Administrative Assistant II (Procurement & Purchasing)

Posting number: 260200024

Department: Finance Department

Job classification: Administrative Assistant II

Posting type: Open & Promotional

Categories: Administrative Assistant

Summary

This Administrative Assistant II is assigned to the Procurement Division of the City’s Finance Department. The position serves as the Division’s first point of contact and primary front-facing support, performing responsible paraprofessional administrative work to ensure efficient procurement operations. This role manages core communication channels, supports term contract administration, data and records management, facilitates purchasing compliance, and maintains procurement systems and records. Responsible for end product of work, applying standard office methods and procedures. Works under general supervision of the Procurement Manager. 

The preferred hiring range for this position is between $24.12 - $30.27 an hour ($50,169.60 - $62,961.60 annually). Starting offer is based on applicable education, experience, and internal equity. This full-time, non-exempt position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including 13 paid holidays plus one floating holiday, vacation and sick leave, health insurance with employer contribution, employer-paid life insurance, gym membership reimbursement, tuition assistance, and professional development opportunities. This position is also eligible for the following retirement benefits:

• Choice of retirement plan: 
  • Defined Benefit Pension Plan: Provides a monthly benefit upon retirement, calculated using a defined formula based on earnings history, years of service, and age. The plan includes a 5-year vesting period and requires an employee contribution of 5% of salary.
  • Defined Contribution 401a Plan: Employer makes fixed contributions to an individual account, which are invested, and returns are credited to the account. The account balance is used to provide retirement benefits. Vesting occurs at 33% after one year, 67% after two years, and 100% after three years of service. No salary contribution is required.
• Voluntary 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
• Eligibility to purchase prior service credit under the Defined Benefit Plan

The City of Charlottesville manages its own retirement system and does not participate in VRS; however, a Portability Agreement is available for eligible employees. For additional details, please refer to the “Benefits” tab within this posting or visit the City’s Employee Benefits webpage.

Examples of duties

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations will be considered to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The essential functions of the job are not limited to those listed in the job description. The City retains the discretion to add to or change the duties of the position at any time.

Customer Service

• Serves as the first point of contact to meets, greet, screen in-person and telephone customers and visitors; takes messages or directs visitors appropriately.
• Provides accurate and appropriate information in response to routine and more advanced inquiries with ability to interpret department and City policies and procedures.
• Has a thorough understanding of departmental services and is able to assist with routine departmental processes, such as providing guidance to decentralized buyers and end users for timely processing; directs inquires appropriately. 
• Assists visitors in completing standard forms; may review them for completeness.
• Monitor's department email account and respond to routine requests.
• May update department website.
• May answer routines correspondence for supervisor.
• May provide direct support for public events and/or emergency operations.

Accounting & Purchasing

• Prepares, verifies, reconciles statements, files, and processes a variety of accounting and procurement documents, which may include, but are not limited to, invoices, credit card accounts, purchase requisitions, purchase orders, forms, reports, work orders, and documentation related to small purchase procedures.
• Orders, inventories, receives, and/or shelves routine supplies, books, office equipment and other departmental supplies or equipment.
• Tracks expenditures in appropriate accounting and procurement software and compiles data for monthly, annual, and other procurement performance reports, including cost savings reports.
• May assist in reviewing or writing RFP’s and bid specifications for purchase of goods and services.

Administrative and Clerical Support

• Prepares, proofreads and edits memos, letters, reports, forms, documents and other materials, using word processing, spreadsheets, databases or presentation software.
• Provides clerical support for department/unit as required; takes and posts minutes of required meetings.
• Receives, opens, and sorts mail; receives, signs for, and distributes packages; may assist with bulk mailings.
• Prints, collates, and assembles reports/materials for distribution.
• Coordinates with department vendors on the maintenance of leased and/or warrantied equipment.
• Schedules meetings and rooms as requested. Notifies participants of meetings.
• Makes travel arrangements for staff as needed, which may include assignment and management of City credit card(s).
• May operate department specific computer systems/equipment, maintaining appropriate security, processing records, and monitoring training of new users.

