Board Secretary

The State Bar of California•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

The Board Secretary (Principal Program Analyst) serves as the State Bar’s central governance and Board meeting management lead. The position is accountable for the accurate, timely, and effective administration of Board and Board committee meetings, provides strategic and analytical support to the Executive Director and Board leadership, and coordinates governance processes across the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a field that develops skills related to essential duties or equivalent academic achievement.
Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in business process reengineering, data collection and evaluation, research or performance or financial auditing in a public sector, legal or nonprofit environment, or equivalent.
Knowledge of issue identification and conflict resolution.
Knowledge of employee, customer, and member feedback systems, including education, data collection and sourcing, action planning, and related outcome-focused activities.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively.
Effective writing and verbal presentation, including copyediting and public speaking.
Expertise in policy analysis and implementation.
Ability to be neutral and impartial.
Knowledge of principles of board and committee administration.
Knowledge of principles of program evaluation, policy assessment, and implementation.
Knowledge of principles of problem identification, analysis, and resolution.
Knowledge of principles of institutional management.
Ability to perform all job functions in an inclusive and equity-informed manner.
Knowledge of principles of project planning and implementation.
Knowledge of principles of computer information systems, including database, report generation, work processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.
Within the introductory period, obtain a working knowledge of State Bar office and functions.
Ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
Ability to learn quickly on the job.
Ability to work within shifting, sometimes ambiguous parameters while still driving toward practical solutions in support of the State Bar’s mission.
Ability to communicate effectively with officials in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of California State government.
Ability to exercise good judgment and integrity in handling crises.
Ability to identify problems, analyze responses, and implement relevant solutions.
Ability to communicate effectively within institutional parameters, considering different constituencies.
Ability to review and analyze complex written documents.
Ability to effectively present and speak publicly to large groups of people.
Ability to make recommendations on complicated and difficult program matters and present them effectively to governing authorities.
Ability to obtain and present material in oral and/or written form.
Ability to effectively interact with others in a collaborative environment.
Ability to effectively apply conflict resolution techniques to de-escalate and resolve contentious issues.
Ability to establish inclusive processes and practices.
Ability to quickly adapt to changing environments and critical needs, and adopt and effectively implement courses of action.
Ability to facilitate change by bringing different stakeholders together to find creative solutions to difficult problems.
Ability to create a culture of service, rigorous analysis, impartiality, fairness, and confidentiality.

Nice To Haves

Significant experience with board or committee governance, policies, procedures, and best practices.
Experience with the Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act.
Experience with Rosenberg’s Rules of Order.
Experience supporting an Executive Director or other executive-level leadership.
Technical savvy and comfort discovering and learning new applications and technology tools to increase efficiencies and audience impact.
Creative problem-solver who uses strategic thinking in resolving delays, challenges, or roadblocks.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Ability to pivot between various internal and external stakeholders, including translating complex information into easily understood concepts for the appropriate audience using data, graphics, and design.
Strong leadership with the ability to think strategically, connect the dots, and use sound judgment in decision-making.
Ability to remain calm and focused on the goal despite shifting priorities and deadlines.
Exceptional attention to detail, including the ability to review complex materials for factual accuracy, internal consistency, procedural compliance, accessibility, and clarity.
Ability to work independently and ensure effective time management.
Master’s degree in a relevant field may substitute for up to two (2) years of experience.

Responsibilities

Serves as the lead staff member responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing all meetings of the Board of Trustees and its standing committees, consulting with the Executive Director, Board Chair, Office of General Counsel, and other appropriate staff.
Manages the complete Board meeting lifecycle, including annual and multiyear meeting calendars, agenda planning, workback schedules, solicitation and review of agenda items, preparation and posting of notices and materials, public comment administration, accessibility arrangements, meeting technology, and post-meeting follow-up.
Establishes and enforces meeting-production schedules, internal deadlines, review protocols, checklists, and quality-control processes.
Conducts the final administrative review of notices, agendas, staff reports, attachments, links, presentations, and other materials to verify accuracy, completeness, consistency, and accessibility, and functionality before publication.
Prepares or oversees the preparation of accurate minutes, resolutions, voting records, notices of adjournment, action-item logs, and other official meeting records.
Maintains the integrity, accessibility, and organization of current and historical Board records.
Plans and facilitates the orientation and onboarding of Board members.
Provides training and guidance to State Bar staff supporting Board committees and subentities regarding governance requirements, meeting procedures, and applicable systems.
Uses active listening and sound judgment to capture Board direction, decisions, assignments, and follow-up obligations accurately and ensures that responsible staff complete assigned actions.
Conducts complex research and qualitative and quantitative analysis; identifying policy, governance, operational, and organizational implications; evaluating risks and alternatives; and developing clear, evidence-based recommendations for the Executive Director, Board leadership, and other decisionmakers.
Streamlines workflows, improving onboarding systems, and creating policies and procedures to ensure organizational uniformity and consistency.
Coordinates and provides oversight to sub-entity members, including, but not limited to, onboarding, assignment and monitoring of compliance requirements, technical and application management and support, meeting management, and documentation.
Directs the work of contractors and consultants, ensuring that contract requirements are followed and in accordance with State Bar policies.
Oversees the implementation of special projects, particularly those crossing multiple offices or units within the State Bar.
Triages external inquiries and ensuring timely/effective responses.
Serves as lead staff to assigned analytical, administrative, and technical staff.
Other duties as required.