Administrative Assistant 5

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Administrative Assistant 5 provides primary administrative support to the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), manages HR division operations, and advances strategic priorities. The role exercises independent judgment and delegated authority to oversee complex administrative assignments, lead division-wide initiatives, and coordinate projects across organizational functions. It also supports daily operations through records management and retention compliance, resource management, and coordination of agency activities aligned with the Department of Enterprise Services’ mission. The position serves as the primary administrative liaison among HR leadership, executive leadership, agency divisions, and external clients. It manages executive calendars and travel, coordinates meetings and events, and handles correspondence, reports, confidential information, and follow-up. The role also coordinates complex HR projects and administrative processes, including records retention, public records requests, and legislative implementation plans. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a hybrid work arrangement. The hiring authority may make an offer after the required posting period during recruitment.

Requirements

Advanced competency in managing administrative matters for an executive leader, making decisions within assigned authority, and recognizing when direction or approval is needed.
Ability to anticipate administrative needs, organize work, and adjust priorities to changing demands and deadlines.
Ability to coordinate projects involving multiple people or teams, resolve administrative problems, and follow assignments through to completion.
Ability to manage leadership calendars, weigh competing requests, and resolve scheduling conflicts based on urgency and organizational needs.
Ability to prepare and edit accurate, clearly organized reports, correspondence, presentations, and meeting materials.
Ability to communicate executive leadership direction clearly, confirm expectations, and coordinate follow-up with employees, leaders, and agency partners.
Ability to plan meetings and events, coordinate materials and logistics, and track decisions, commitments, and next steps.
Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information carefully and share it only with authorized individuals.
Ability to independently use Microsoft Office or similar tools to manage documents, spreadsheets, presentations, calendars, and tracking systems.
Ability to apply administrative policies and procedures, identify problems or unnecessary steps, and carry out approved improvements.
Ability to maintain accurate records, track deadlines and commitments, and raise concerns early with suggested solutions.
Ability to listen to different perspectives, communicate courteously and collaboratively, and adapt communications or meeting arrangements to participants’ needs.
Ability to plan and manage time, prioritize work, complete assignments accurately and on time, manage competing priorities independently, and anticipate deadlines.
Demonstrate willingness to learn from new experiences, seek feedback, consider different perspectives, and continuously improve knowledge, skills, communication, and work approaches.
Seek to understand the needs and experiences of customers, coworkers, and communities; identify and address barriers to access and participation; and provide respectful, timely, and effective support.

Nice To Haves

Ability to interpret WACs, RCWs, policies, and procedures and apply relevant requirements.
Knowledge of the legislative process, bill analysis, and the bill life cycle.
Experience with bill analysis tracking systems and coordinating the bill analysis process.
Understanding of the agency’s organizational structure and ability to navigate organizational relationships and processes to coordinate administrative functions across the agency.
One year of experience as an Administrative Assistant 4, or two years of experience as an Administrative Assistant 3, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience demonstrating ability to perform the work successfully.

Responsibilities

Act on behalf of the CHRO in administrative matters and serve as the primary administrative liaison between HR leadership, executive leadership, agency divisions, and external clients.
Manage complex scheduling for the CHRO and HR leadership, prioritize calendar requests, and coordinate travel arrangements.
Oversee daily HR division administrative operations, including drafting correspondence and reports, managing confidential information, and adjusting priorities as needs change.
Organize and support division meetings and events by preparing agendas and materials, managing virtual and technical logistics, and tracking follow-up action items.
Plan, organize, and coordinate complex HR administrative projects from start to finish, establish timelines, monitor deliverables, and address operational barriers.
Develop, maintain, and track systems for assignments, deadlines, decisions, and follow-up activities across HR functions.
Gather and review information from varied sources, resolve inconsistencies, and liaise independently with staff and divisions to move projects forward.
Coordinate HR records management, archiving, and disposition in accordance with retention schedules, working with the agency records officer and State Archives on compliance issues.
Review filing systems for compliance gaps and develop and implement streamlined tracking systems and processes for retention requirements.
Coordinate and track HR administrative processes, including public records requests, legislative implementation plans, and staff follow-up.
Serve as the primary administrative point of contact for executive leadership and coordinate scheduling, correspondence, and meeting management between HR and the Director’s office.
Perform other duties as needed.