Office Assistant II/III Countywide Pool

This county-wide recruitment will establish an Office Assistant II and III Candidate Pool of qualified applicants to fill current and future vacancies throughout the County for regular (permanent) openings.

About the role

The Office Assistant series is used in all County departments to provide clerical services. Under general supervision, incumbents perform the most complex assignments or act in a lead capacity by providing technical supervision and training to staff.

The Office Assistant III class is the advanced journey level classification in the Office Assistant series and reports to a supervisory level position. Incumbents typically type, file, sort, and process materials; process and maintain records; compose and edit reports and correspondence; gather information; provide information to the public concerning departmental or County operations; receive and record payments; operate a variety of equipment, including word processors, micro-computers, mini-computers, computer terminals, duplicating machines, and calculators; and prepare and complete a variety of forms and documents.

Some positions may require a law enforcement background investigation which requires completion of an extensive questionnaire, meeting with a background investigator, and submitting several references. Incumbents perform the most complex assignments where work is of a highly specialized nature requiring significant expertise and performed with a great degree of independence or act as lead personnel for a work unit performing a variety of clerical work. The Office Assistant III class is distinguished from that of Supervising Office Assistant I in that the incumbents of the latter class have full supervisory responsibility for a clerical unit.

Pay

• Office Assistant II: $18.6893 - $25.7357 per hour
• Office Assistant III: $19.2076 - $28.5889 per hour

Responsibilities

Office Assistant II

• Assist the public by referring them to sources of information, giving out standard forms, explaining how to complete them, and answering requests for factual information by consulting various available sources.
• Insert and extract materials from subject matter files, classify material by nature of subject matter, and prepare new file folders as needed.
• Maintain informational or operational records; answer telephone and assist callers by providing information, taking messages, or routing calls to others.
• Type a variety of information such as statistical and budgetary tabulations, reports, manuscripts, contracts, pamphlets, letters, charts, and other documents from rough, plain, corrected copy, or dictated material utilizing information processing equipment.
• Utilize formerly recorded material to create new documents or files, incorporating all revisions; independently set up formats for reports, files, letters, and dual and multi-column documents, taking into consideration the special needs of originator.
• Gather information from a variety of source documents; establish and revise glossaries utilizing stored keystrokes; create multi-page documents with headers and footers; set up merged documents.
• Compile, store, and maintain a system of information retrieval on tapes or disks; edit copy for errors; compose routine letters on factual subjects; make out bills, abstracts, orders, notes, permits, licenses, etc.
• Receive fees when the amount is readily obtainable by simple computations or from fixed schedules; prepare receipts and accounts for money.
• Compare a variety of documents such as purchase orders, receival slips, and others to make extensions, batch totals, and to check for mathematical accuracy and general completeness.
• Post data, types, encode, and transmit alphanumeric and numeric data from source documents; key in commands to locate files; enter, store, retrieve, and delete information in order to update records and/or databases.
• May verify the accuracy of information entered, and correct errors in transmission.
• Make computer inquiries to retrieve information and to print reports; may align carriage tapes and forms to print records, mailing lists, roster indexes, and similar listings; maintain informational and operational records.
• Serve as a receptionist and schedule appointments; as a secondary responsibility, may operate a telephone switchboard.

Office Assistant III

• Perform complex clerical work requiring the application of laws, policies, procedures, and specialized terminology; prepare and process materials which require the review of complex source material and a thorough familiarity with policies, procedures, terminology, and various applicable laws in order to obtain the necessary data.
• Give information to the public or interdepartmental representatives in situations where judgment and interpretation of departmental policies and regulations are required.
• Review a variety of reports, forms, and records for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with applicable ordinances; answer questions involving searching for and summarizing technical data, laws, policies, or procedures.
• Compile a variety of narrative and statistical reports, which requires locating sources of information, devising forms to secure the data, and determining proper format for finished reports.
• Design or revise office forms; set up and maintain complex filing systems.
• Initiate replies to routine correspondence; compose correspondence and other materials requiring the application of subject matter knowledge and discrimination in the selection of data.
• May provide technical guidance and/or training to clerical staff; may assign and review the work of clerical staff; prepare and revise written procedures.
• Type a wide variety of complex material such as difficult statistical and budgetary tabulations, highly confidential reports and letters, priority manuscripts or contracts, and other specialized documents from rough, plain, corrected copy, or dictated material utilizing information processing equipment.
• Develop automated files and maintain the storage of tapes and disks; develop and revise standardized formats for documents for the department; operate peripheral equipment.
• Isolate and resolve equipment and procedural problems; perform backup of systems and maintain archived record library and reference logs; serve as technical expert on the operation of information processing equipment.

Requirements

Office Assistant II

Any combination of education and experience that would provide the following knowledge and abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
• Office procedures, including preparing correspondence and reports
• Filing, indexing, and cross-referencing methods
• Principles, methods, and equipment used in information processing

Ability to:

• Perform clerical work and quickly learn the specific operation of the office
• Make decisions in standard procedural matters without immediate supervision
• Prepare and maintain accurate records and reports
• Make arithmetic calculations rapidly and accurately
• Understand and follow written and oral instructions
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Operate a variety of standard office equipment

Office Assistant III

Applicants must meet one of the following options:

Option I

• Two years of clerical experience

Option II

• Completion of 18 semester or 27 quarter units from an accredited college or university in secretarial sciences, office practices, business education, or a closely related field to the assignment
• One year of clerical experience

Option III

• Completion of 360 hours of training from a recognized occupational training program in secretarial sciences, business education, or a closely related field
• One year of clerical experience

Knowledge of:

• The principles, methods, and equipment used in information processing
• Correct English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, format, and style
• Office procedures, including preparing correspondence and reports, filing, and operating standard office equipment

Ability to:

• Understand the capabilities and applications of information processing equipment considering the requirements of the unit
• Use initiative and judgment in setting up formats for a variety of documents
• Provide guidance to and train staff
• Proof and correct copy into acceptable final form
• Store and retrieve a variety of documents and subdocuments
• Meet departmental production and accuracy standards
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships

Applicants who are current County of Riverside employees and/or current employees of the Department/Agency may be considered before other applicants depending on the volume of applications received.