ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE III - limited term

City of Palo Alto•Palo Alto, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The City of Palo Alto's Planning & Development Services Department is seeking a limited-term Administrative Associate III. This is a temporary position, not expected to exceed two years. The position supports the Development Center, the City's one-stop shop for residential and commercial development services. The successful candidate will provide customer service, administrative, financial, operational, and regulatory support to staff, customers, contractors, architects, developers, and partner departments including Planning, Building, Fire, Public Works, and Utilities. The position serves a critical role in supporting daily Development Center operations, customer service delivery, public records administration, financial processing, state reporting requirements, permit administration, and departmental business operations.

Requirements

Equivalent to graduation from high school.
4 years of progressively responsible administrative experience.
Ability to manage multiple priorities.
Ability to exercise sound judgment.
Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders.
Strong verbal and writing skills.
Knowledgeable in Microsoft software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Teams).
Ability to learn various software solutions (Accela, DigiPlan, etc.).

Nice To Haves

Customer service focused.
Organized.
Detail-oriented.
Self-motivated.
Innovative.
Collaborative.
Life-long learner.
Takes initiative and pride in their work.
Passionate about improving processes.
Excels at communicating.
Stays calm under pressure.
Ensures visitors' experience is positive.

Responsibilities

Provide customer service to members of the public by phone, email, and in person.
Support Development Center operations.
Administer Public Records Requests and subpoenas.
Coordinate Use & Occupancy Certificates.
Process refunds, invoices, returned payments, and other financial transactions.
Support employee onboarding activities.
Coordinate fleet and facility-related functions.
Maintain records and operational tracking systems.
Assist with departmental purchasing and administrative functions.
Support required state reporting programs.
Coordinate with internal departments and external agencies.
Assist with permit-related processes.
Serve as a liaison between customers, staff, consultants, contractors, and partner agencies.
Manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and communicate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders.
Ongoing office management tasks requiring prioritization and assignment of work for other clerical or secretarial staff.
Provide technical guidance to clerical or secretarial staff.
Coordinate information from and act as the liaison for the department.
Perform a variety of difficult or complex tasks requiring the frequent use of independent judgment.
Prepare or compose correspondence requiring discrimination and judgment in the selection of data or interpretation of laws, rules, or policies.
Establish and maintain confidential files concerned with personnel and/or policy matters.
Record actions taken on sensitive issues.
Be responsible for releasing information to authorized parties.
Arrange schedule of appointments for supervisor and staff, exercising discretion in committing supervisor’s time and in referring caller or visitor to another appropriate source of information or service.