Administrative Assistant 5

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

At the Department of Commerce, we’re reimagining what’s possible in government. We’re builders, thinkers, and change-makers, working at the intersection of innovation, community, and impact. From unlocking critical funding to fueling inclusive economic growth, we’re turning big ideas into real-world solutions that uplift people and places. Our agency’s strength lies in the diversity of our workforce and the breadth of the lived experiences and perspectives employees bring to the work. We believe equity is not just a value but a practice, which is reflected in how we design programs, engage communities, and deliver outcomes. We foster a workplace culture where curiosity is encouraged, bold thinking is welcomed, and collaboration drives our impact. This job is a commitment to reshape systems so they work better for everyone. If you’re ready to challenge the status quo and build meaningful connections, we want to meet you. Let’s build what’s next, together. The Operations Division houses the Compliance and Contracts, Financial Services, and Human Resources Divisions. The Operations Division is responsible for long term agency strategic planning, financial oversight, Internal Audit Support, agency compliance, and general offices services via the assigned divisions. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), this position serves as the principal assistant to the COO and provides complex administrative and technical support ensuring daily operations run efficiently and effectively. This position must be based in our Seattle or Olympia offices.

Requirements

Five (5) years of combined experience and/or education as described below:
Experience in four or more of the following areas or work related to the position:
Drafting, editing, and finalizing executive correspondence
Coordinating strategic calendar management and business operations for leadership positions
Arranging travel logistics for executives and teams, including flights, accommodations and itineraries
Providing complex, high-level support to one or more senior leadership positions
Working with contracts, budgets, and fiscal management
Project management and coordinating team-based activities
Education involves business administration, political science, public administration/policy or related field.
Qualifying education post High School or equivalent may be substituted year for year for experience.
Advanced skill level in the Microsoft Office suite of products including OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint, Excel, Word, and Outlook.
Ability to coordinate with internal and external stakeholders on a variety of issues
Ability to meet multiple deadlines with competing priorities
Demonstrated ability to work independently on multiple projects with little to no direction
Maintain confidentiality on sensitive matters
Ability to work effectively and efficiently during times of stress
Ability to solve problems effectively and accurately independently

Nice To Haves

Experience in and/or familiarity with state government and state agency operations
Familiarity with the Washington State legislature/understanding of Washington State legislative processes

Responsibilities

Provides administrative support to the Chief Operating Officer
Manages COO’s calendar, schedules meetings with Commerce Executive Leadership, internal teams, external parties, and legislative partners on behalf of the COO, ensures thorough briefing and preparation for each meeting.
Prepare weekly briefing memos, on Fridays, to summarize important meetings and deliverables due for the following week.
Prepare briefing materials, agendas, and meeting packets; ensure COO is informed of priorities and deadlines.
Exercises delegated authority to complete travel authorization, leave approval, processing HR personnel, position and recruitment actions, track and follow up on PARs that are not moving to ensure the workflow continues, completing and approving time sheets via Superstar, process and approve purchasing requests, updating and maintaining organizational charts as needed.
Coordinates in state and out of state travel for the COO, tasks include scheduling accommodations, flights, itineraries, and reserving rental vehicles.
Represents the COO at meetings, conferences, and conventions and may speak on behalf of the COO of Commerce on agency matters, as requested by the COO.
Greets, receives, and confers with official visitors which may include members of the public, visitors, and other representatives of various organizations, businesses, or agencies.
Drafts and edits documents electronically, including letters, memos, itineraries, PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, and other related documents.
Tracks, prioritizes, and coordinates agency responses, tasks, deadlines and action items assigned by the Director, the Office of Financial Management (OFM), the Office of the Governor, and/or the Director’s Executive Team.
Track and follow up on action items, deadlines, and deliverables assigned to COO or leadership team.
Assists the COO in identifying and prioritizing internal and external deadlines.
Manages incoming mail and emails on behalf of the COO, acts independently on issues where authority is delegated.
Responds to inquiries and directs emails to the appropriate contact.
Highlights priorities and informs the COO on these items.
Maintains and updates internal distribution lists.
Summarizes information to inform decision making and makes recommendations to the COO.
Supports and facilitates communication between the COO, and various internal and external units and individuals at various levels including but not limited to the Office of the Governor, other state agencies, federal agencies, and the legislature.
In consultation with the Communications Director and program managers, prepares speaking engagement materials and other resources for conferences and meetings.
Distributes and assigns tasks, deadlines, and assignments on behalf of the COO.
Track and coordinate complex, high level assignments to ensure all internal processes and procedures are adhered to and deadlines are met.
Responds to inquiries about COO’s interpretation of policies, procedures, on their behalf.
Track and report annual requirements for the division to the COO or designee for appropriate action. This includes but is not limited to performance evaluations, required trainings, and other activities.
Acts as the Public Records Coordinator for the COO’s Office
Gathers responsive records for Public Records Requests and provides them to public records unit.
In coordination with the public records unit, ensures all documents and emails meet retention requirements and follows Commerce records management procedures and policies.
Maintain records, position descriptions, and recruitment documentation for COO’s office.
Assist with hiring processes, including scheduling interviews, candidate communication, and onboarding coordination.
Serves as the back-up to Agency Operations Administration Administrative Assistants as needed.