Executive Assistant (AA5) DOH8058

This announcement is for a full-time, permanent Administrative Assistant 5 position. 

Make a Difference.  

At the Department of Health (DOH), our mission is to safeguard and enhance the well-being of the residents of Washington State. We are currently seeking a dynamic individual to fill the role of Executive Assistant (Administrative Assistant 5), providing crucial support to the Assistant Secretary of the Prevention and Community Health Division (PCH).

As the PCH Executive Assistant, you will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission by offering comprehensive administrative support to the Assistant Secretary, handling sensitive matters with discretion and professionalism. Moreover, you will lead the division's administrative team, guiding them towards excellence and ensuring adherence to agency policies and procedures.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the Assistant Secretary’s schedule, coordinating internal and external meetings efficiently.
• Provide both in-person and virtual support for meetings and engagements.
• Handle travel arrangements and track reimbursement requests for the Assistant Secretary.
• Maintain and organize the Assistant Secretary’s email correspondence, including responding to emails, managing follow-up tasks, and filing important communications.
• Proactively prepare meeting materials and agendas, ensuring the Assistant Secretary is fully prepared for upcoming engagements.
• Oversee paperwork requiring the Assistant Secretary’s signature, ensuring compliance with agency and state guidelines.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for official visitors, facilitating meetings and ensuring all necessary materials are prepared.
• Supervise and mentor administrative staff, fostering a culture of excellence and supporting their professional development.
• Conduct staff evaluations and develop plans for staff transitions and recruitment as needed.
• Provide general oversight of divisional administrative operations, resolving issues and promoting collaboration among team members.
• Facilitate regular meetings of the divisional administrative team and establish and maintain standards and procedures for administrative work.
• Act as the primary liaison to the DOH Human Resources Office, assisting with recruitment and hiring processes.
• Represent the division in agency-wide administrative projects and oversee division-wide initiatives to ensure timely completion and quality results.

Work Location:

This position is based in Tumwater, WA, and offers a flexible/hybrid work arrangement with the option to tele-work or utilize our modern drop-in workstations, with occasional in-person assignments and collaboration opportunities.  

About the DOH

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) fights to defend the public’s health from threats in a rapidly evolving world. DOH’s programs and services, implemented in collaboration with local health departments and state, federal and private partners, touch the lives of all Washingtonians and visitors to the state 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. DOH will continue to evolve and transform public health activities, taking it to the next level through our cornerstone values of Equity, Innovation, and Engagement. Learn more about the DOH and our Transformational Plan shaping the future of healthcare in Washington.

Why DOH 

We are dedicated to your work-life harmony and offer one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation, designed to support your lifestyle. To learn more about “Why DOH”, visit Work@Health. 

Our Ideal Candidate 

The ideal candidate for this role embodies a strong sense of accountability, consistently meeting deadlines and commitments while ensuring supervisors are kept informed. Essential conflict management skills enable them to navigate challenging situations with objectivity, patience, and effective communication. Paramount leadership qualities are demonstrated through leading by example, adherence to policies, and dedication to supporting agency goals. Additionally, they effectively manage workloads and apply quality improvement tools. Ultimately, possessing cultural competency and exercising good judgment are crucial for success in this role.

Required Qualifications:

The experience described below could have been gained concurrently and acquired through paid or unpaid activities. Please make sure to highlight your relevant experience in your cover letter, resume, and/or applicant profile.

• Five (5) years of secretarial or administrative experience in an office setting performing the following duties:
  1. Analyzing information to complete appropriate action.
  2. Communicating with internal staff and external customers to achieve goals, deliverables, or customer expectations.
  3. Compiling written reports or executive correspondence.

AND

AND 

AND

• One (1) year of experience in the following: 
  1. Using MS Word to create, format, and edit tables, columns, or charts and insert and format sections and create headers and footers.
  2. Using MS Excel to develop and manipulate complex spreadsheets and create custom chart types, pivot tables, filter lists or use data analysis tools.
  3. Using MS PowerPoint to create, format, and edit presentations, insert, and format slides, work with pictures and objects, and run slide shows.
  4. Using MS Outlook to compose, send, and respond to e-mail and coordinate schedules and schedule meetings.
  5. Using MS SharePoint to create sites and pages, store, organize, share, and access information.

Desired Qualifications: 

• One (1) year as an Administrative Assistant 4, or two (2) years as an Administrative Assistant 3.
• Two (2) years of supervisory or team lead experience such as providing direction to other individuals, assigning, prioritizing, giving direction and overseeing work for one or more employees. 
• Experience in completing HR paperwork and processes such as employee evaluations and conducting interviews. 
• Experience facilitating meetings and coordinating groups to address issues, solve problems, or work projects. 
• Associate degree or higher. 
• Experience working in state government.
• Experience assisting with or organizing and coordinating large organizational projects.
• Experience assisting with organizing and coordinating regional or state-wide meetings or conferences.
• Knowledge of State government organization and administrative procedures and personnel policies.

Application Process

Click "Apply" to submit your detailed application profile along with the following: 

• A cover letter (without personal pictures) describing how you meet the qualifications and why you are interested in this position. 
• A current resume (without personal pictures). 
• Three (3) or more professional references, to be listed in your profile under the references section, which includes at least one supervisor, peer, and (if you have supervised staff) someone you have supervised or led.
• Attachments: Do not attach any documents that include photos, letters of recommendation, or private information (transcripts, social security number, year of birth, etc.). 

Veterans: Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference must attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. Please remove or cover any personally identifiable data such as social security numbers and birth year. 

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion  

We regard diversity as the foundation of our strength, recognizing that differing insights and abilities enable us to reflect the unique needs of the communities we serve. DOH is an equal-opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination based on race/ethnicity/color, creed, sex, pregnancy, age, religion, national origin, marital status, the presence or perception of a disability, veteran’s status, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity.

For questions regarding this recruitment, accommodations, or alternative formats, contact april.gilreath@doh.wa.gov. For general DOH recruitment questions, email the Talent Acquisition Team at employment@doh.wa.gov.

Deaf or hard of hearing contact Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1; individuals outside of Washington State contact Washington Relay Service at 1-800-833-6874.

NEOGOV provides technical support at 1-855-524-5627 (can't log in, password or email issues, error messages).

 Conditions of Employment/Working Conditions

With or without accommodation, I am willing and able to:

• Work a full-time 40-hour work week Schedule (Note: Flexible work schedule requests will be considered pending supervisor approval.)
• Willing to occasionally adjust my work-schedule to meet business needs, which may include evenings and weekends. 
• Perform my work remotely at home or in-person at the DOH site location designated for this position.
• Occasionally travel within the state of Washington.
• Legally operate a state or privately-owned vehicle OR provide alternative transportation while on state business.
  Participate in emergency response exercises and emergency events/high-priority 

About Washington Department of Health

Our programs and services help prevent illness and injury, promote healthy places to live and work, provide information to help people make good health decisions and ensure our state is prepared for emergencies. To accomplish all of these, we collaborate with many partners every day. We help ensure a safer and healthier Washington by: Working to improve health through disease and injury prevention, immunization, and newborn screening Providing health and safety information, education and training so people can make healthy choices Promoting a health and wellness system where we live, learn, work, play and worship Addressing environmental health hazards associated with drinking water, food, air quality and pesticide exposure Protecting you and your family by licensing healthcare professionals, investigating disease outbreaks and preparing for emergencies

Connections working at Washington Department of Health