Special Assistant

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS•Austin, TX

9d•$5,798 - $9,508•Hybrid

About The Position

Join the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and be part of a team committed to creating a positive impact in the lives of fellow Texans. At HHSC, your contributions matter, and we support you at each stage of your life and work journey. Our comprehensive benefits package includes 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement and more. Explore more details on the Benefits of Working at HHS webpage. As the Special Assistant, you will support the Office of the Chief Financial and Operations Officer with all administrative tasks, including providing support for scheduling, requisitions, and office duties. In addition, you will manage the Chief Financial and Operations Officer’s mailbox, including monitoring due dates, maintaining documentation of receipt, comments, approvals, and signatures. You will maintain timelines for various document processes. This position is responsible for preparing internal and external documents for executive management review and decision-making. You will serve as a liaison between the CFOO and other agency executives and administrative areas. You will write, review, and edit memorandums, documents, and reports. This position requires excellent writing and verbal skills, the ability to appropriately handle confidential information, exceptional interpersonal skills, and the ability to work effectively as a member of the executive office. You will work closely with agency executives, the HHSC Executive Clerk, in addition to other agency staff and external stakeholders. Works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Requirements

Five years’ work experience with responsibilities in process development and improvement, business or public administration, or managing large-scale processes.
Experience with an HHS agency or other large government agency is preferred but not required.
Experience managing a high-volume mailbox and calendaring system is preferred.
A four-year degree from an accredited university, experience in the above field can be substituted on a year-for-year basis.
Health and Human Services’ programs, policies, and procedures.
Texas legislative process.
Texas HHSC Executive Writing Reference Guide.
Associated Press style.
HHSC Office of the Executive Commissioner policies and procedures.
Principles and practices of office management, business administration, human resource administration, budget preparation, or quality assurance systems.
Microsoft Office Suite products including Excel, Visio, PowerPoint and advanced Word.
Adobe Acrobat.
Building and maintaining SharePoint sites and pages to include document storage and sharing.
Critical thinking with the ability to research and present findings.
Communicating clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
Detail orientation with the skill to communicate large amounts of complex information.
Oversee and supervise the work of others.
Exercise initiative and discretion.
Develop and maintain strong professional working relationships.
Work under limited supervision and exercise good judgment.
Maintain and meet timelines and deadlines and adapt to technical and policy developments.
Manage projects effectively and produce quality work within short deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Experience with an HHS agency or other large government agency is preferred but not required.
Experience managing a high-volume mailbox and calendaring system is preferred.

Responsibilities

Answers and screens phone calls, takes messages, sets up conference calls and meetings.
Manages calendars, meetings, and conferences, develops trip itineraries and presentation materials, and coordinates air and ground travel for the CFOO; prepares and submits travel vouchers electronically for the Directors, as needed. May assist in managing a variety of mailboxes.
Oversees certain purchasing activities, including professional membership renewals, subscription services, contracts with consultants, and supplies. Assists with budget preparation and expenditure tracking for the Office of the CFOO.
Tracks and routes for approval by the CFOO variance reports, correspondence, studies, forms, manuals, and publications; communicates objectives, tasks, and decisions to staff related to those documents on behalf of the CFOO.
Serves as a liaison between the CFOO division, the Executive Commissioner's office, and other HHSC chief areas that generate memoranda for the Executive Leadership.
Monitors a centralized correspondence mailbox to review all correspondence-related emails from CFOO departments, leadership staff, and other chief and administrative areas.
Provides guidance, direction, and technical assistance to CFOO division staff on policy, legislative, stakeholder, and programmatic matters.
Prepares and tracks briefing documents, drafts, reviews, edits, and routes executive, stakeholder, and legislative correspondence and reports for executive review and decision-making.
Ensures documents are formatted according to agency guidelines.
Serves as the point of contact for formal communications and provides consultation and technical assistance to agency staff and leadership regarding executive communication.
Coordinates with the Employee Retention Analyst and Project Manager within the Office of the CFOO. May serve as backup to either role related to the primary job duties in their absence.
Assists with answering questions for general division operations.
Serves as a backup to process purchase requisitions, training scheduling, or other needs for staff within the Office of the CFOO.
Coordinates with the support personnel for the Deputy Chiefs in CFOO as well as support personnel for all other HHSC Chiefs.
Develops electronic filing systems.
Develops and maintains tracking and timeline systems and processes.
Reviews and updates policies and procedures regularly to reflect changing needs and priorities.
Prepares written project updates, summaries, reports, and other documents.
Oversees filing systems and conducts periodic reviews of systems.
Maintains tracking documents and guides.
Coordinates division responses for requests for information.
Participates in agency administrative workgroups, as assigned.
Attends work on a regular and predictable schedule, according to agency leave policy, and performs other duties as assigned.