Executive Secretary

About The Position

Note: This recruitment is open on a continuous basis and may close without prior notice. First review of the applications will occur on Monday, July 13, 2026. Please thoroughly review the entire job flyer including the application instructions. Failure to submit a completed application and provide required documentation may result in an application being removed from further consideration.

The City of Downey is seeking an experienced and highly organized Executive Secretary to provide administrative support to the Community Development Department. The ideal candidate will be a proactive professional with exceptional communication, coordination, and multitasking skills who thrives in a fast-paced environment.

Essential Functions

• Compose routine correspondence not requiring the supervisor's personal attention.
• Act as a receptionist, screen telephone calls and visitors, and refer inquiries as appropriate.
• Respond to complaints and requests for information regarding the intent of instruction, precedents and regulations.
• Maintain, arrange, and coordinate calendar and schedule for supervisor.
• Sort and distribute incoming mail.
• Participate and assist in the administration of a department; prepare comprehensive reports.
• Compile annual budget requests and recommend expenditure requests for designated accounts.
• Type letters, memorandums, proceedings of meetings; proofread and/or correct typed material for completeness, spelling, grammatical or punctuation accuracy.
• Independently compose correspondence and routine reports; gather, tabulate and interpret financial information related to the work assignment.
• Relieve the department head of routine duties; gather and prepare information for routine reports.
• Initiate and maintain a variety of files and records of information such as payroll, attendance, budget, production and cost records; maintain manuals and update resource materials.
• Make routine appointments and arrange conferences and meetings.
• Serve as secretary to a board or commission, preparing the agenda and taking minutes of the meeting.
• Operate a variety of office equipment such as photo copiers, word/data processors, adding machines, calculators, cash register, shredders and field dispatch equipment.
• Cookordinate the processing of Council agenda report; review, approve, and execute agreements, contracts, memorandum of understandings and etc.
• Cookordinate assignments with the secretaries of other divisions within the department.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent, supplemented by specialized clerical courses. A Bachelor's degree is desirable.
• Experience: Four (4) years in increasingly responsible clerical experience, preferably including two years experience comparable to that of an Administrative Clerk II or Secretary in the City of Downey.
• Knowledge: Business office management procedures and methods; organization and function of City government, records management principles and practices; customer service principles, practices, and methods; arithmetic, grammar, spelling, word meaning; materials and equipment used in office operation; principles of public relations; administrative policies and procedures; English usage, arithmetic, spelling, grammar and punctuation; modern office methods, procedures and equipment and business letter writing; organization, procedures and operating details of the City department to which assigned.
• Ability: Interpret and apply administrative and departmental policies, laws and rules; work independently in the absence of supervision; analyze situations carefully and adopt effective courses of action; compile and maintain complex and extensive records and prepare reports; understand and carry out oral and written directions; establish and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers and members of the public; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; communicate with the public in a friendly, courteous and helpful manner; use tact, discretion, and independent judgment; project a professional attitude and appearance in all situations; follow oral and written directions; analyze problems; organize own work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines and follow up with minimal supervision; check grammar, spelling and punctuation in technical material; handle many assignments at once; independently prepare correspondences and memoranda; operate standard office equipment, including a personal computer using Windows based software; operate a personal computer and keyboard at a rate of thirty (30) words per minute net speed/corrected rate**; possess the ability to effectively use electronic transcription equipment.
• Bilingual in Spanish language is highly desirable.
• An applicant must attach a current and verifiable typing certification (dated within the past twenty-four (24) months. The required documentation must be uploaded and submitted with the on-line employment application. Applications received without the required documentation will be considered incomplete and removed from consideration.
• A valid Eligible List is in effect for up to one year.