Administrative Assistant 4

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Washington State Department of Commerce is hiring an Administrative Assistant 4 for its Housing Division (HD), which partners with local governments, Tribes, housing authorities, nonprofits, and other organizations to develop and preserve affordable housing, promote self-sufficiency, and reduce homelessness. The role reports directly to the Assistant Director of the Housing Division and provides high-level, complex administrative support to the Assistant Director and Deputy Assistant Director. It exercises delegated authority and independent judgment in administrative matters, supports division operations and communications, supervises administrative staff, and serves as the administrative lead for division support staff. The work directly supports the Assistant Director’s ability to manage division functions and advance agency goals. The position requires an in-office presence two days per week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at the Olympia office. The selected candidate will need to travel to pick up equipment and receive instruction. Commerce employees may otherwise work remotely or on a hybrid schedule.

Requirements

Four years of combined experience and/or qualifying education, including office, clerical, secretarial, bookkeeping, accounting, or general administrative work; or one year as an Administrative Assistant 3; or two years as an Administrative Assistant 2.
Experience coordinating schedules and supporting in-person and virtual meetings and events, preparing materials, and documenting outcomes to support collaboration and follow-up.
Experience drafting, editing, and formatting correspondence and reports.
Experience delivering responsive, respectful customer service and building effective working relationships with staff, partners, and the public.
Ability to prioritize and manage multiple assignments, exercise sound judgment and problem-solving skills, maintain confidentiality and ethical conduct, and deliver timely, high-quality work.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally and coordinate and supervise administrative support staff.
Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Lived experience with housing instability and/or experience navigating and receiving services from public systems may substitute for one year of professional experience. Examples include homeless and housing services, foster care, the criminal legal system, or behavioral health systems.
Qualifying post-high-school education may substitute year for year for experience. Education should be in business administration, public relations, communications, or a closely related field.
Ability to proactively anticipate needs, take initiative, guide teams, and influence outcomes when working with managers and supervisors.
Teamwork skills, including meeting deadlines, listening to others, valuing opinions, supporting team goals, and promoting a collaborative atmosphere.
Strong attention to detail, including proofreading, correcting errors, organizing information, and following policies and procedures.
Motivated, self-directed approach with initiative, accountability, and ability to make independent decisions about work priorities.
Ability to work with diverse groups and individuals, learn and grow, and take action to meet others' needs.
A complete and detailed online application, a cover letter submitted online, and at least three professional references entered online.

Nice To Haves

Experience providing administrative support in state government.
Experience or training in change management, project management, or communications.
Experience using Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and/or Monday.com.
Experience with records management and/or responding to public records requests.
Experience providing excellent customer service.
Understanding of processes for working with media, elected officials, and Governor’s Office executives.
Experience supervising employees, including hiring, training and development, assigning work, evaluating performance, and taking corrective action.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with internal management and staff, clients, partner groups, and customers.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, handle short deadlines, and follow through promptly.
Experience managing schedules, coordinating meetings, and making travel arrangements.
Experience planning and coordinating team-based activities.
Experience in contracts, budget, and fiscal management.
Comfort speaking before large groups.

Responsibilities

Provide complex administrative support to the Assistant Director and Deputy Assistant Director, including exercising delegated signature authority and making administrative decisions using independent judgment and discretion.
Manage schedules, calendars, timesheet and activity tracking, travel arrangements, and reimbursement processes for division leadership.
Coordinate, review, and approve division documents and human resources materials for leadership signature.
Schedule management and administrative team meetings, prepare agendas, record and distribute notes, and coordinate division meetings and events.
Coordinate in-state and out-of-state travel, including hotels, flights, itineraries, rental vehicles, and travel reimbursements.
Manage incoming mail, email, calls, and messages for the Assistant Director; respond independently where authority is delegated and direct inquiries to appropriate contacts.
Track, prioritize, and coordinate responses to assignments from agency and executive offices and other internal and external stakeholders.
Screen and prioritize appointments, projects, inquiries, and deadlines for division leadership; prepare written and oral responses and track follow-up.
Serve as liaison among division leadership, the management team, and agency staff; transmit assignments, review materials, suggest improvements, and support compliance with agency policy.
Review, correct, track, and approve documents for Assistant Director signature, including contracts, personnel documents, correspondence, travel and purchase requests, STAR forms, and leave requests.
Address division and agency groups about efficiencies, functions, and policies, and answer questions about agency and division operations.
Draft and edit letters, memoranda, itineraries, presentations, spreadsheets, and other electronic documents.
Coordinate with division colleagues to develop materials for speaking engagements, conferences, and meetings.
Serve as backup division records coordinator.
Investigate operational methods and procedures and develop or recommend improvements; drive continuous process improvement for division leadership and operations.
Manage workflows and coordinate multiple human resources actions, projects, studies, and agency assignments, ensuring procedures are followed and deadlines are met.
Maintain division distribution lists and tracking systems, including freeze requests and out-of-state approvals.
Track divisional deadlines, including performance development plans and mandatory training.
Project-manage semiannual division all-staff meetings and other special projects as assigned.
Supervise administrative staff, oversee and delegate work, provide feedback and coaching, evaluate performance, address performance concerns, and recommend corrective or disciplinary action.
Manage hiring activities in coordination with Human Resources and ensure required training is completed; identify staff development needs and support professional growth.
Chair and facilitate regular meetings of the Housing Division Lead Support Team.
Lead development and maintenance of administrative standards and procedures covering personnel processes, travel, purchasing, contracts, delegated signature authority, correspondence, time accounting, and other operations.
Act as liaison between the Housing Division Management Team and Lead Support Team, share relevant leadership updates with division staff, and guide support staff on administrative procedures and cross-program coordination.
Identify best practices and help ensure items requiring leadership approval are complete, accurate, and meet requirements.