Executive Assistant

Description

As the Executive Assistant, you will focus on providing administrative assistance to the Director and at the direction of the Director to the Deputy Director. This team member brings their technical skills to provide confidential, executive administrative support to the Director and Deputy Director while working on various high-level, state-wide projects and initiatives with the goal of accomplishing the objectives of the OCO.

Who we are:
The Office of the Corrections Ombuds (OCO) is an independent and impartial public office within the Governor's Office. The OCO serves the state of Washington by helping to resolve issues involving people incarcerated in the Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities. Our goal is to address issues quickly and efficiently, and to provide assistance to the individuals incarcerated in the DOC facilities, and their families and friends. Through our casework and published reports, we work to promote a positive change in corrections.

OCO’s Vision: The Office of the Corrections Ombuds envisions a more humane and transparent Washington corrections system.

OCO’s Mission: The Office of the Corrections Ombuds is on a mission to provide opportunities for people impacted by incarceration to raise issues and resolve conflicts. We work to reduce harm in the Washington corrections system by negotiating outcomes, recommending positive change, and reporting individual and systemic concerns.

OCO’s Values:

• Integrity
• Collaboration
• Equity
• Courage
• Respect

Learn more about Office of the Corrections Ombuds.

Duties

What you’ll do:

• Provide confidential administrative support for the OCO Director and Deputy Director.
• Assist the Director with:
  • Calendaring and Email
    • Review and prioritize the Director’s and Deputy Director’s incoming postal and electronic mail for timely response.
    • Alert the Director and Deputy Director to significant items needing attention.
    • Provide customer service to those in contact with the Director & Deputy Director.
  • Hiring process, including supporting the onboarding and exiting of OCO staff.
  • Travel arrangements and reimbursements, including approvals.
  • Public records request responses involving the Director and Deputy Director.
  • Scheduling, planning for, and hosting meetings.
• Serve as the Director’s point of contact for internal and external stakeholders and other state agencies. May also provide similar executive assistant services to the Deputy Director.
• Work closely with the OFM payroll office for over/under, labor reports, and payroll time sheet audits; troubleshoot errors as necessary.
• At the direction of the Director:
  • Review and format legislative reports and other externally facing correspondence.
  • Provide technical writing and communication assistance to OCO staff as requested by the Director.
  • Provide program specific technical assistance to OCO staff.
  • Update and maintain our externally facing website.
  • Update and maintain all OCO social media pages.
  • Update and maintain internally facing SharePoint Pages.

Qualifications

• Experience coordinating special events.
• Proficiency with common document creation and communication programs including but not limited to MS Office programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Vision, and other programs such as Adobe Acrobat, Zoom and social media platforms. An ability and willingness to quickly master other OCO specific programs and platforms.

Desired Qualifications:

• Associate degree in business administration, public administration, or closely allied field.
• Knowledge of WA state records retention laws.
• Experience maintaining a SharePoint site.
• Working knowledge of Washington state agencies and programs, the Legislature, and state budget process, which can be obtained through previous work experience or demonstrated strong research and critical thinking skills.
• Familiarity with the OCO’s agency business operations, policies, and procedures to perform tasks and answer questions from OCO staff and external stakeholders.

If you have gotten this far and are thinking you do not qualify, consider again. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At the Office of the Corrections Ombuds, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic workplace centered in belonging. If you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may just be the needed candidate for this or other roles.

Supplemental Information

How to apply:
Interested? We would love to hear from you. Click “Apply” at the top of this page to start your application (you can save the application and come back to it, if needed).

Please include the following along with your application:

• 
  Letter of interest: describing your specific qualifications.
• Resume: that details your applicable experience and education.
• References: at least three professional references with current telephone numbers.

We will directly contact the top candidates to interview for this position. Because we base our selection on the information you provide, it is in your best interest to identify the knowledge, skills and abilities that address the required and desirable qualifications we described above.

Questions:
For questions about this recruitment or to request reasonable accommodation in the application process, please email Leila Vandiver at TalentAcquisition@ofm.wa.gov. For TTY service, please call the Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.

The Office of the Governor is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, and disabled and Vietnam-era veterans are encouraged to apply. If you need accommodations or help in the application process, or who wish to receive this job announcement in an alternative format, you may call 360-725-0158 or dial 711 to reach the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf system.