Data and Records Management

• Performs a variety of data entry tasks, including entering and updating data in appropriate administrative support systems, such as contract management and procurement systems. 
• Maintains physical and electronic files and records, including contract files and supporting documentation in accordance with record retention requirements.
• Reviews completed work for accuracy and completeness, including contract records and renewals. 
• May perform inquiries in internal and external databases to determine discrepancies, including contract information and renewal documentation.
• Assists in collecting and organizing data for reports and surveys; creates simples tables and drafts reports, documents, and questionnaires; answers and responds to correspondence and survey questionnaires; may assist in analyzing data. 
• May assist in the preparation of narrative and statistical reports.

Human Resources

• May assist with the hiring process, schedules interviews, pre-employment screenings, and with the onboarding of new departmental employees.
• May submit personnel transactions, including new hire transactions, terminations, cost center changes, pay changes, and others.
• May be responsible for time entry related tasks such as accurately and timely submitting of payroll time entries. Entering time manually or reviewing and verifying information from electronic timekeeping system, such as entries updates and leaves.
• May train staff on departmental and City policies, procedures, and systems.

General Requirements

• Responsible for appropriate use and maintenance of City equipment, tools and other resources, including work time.
• Regular and reliable attendance.

Other Duties

• Based on assignment, may be required to respond upon activation from the City Manager of the Continuity of Operations Plan and/or Emergency Operations Plan. Must have the ability to be contacted and respond based on Department guidelines.
• Performs additional duties to support operational requirements as apparent or assigned.

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Candidates may qualify by demonstrating the required knowledge and skills outlined for the job through experience(s) other than formal education.

• High School diploma or GED AND 2 years of clerical, office administration, and/or accounting experience.

• 4 years of clerical, office administration, and/or accounting experience.

• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of the specific requirements listed above.

Preferred:

• Academic work in public administration, business administration, management, accounting, or closely related courses.

Certifications/Licenses/Other Requirements:

• Required to successfully pass a pre-employment background check and pre-employment drug screen.
• May require obtaining Notary Public after hiring.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics: 
Job Knowledge

• Thorough knowledge of standard office practices, procedures, and equipment.
• Thorough knowledge of database, spreadsheet and word processing applications including standard methods of graphic presentations.
• Knowledge of general accounting principles and of general standards for recordkeeping.

Reading

• Intermediate: ability to read and understand written materials such as books, journals, multi-step instruction manuals, standard financial reports, and reference materials.

Writing

• Intermediate: ability to organize data and write clear and concise reports, business letters, explanations, and summaries with proper format, punctuation, spelling, and grammar, using all parts of speech.

Math

• Intermediate: ability to deal with number systems; simple formulas, practical application of fractions, percentages, ratios/proportions and measurement.

Communication Skills

• Intermediate: Establishes and maintains effective working relationships and communications with management, employees, clients, customers, and the public.  Examples include contacts that may involve stressful, negative interactions requiring high levels of tact and the ability to respond to aggressive interpersonal interactions. Explains rules and procedure clearly. Elements of persuasion may be necessary to gain cooperation and acceptance of ideas. 

Independence and Decision-Making

• Requires General Direction: normally performs the job by following general instructions or established standard operating procedures and/or policies.  There is some discretion when making decisions among a few easily identifiable choices of the appropriate procedure or policy to apply to duties.   Performance is reviewed frequently.

Technical Skills

• Skilled: comprehensive, practical knowledge of a technical field with use of analytical judgment and decision-making abilities appropriate to the assigned and apparent job responsibilities. Skilled in the use of Microsoft Office Suite, graphics presentations, and department software.

Fiscal Responsibilities

• May prepare accounting, budget, and purchasing documents; and does research to justify language used in documents for a unit or division of a department. May recommend budget allocations.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• No responsibility for direction or supervision of others but may assist with training.

Other Characteristics

• Organizational and time management skills, sometimes under strict time constraints.
• Balances multiple, complex tasks.
• Working closely with others as part of a team.
• Constant interruptions, changes in tasks, and requests for service.
• Work may be tedious or exacting.
• Works effectively with sensitive and confidential issues and information.
• May require dealing with angry, frustrated and/or upset individuals.
• May require additional hours outside normal schedule.

Supplemental information

Physical Demands:

• Light Work: Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Must be able to communicate information and ideas so others will understand.  Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.
• Must occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc. and position self to maintain files in file cabinet.
• Ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Machines, Tools, Equipment, Software and Hardware:

• Typically requires use of standard office equipment and telephone, and related software and hardware; and any other equipment as appropriate or as assigned.  

Work Environment:

• Work is performed in an office environment where there may be exposure to computer screen for extended periods of time, monitor glare and dust.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.