Executive Assistant and Payroll/Personnel Specialist (Administrative Assistant V)

Join our team and play a key role in supporting a dynamic, high-performing department. In this multifaceted position, you will work closely with the department director and senior leadership to advance our mission, strengthen customer service, and enhance administrative excellence.

You will serve as the department’s primary payroll/personnel contact, managing all aspects of payroll and personnel processing for approximately 66 employees (merit and non-merit). In addition, you will provide executive-level support to the director, handle general administrative functions, and offer backup support to other senior leaders as needed.

This role is ideal for a self-directed professional who is highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable handling confidential information. You will use your strong communication skills to build relationships across the organization, support information systems/software needs, and contribute to continuous improvement efforts that make our services more efficient and effective.

If you are adept at multitasking, proficient in Microsoft Office, and motivated to make a meaningful impact in a complex public sector environment, we encourage you to apply.

The main duties of the position include:

• Serves as the payroll/personnel contact for the department. Manages and performs all aspects of payroll and personnel for the department of approximately 53 merit employees and 13 non-merit positions.
• Provides executive assistant support to the department director. May provide backup support to other senior leadership positions as necessary.
• Performs general administrative duties for the department director. May provide backup support to other senior leadership positions and/or the department as necessary.
• Manages Information systems/software support for the department.
• Performs other assignments as requested and additional duties as required.

Functional areas: payroll/personnel, executive assistance, general administrative assistance, and/or information systems/software

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position job description.)

General Executive Assistance
Provides advice and counsel to members of the executive/work unit head's functional area;
Exercises discretion in administrative policy interpretation;
Resolves a wide variety of operational problems requiring sound judgment.
Acts as the liaison between the executive/work unit head's functional area, other county offices, and external agencies;
Recommends exceptions to administrative policies that are subject to review.

Scheduling & Coordinating for Others
Supervises or handles the most complex, non-routine activities where consequence of error is high;
Coordinates all logistic activities for visits by external groups;
Schedules/sets up presentation rooms, obtains required audiovisual equipment, schedules order of presentations, length, etc.;
Verifies travel arrangements made by visitors (e.g., travel to/from hotel);
Makes all arrangements required by visitors regarding catering or supplies;
Directs or performs the scheduling, organizing, coordinating and making of arrangements for national and international meetings;
Negotiates prices for goods and services required at meetings;
Manages the calendar of the executive/work unit head with authority to make commitments of the executive/work unit head's time and to distinguish higher from lower priorities in the executive/work unit head's schedule.

Communication
Independently composes original correspondence (e.g., preparation of replies to non-technical requests) for the functional area under their own signature;
Explains and interprets policies as they apply to unique situations with potential legal and safety implications;
Researches, coordinates, and provides information to others including citizens, executive/work unit head, and/or BOS members/staff;
Informs internal staff regarding executive/work unit head's decisions regarding procedural issues and provides the reasons for those decisions.

Office Management
Supervises several dissimilar or specialized functions each with unique training requirements;
Devises procedures for complex or specialized functions;
Anticipates and develops procedures/tools to prevent problems; solves unusual problems;
Provides administrative support to the functional area (e.g., reviews, evaluates and prioritizes all requests and communications;
Analyzes short and long-range administrative needs such as space, staffing of functional area).

General Administrative
Responsible for and determines administrative procedures.

Receptionist/Public Contact
Answers questions requiring decisions that tend to establish a precedent and/or commit a unit or supervisor to a course of action;
Recommends procedural changes;
Interprets policies and provides oral and/or written interpretations/procedures for non-routine/complex problems referred by front line staff.

Word Processing/Typing
Supervises word processing staff including training of staff;
Edits for style, format, and/or layout.

Information Systems/Software
Trains staff in use of agency information systems/software;
Researches & selects hardware/software;
Creates complex spreadsheets for department;
Operates/manages complex databases & other software using advanced functions;
Diagnoses and resolves hardware/software problems using substantive computer/software knowledge.

Reports
Prepares one of a kind reports, gathers statistics based on information compiled from various sources, draws conclusions, and makes recommendations.

Personnel
Supervises all personnel administrative functions for the department;
Reviews new departmental policies for HR implications and recommends and implements administrative changes;
Researches and recommends solutions to non-routine/one-of-a-kind problems;
Drafts and coordinates approval of documents that include "boilerplate" language for matters related to HR (e.g., underfill agreements);
Works with hiring manager to coordinate appointment and review process;
Reviews class specifications and recommends requested job classification;
Develops administrative HR-related procedures for agency.

 

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

Knowledge of county policies within functional area of responsibility. This may include knowledge of an outside institution, dissimilar operational unit within the county or the basic principles and methods of a professional field.

Executive Assistance
Thorough knowledge of the executive/work unit head's program/area and of county administration and organization.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and be sensitive to political issues.
Knowledge and sensitivity to issues, priorities, protocol, etc.

Math Skills
Basic math skills.

PC Skills
Intermediate skills in the use of applicable Microsoft Office Suite software;
Intermediate skills in the use of agency specific software applications.

Communication
Ability to communicate well through written and oral means;
Ability to speak in front of a group.

Information Abilities
Ability to gather, integrate, and analyze complex data.

Interpersonal Abilities
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with both external and internal contacts.

Personnel and Payroll
Ability to perform all human Capital Management Enterprise Resource Planning system functions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies)  High school graduation and four years of experience providing administrative support in the assigned functional area(s).

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: 
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strong payroll/personnel processing experience.
• Proficient experience in web content management and supporting information systems/software.
• Experience providing executive assistance to a department director and/or senior leader.
• Experience providing general administrative support to a department/work unit
• Intermediate proficiency in using Microsoft Office Suite software such as Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Experience maintaining confidentiality and demonstrating sensitivity to political and organizational issues.
• Demonstrated experience as a self-directed executive assistant with excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Job is usually sedentary in a normal office environment; however, requires the ability to do some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of items under 20 pounds in weight. Ability to see, hear, and speak clearly. Ability to communicate with others and make presentations and speeches in public. Visual acuity is required to read data on computer monitor; incumbent must be able to operate keyboard driven equipment. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel Interview and may include a practical exercise.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce. 

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. [email protected] EEO/AA/TTY.