Public Experience Liaison Substitute

City of Port Townsend•Port Townsend, WA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The City of Port Townsend is hiring a Public Experience Liaison (PEL) Substitute to work on a part-time, on-call basis through July 2027. This position has no regular schedule and works hours as needed to fill in for regular staff absences and leaves or other unanticipated situations when extra help is needed. The incumbent may be asked to work 10-15 hours per week initially while training, then will work as needed to meet City operational needs, primarily during regular business hours for City Hall. The role involves performing a range of administrative and customer service-related functions, acting as the public information contact, and providing general administrative support across various City divisions.

Requirements

Knowledge of business language and writing principles and practices, including grammar, syntax and spelling
Knowledge of basic bookkeeping principles and practices
Cash management procedures and ability to be bonded
Understands and can explain City organization to customers and direct customers to the appropriate parties
Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook, internet and intranet navigation
Strong typing skills
Communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact with diverse groups of people
Exceptional customer service, active listening, professional and warm phone voice
Ability to connect with upset or insistent customers in a professional, empathetic, and patient manner
Ability to learn software systems such as SmartGov, Springbrook, HdL Prime, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, WordPress, and Meta Business Suite
Consistently demonstrates accuracy and high attention to detail
Strong time management and decision-making skills
Flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances, such as shifting priorities, unexpected challenges, or variations in the workload, while maintaining composure and effectiveness
Ability to maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with co-workers, peers, management, elected officials, and customers
Ability to effectively and efficiently communicate with team members, managers, the general public, and other departments, both verbally and in writing, using tact, patience and courtesy to convey instructions, provide feedback, receive feedback, and resolve issues
Ability to communicate at all levels of organization and work well within a team environment in support of agency objectives
Ability to follow procedures and perform work with minimal supervision
Ability to use technology to increase efficiency and customer experience
Ability to meet deadlines
Ability to organize and maintain records to city, state and federal standards
Ability to research municipal code, state and federal guidance for a variety of special projects
Ability to compose memos, letters, and other documents
High School diploma or GED
Three years' experience performing administrative office tasks including customer service, cash handling/cashiering, billing, correspondence preparation, file management and/or recordkeeping
Demonstrated proficiency in computer operating systems and use of Microsoft Office Suite products, including Word and Excel and ability to learn other software programs, such as Springbrook
Must be bondable

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in city or county government
Knowledge of Port Townsend community

Responsibilities

Serves as public information contact/gatekeeper for calls City-wide
Acts as the first line of contact for the City, greeting the public warmly, providing information, answering initial City-wide customer questions, and referring advanced inquiries and complaints to the appropriate departments
Checks in visitors and directs them to appointments or proper location
Supports utility bill customer questions over the phone, setting up online payments, and applying mailed in payments
Coordinates incoming and outgoing mail and package delivery
Processes departmental paperwork
Uses the internet to download applications, reports, regulations and other information
Provides general administrative support for the Administration, Community Services, Finance and Public Works Divisions, including word processing, correspondence, reports, meeting notes and minutes
Performs special projects for City department directors
Receives resident concerns, responds to and addresses concerns directly, and/or directs appropriate personnel, including immediate contact of managers or crews for urgent matters
Maintains and updates the resident concern tracking program, including responses to concerns and requests
Participates in the special event permit process, as needed, in coordination with the Special Event Coordinator