Administrative Assistant- Fire & Rescue Services, Administrative Services

Howard County Government•Maryland 21104, MD

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Howard County Government is seeking outstanding individuals to join their team and contribute to excellence in county operations. They offer a competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs. This position is responsible for technical level financial administrative work performed for the daily operations of Fire & Rescue’s payroll processing. Work includes editing, reviewing, and processing data in the Department of Fire & Rescues (DFRS) payroll system, process updates to ensure compliance with overtime based on union agreements, review file maintenance and reconcile various payroll accounts and knowledge of Fire & Rescues and the County's payroll system. This is a Classified position, meaning that it is a part of the Howard County Classified Service upon completion of a probationary period of at least six (6) months. This position falls within a collective bargaining unit and is represented by AFSCME Local 3085, Local 3888, or Local 1810. This position may be eligible for a hybrid work after completion of probation, depending on performance and operational need.

Requirements

Associate's Degree and four (4) years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, and percentages.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Nice To Haves

Considerable knowledge of Fire Departmental and/or County operations and functions, and principles, practices, rules and regulations applicable to the Fire Service.
Considerable knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), Microsoft Outlook, and general knowledge of Microsoft Access.
Ability to assemble and organize data and background information into useful reports and summaries.
Ability to apply departmental policy to daily work problems.
Ability to revise existing and devise new payroll procedures and practices.
Ability to make mathematical computations.
Ability to train and cross-train assigned personnel.
Ability to use good judgment, in deciding when to act independently and when to refer situations to my supervisor.
Ability to express ideas effectively, both oral and written.
Ability to work on a cooperative, courteous and effective basis with associates, officials and representatives of public and private agencies, and the public.

Responsibilities

Assists in the management of Fire & Rescue’s payroll system for over 600 uniformed, civilian, and contingent employees.
May act as lead in the absence of the Payroll Administrator.
Reviews union agreements for FLSA overtime and specialty pay requirements.
Reviews and implements FLSA-related updates and specialty pays as required by collective bargaining agreements and federal, state, and County law; ensures compliance in overtime calculations.
Creates daily and fiscal-year overtime reports for administrative staff and Fire Chief.
Manages quarterly payments related to specialty pays, differentials, and allowances.
Answers all payroll and leave-related questions for Fire & Rescue personnel.
Submits Personnel Action Forms and required leave calculations to County Human Resources for promotions, demotions, terminations, retirements, resignations, reclassifications, actions, LWOP, military deployments, premium pays, location changes, and other personnel actions.
Enters data into and assists in management of the Fire records management system (RMS).
Manages career, civilian, and volunteer personnel records in RMS, including back up responsibilities for volunteer workers’ compensation and life insurance program reporting.
Monitors leave usage, modified duty hours, and scheduling.
Creates payroll reports and queries to validate accurate payments and respond to departmental payroll inquiries.
Generates internal and external reports for management, Risk Management, Finance, and Human Resources.
Maintains confidentiality and exercises discretion.
Communicates regularly with Human Resources, Risk & Safety, Central Payroll and other County agencies.
Assists supervisory personnel when needed.
Trains personnel on payroll system functions.
Assists the Department’s Human Resources Coordinator as needed.
Uses problem-solving and judgment skills with high attention to detail and accuracy.
Demonstrates strong organizational skills and ability to work under pressure.
Effectively manages multiple tasks and meets deadlines.
Performs other related duties as assigned.