Executive Secretary I

City of Detroit•Michigan, MI

About The Position

An Executive Secretary supports a department head by managing information flow in and out of the administrative office, maintaining the executive’s calendar, and serving as a liaison among the department head, the Mayor’s Office, departmental staff, other City departments and agencies, outside organizations, and the public. The role has contact with staff at all levels, elected officials, boards of commissioners, service providers, contractors, and consultants. This is an at-will appointment. The selected candidate serves at the pleasure of the Chief of Police, and the appointment is temporary in nature, with its duration determined by the department executive or administrative commission. No tenure vests in this class. Applications without resumes will not be considered. Responsibilities may vary by position, and incumbents may be assigned other job-related duties.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited high school.
Four (3) years of secretarial work experience demonstrating proficiency in office administrative duties.
Knowledge of departmental organization and functions, practices, procedures, rules and regulations, and municipal organization.
Knowledge of general office work, terminology, methods, and practices.
Knowledge of common English usage, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Ability to speak and write well with correct grammatical usage.
Skill operating a personal computer and standard office word-processing, spreadsheet, and database software.
Skill recording and transcribing dictation with speed and accuracy.
Skill coordinating and expediting activities involving multiple organizational levels and contacts.
Ability to organize and prioritize work to complete assignments timely and effectively.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and respond proactively to changing workplace dynamics.
Ability to take individual accountability, demonstrate resourcefulness, and work with minimal supervision.
Ability to exercise tact and discretion when interacting with officials, staff, outside agencies, and the public.
Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships.
Ability to handle routine and non-routine administrative details.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree in secretarial science or business administration.
Continuing education classes in customer service.

Responsibilities

Schedule meetings, maintain the executive’s calendar, keep the executive apprised of appointments, and confirm meetings with participants.
Answer and screen telephone calls and visitors, handle calls when possible, and refer others to appropriate staff.
Facilitate communication among the Mayor’s Office, the executive, administrative and departmental staff, department heads, and outside agencies.
Alert the executive to important matters, messages, and emergencies requiring immediate attention.
Review incoming mail, refer items to appropriate staff with instructions, flag urgent items for the executive, and independently process routine matters.
Draft routine, non-technical correspondence for executive review and keep the executive informed about important issues referred to others.
Track pending items routed to management staff to ensure timely turnaround.
Gather and organize information for meetings and transcribe and organize meeting notes for future reference.
Ensure documents from management staff are in proper format before submitting them to the executive for approval.
Organize and maintain executive files, including confidential records.
Use knowledge of precedents, protocol, and prior decisions to maintain continuity of departmental processes and procedures when the executive or senior administrative staff are absent.