Administrative Specialist

POSITION PURPOSE:

The Administrative Specialist provides essential administrative and operational support to the Finance Department, helping ensure organized, efficient, and professional operations. The position supports the Finance Director, Deputy Finance Director, and department staff while serving as a front-line contact for employees, officials, vendors, customers, and the public.

Responsibilities include assisting visitors, managing inquiries, coordinating schedules and meetings, maintaining records, supporting departmental operations, and handling special projects. The role requires knowledge of Finance Department functions, strong organizational skills, confidentiality, independent judgment, and the ability to adapt to changing priorities.

• Provides comprehensive administrative support to the Finance Director, Deputy Finance Director, and Finance Department staff.
• Serves as a central administrative resource responsible for helping maintain an organized, professional, and fully functioning Finance Department office.
• Manages and coordinates calendars, appointments, meetings, deadlines, departmental activities, and other administrative commitments.
• Anticipates upcoming administrative needs, identifies potential issues or conflicts, and takes appropriate action to keep departmental operations moving efficiently.
• Prepares, types, edits, proofreads, and distributes correspondence, memoranda, reports, forms, notices, presentations, and other documents.
• Maintains organized electronic and physical files, records, directories, reference materials, templates, and other departmental resources in accordance with City records-management requirements.
• Develops and maintains tracking systems for deadlines, requests, assignments, meetings, projects, and follow-up items.
• Coordinates departmental events, training, special assignments, travel arrangements, registrations, and other administrative activities.
• Monitors office supply inventory and coordinates the ordering, receipt, storage, and distribution of routine office supplies.
• Provides backup and overflow administrative support to staff and assists with changing departmental needs and priorities.

Meeting and Committee Administration

• Coordinates the preparation and administration of Finance Department meetings, including Finance and Personnel Committee activities.
• Collects, organizes, and tracks agenda items, reports, presentations, and supporting documentation.
• Maintains meeting calendars and monitors deadlines for submission of materials.
• Prepares, formats, proofreads, and distributes agendas, meeting packets, notices, presentations, and related materials.
• Coordinates meeting logistics, including room reservations, technology, materials, refreshments, and other arrangements as appropriate.
• Attends assigned meetings as recording secretary and prepares accurate and professional meeting minutes.
• Records motions, recommendations, decisions, assignments, action items, and matters requiring follow-up.
• Distributes approved minutes and maintains organized records of meetings and committee activities.
• Monitors outstanding meeting-related assignments, materials, deadlines, and action items and follows up as necessary.

Front-Line Customer and Department Support

• Serves as a professional first point of contact for the Finance Department.
• Answers, screens, and triages telephone calls, emails, correspondence, and other inquiries.
• Greets and assists customers, employees, vendors, elected officials, department heads, and members of the public.
• Determines the nature and urgency of questions, requests, and concerns and directs individuals to the appropriate department, division, employee, or resource.
• Develops and maintains a working knowledge of Finance Department functions, services, processes, and organizational responsibilities to appropriately route questions and requests.
• Provides clear, professional, courteous, and timely communication to individuals at all levels of the organization and to members of the public.
• Exercises sound judgment, discretion, professionalism, and emotional intelligence when handling difficult, sensitive, confidential, or stressful situations.
• Maintains confidentiality when handling personnel, financial, customer, departmental, and other sensitive information.

Departmental Projects, Mailing, and Special Activities

• Provides administrative support for departmental projects, programs, initiatives, special assignments, and events.
• Assists with research, document preparation, data entry, scanning, filing, records maintenance, purchasing, requisitions, invoices, and other administrative functions as assigned.
• Coordinates departmental mailing activities, including operation of the postage meter, preparation of certified and special mailings, large-volume mailings, and time-sensitive correspondence.
• Maintains appropriate records related to postage, mailing activity, and related transactions and coordinates replenishment or servicing of postage equipment as needed.
• Provides administrative and logistical support for City auctions, surplus sales, and related activities, including preparing documents and materials, coordinating schedules and locations, assisting with registration and event logistics, and maintaining related records.
• Coordinates with appropriate City departments, vendors, buyers, and other participants in connection with auctions, surplus sales, and special departmental activities.
• May assist with setup, registration, event activities, and breakdown associated with auctions, surplus sales, meetings, or special events.
• Provides administrative support during staff absences, periods of increased workload, or other operational needs.
• Assists with special projects and initiatives involving multiple City departments or outside agencies.
• Provides administrative support for special events, programs, meetings, auctions, surplus sales, or other activities outside normal departmental operations.
• May be required to attend occasional evening meetings, auctions, special events, or other activities outside normal business hours.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by the Finance Director or Deputy Finance Director.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Knowledge of modern administrative and office procedures, practices, and methods.
• Knowledge of professional business correspondence, grammar, spelling, punctuation, document formatting, and records-management practices.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple assignments, deadlines, interruptions, and changing priorities while maintaining accuracy and productivity.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in preparing documents, agendas, meeting materials, minutes, correspondence, records, and other administrative materials.
• Ability to take accurate and comprehensive meeting notes and prepare professional minutes, including accurately documenting motions, decisions, recommendations, and action items.
• Ability to coordinate meetings and ensure agendas, supporting materials, technology, room arrangements, and other logistics are prepared accurately and on time.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate professionally with City officials, department heads, employees, governmental agencies, vendors, customers, and members of the public.
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, including the ability to remain professional, respectful, and composed when handling difficult or stressful situations.
• Ability to exercise tact, discretion, confidentiality, and sound judgment when handling sensitive information and matters requiring careful consideration.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, anticipate administrative needs, identify potential problems, and follow through on assignments with minimal supervision.
• Ability to research questions using available information, policies, procedures, and resources before seeking assistance.
• Ability to recognize matters outside the employee's authority or expertise and appropriately seek guidance or refer the matter to the appropriate individual.
• Ability to adapt to changing departmental needs, priorities, workloads, and assignments.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and provide backup support to other administrative staff.
• Ability to learn and effectively apply City policies, procedures, systems, and software applications.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Outlook, Excel, Teams, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to effectively use electronic calendars, document-management systems, meeting-management systems, databases, and other computerized administrative applications.
• Ability to maintain a professional appearance and demeanor in a public-facing municipal environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent and three years of progressively responsible administrative, clerical, office support, or related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• One or more years of experience working in an Administrative Specialist or comparable administrative support role.
• Experience working in a municipal, governmental, financial, or public-sector environment.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• This is a fully in-person position and requires the employee to report to the assigned work location for all regularly scheduled work.
• The normal work schedule is generally 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; however, the schedule may vary based on departmental and City needs.
• Must be available to attend occasional evening meetings and other activities outside normal business hours, including Finance and Personnel Committee meetings, City meetings, auctions, special events, and other assigned activities.
• May be required to work occasional overtime or adjusted hours to meet departmental deadlines or support meetings, auctions, special events, or other City activities.
• Must maintain regular and reliable attendance consistent with City policies and departmental expectations.
• May be required to complete City-specific training related to administrative procedures, records management, meeting and agenda management, computer systems, software applications, and other job-related functions.

ENVIRONMENTAL/WORKING CONDITIONS OF THE POSITION:
Work is performed fully in person in a standard office environment with regular use of computers and office equipment. The work environment is fast-paced and may include frequent interruptions, changing priorities, time-sensitive assignments, and periods requiring independent work and minimal supervision.
The position may also require work in meeting rooms, storage areas, City facilities, and auction or surplus-sale locations. Occasional work may occur in crowded, noisy, dusty, or non-climate-controlled environments and may require extended standing or walking during meetings, auctions, special events, or other departmental activities.


The City of Racine is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.