Executive Assistant to the Mayor - City of North Adams - North Adams

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Mayor of the City of North Adams the Executive Assistant to the Mayor serves as office manager for the Mayor’s Office. The Executive Assistant is responsible for providing complex and confidential administrative support to the Mayor in a highly sensitive, demanding, political, and rapidly-changing environment. This work is characterized by collaboration and engagement with other elected officials, constituents, representatives of a wide variety of community, civic, and business groups, City management staff, and others. The Executive Assistant works under minimal supervision and in combination with others on topics and issues of a complex, diverse and highly confidential nature. This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

(The functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment of the position).

• Serves as office manager for the Mayor's Office; maintains and updates the Mayor’s calendar; receives and screens requests; coordinates, arranges and confirms meetings and appointments; plans, organizes, and manages the Mayor’s public events and meetings.
• Oversees communications and constituent services for the Mayor’s Office, including receiving and screening visitors and telephone calls, providing information and handling issues that require sensitivity and sound independent judgment; responds to requests for information and refers certain issues to appropriate staff members or City departments for resolution; reviews, determines the priority of, and routes assigned incoming correspondence, updates data on the City website and approved social media platforms to disseminate information to constituents.
• Plans, organizes, and schedules administrative support to the Mayor; oversees the preparation of correspondence, memoranda, agenda items, reports, resolutions, proclamations, agreements, presentations, forms, and other documents; ensures that documents are accurate, complete and conform to the Mayor's Office standards, policies and procedures; ensures materials, reports and documents for signature are accurate and complete; responds independently to mail and email inquiries regarding a variety of City matters.
• Provides day-to-day leadership and works with staff to ensure a high performing, customer service-oriented work environment that supports the Mayor's objectives and service expectations.
• Supervises and manages the maintenance of Office records and databases; researches and assembles information from a variety of sources for the preparation of records, correspondence, and reports for the Mayor and staff;
• Coordinates all board and commission appointments and re-appointments;
• Prepares and processes requisitions, purchase orders, and accounts payable requests; prepares and maintains staff attendance and time off records;
• Performs employment/volunteer criminal record checks in ICORI system;
• May perform other special projects and duties as required by the Mayor;
• Monitors and coordinates trainings with City’s insurance provider;
• Coordinates, posts and collects resumes for employment postings with the Mayor and department heads. 

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s Degree in Public or Business Administration, Political Science or a closely related field strongly preferred, plus a minimum of at least three (3) years of increasing responsible administrative and support experience in a public agency; or a combination of education, training, and experience.

Notary public preferred but not required.

EXPECTED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge: office and administrative management practices and procedures, including document and file management; principles and practices of sound business communication; City organization, ordinances, rules, policies, procedures, and operating practices related to areas of responsibility; functions of public agencies including the role of an elected Council and appointed committees and boards; methods practices of public administration including budgeting, purchasing, and maintenance of public records.

Skills: proficient in computer, word processing and spreadsheet software and other standard office equipment; writing skills for composing and preparing correspondence; capability of transcribing minutes for occasional board and commission meetings; effective management of accurate and concise records, reports and documents; clear, effective and persuasive communication skills, both orally and in writing; tact, diplomacy, and discretion for dealing with sensitive and confidential situations that concern internal and external parties; and experience with social media posting and management.

Abilities: Ability to manage multiple and rapidly changing priorities to meet the needs and expectations of the Mayor in interactions with other elected and appointed officials and various constituencies; ability to represent the Mayor effectively in meetings and interactions in person, by telephone, email, and social media with a wide range of constituencies; ability to establish and maintain highly effective working relationships with the Mayor, City Council members, other elected and appointed officials, committee members, department heads and managers, staff, residents, representatives of civic and community groups, the media, the public and others encountered in the course of performing job duties.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Work Environment: The employee works under typical office conditions requiring managing multiple tasks and handling frequent interruptions. Employee is required to occasionally attend meetings and events on behalf of the Mayor outside of regular work hours, including evenings and weekends.

Physical Demands: While performing job duties, the employee is regularly required to sit, bend, stand and walk; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; There is a frequent requirement of fine manipulation associated with the required use of a computer/keyboard, telephone, and other business machines; specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.