format may contact the listed Recruiter via email.

Contact Us

For inquiries about this posting, you may contact the assigned Recruiter, at [email protected]. Please be sure to reference 25DOT-HQ-03446 in the subject line.