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Waste Management Section Secretary (Secretary Senior)

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen
 
Protecting Washington State's environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. We have a culture that is invested in making a difference. If you want to join a team that is highly effective, collaborative, has leadership that embraces the value of people, Ecology is a good fit.

Are you passionate about helping others? Are you an organized professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment? If so, then join a friendly, inclusive team that shares your interests!

The Nuclear Waste Program (NWP) is looking to hire a Waste Management Section Secretary (Secretary Senior). This position will be located in our office in Richland, WA.

The Waste Management Section Secretary position supports Ecology and the NWP through the performance of professional secretarial and administrative support services for the NWP Waste Management Section Manager and staff, participates on the NWP Administrative Support Team, and supports agency initiatives in a manner that supports Ecology and NWP goals and objectives.

We are looking for applicants who are detail oriented, are able to juggle multiple work projects and have the ability to work with a Section of diverse people. 

As an agency, our mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment for current and future generations. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism and accountability. 

To learn more about The Department of Ecology, please visit our website at www.ecology.wa.gov and follow, like or visit us on LinkedInTwitterFacebookInstagram or our blog.
  
Local efforts... Diverse people... Statewide impacts
 
Duties 
 
The Nuclear Waste Program's (NWP) mission is to lead the effective and efficient cleanup of the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site, ensure sound management of mixed hazardous wastes in Washington; and protect the state's air, water, and land at and adjacent to the Hanford site.

Some of the key work activities of the Waste Management Section Secretary position include:

Provide direct secretarial and administrative support to the Richland Office – Waste Management Section manager and staff
  • Performs complex word processing tasks such as preparing correspondence from a draft or verbal instructions. 
  • Proofreads and edits section letters, monthly reports, and other documents for grammar, punctuation, spelling, clarity, and formatting using agency and program standards. 
  • Obtains signatures and distribute correspondence and copies. 
  • Assists staff with questions about agency, program, and office policies and procedures. 
  • Assists staff in finding information and forms.
  • Makes travel arrangements and prepares Travel Authorizations for manager and staff as needed. Prepares and routes travel expense vouchers to fiscal office and tracks payments received. 
  • Assists staff with Training and Development Requests as needed. Tracks Core training for the staff and sends email reminders to staff when they are due for upcoming Core training class. 
  • Tracks section travel and training expenses using the Travel-Training tracking log.
  • Processes personnel forms such as performance development plans, position descriptions, innovative work schedule requests, and personnel action forms.
  • Maintains local copy of staff personnel folders.
  • Collates staffs monthly reports into one report for manager's review and edit. Formats and proofreads the edited report following program standards. Emails finalized report to Program Manager and program staff. 
  • Prepares reports as requested.
  • Performs New Employee Orientation for new WMS staff and performs the onboarding of new staff in the areas of – time accounting, travel and training, using different Ecology and NWP software programs, and mail processes.
  • Assists in scheduling meetings and notifying attendees using MS Outlook. Schedules conference rooms using Event Management Systems. 
  • Prepares meeting agendas; takes and distributes meeting notes. 
  • Reviews the manager's calendar throughout the day and reminds manager of upcoming meetings.
  • Informs manager of items requiring review or action; relay messages and instructions from manager to staff.
   Assists/Supports Ecology and Nuclear Waste Program.
  • Provides backup support to other NWP section secretaries and Office Assistant 3.
  • Attends section meetings, and Program All Staff meetings.
  • Actively participates on Administrative Support Team and attends team meetings. 
  • Helps establish office procedures and standards for administrative functions.
  • Updates and maintains Secretary Desk Manual.
 
 
Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Position requires a high school diploma or equivalent AND two (2)years of increasingly responsible office experience.
 

Desired Qualifications:
  • Skills in the use of office equipment (e.g. personal computer, copier, fax machine).
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Word; and experience in other MS Office programs, particularly Outlook and Excel.
  • Ability to format and edit documents to meet Ecology formatting, grammar, punctuation, and Plain Talk standards.
  • One (1) year of experience working in an office providing administrative support to manager and multiple staff.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
  • Must be able to obtain a Hanford Site access badge to handle and process Official Use Only and Business Confidential documents.
  • Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
 
Why work for Ecology?
Joining Ecology means becoming a part of a team committed to protecting and restoring Washington State's environment.
A career in public service allows you to help solve some of the most challenging problems facing our state, while keeping the health and financial security of you and your family a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to work/life balance.
Ecology employees may be eligible for the following:
Student debt and how working for Ecology can help
Employees may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, which forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.
*See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information

 
Supplemental Information
 
Application Instructions:
 
In order to be considered, applicants MUST attach the following documents as an attachment to their application:
  • A cover letter describing how your experience, skills and abilities meet the required/desired qualifications of this position.
  • A resume outlining your professional clerical and customer service experience.

Please complete the applicant profile when applying for this position. Or, you may paste the text of your resume within the profile's resume text field.

Please read the supplemental questions carefully and answer completely. Incomplete responses, including "please see resume", may disqualify you from further consideration.

Department of Ecology employees, please make sure to answer the agency-wide questions regarding permanent status as a classified employee within the Washington General Service or Washington Management Service. Do not forget to select Department of Ecology as a response to question 2, and type your personnel ID number for question 3. If you are not sure of your status or do not know your personnel ID number, please contact Human Resources at (360) 407-6186.

If you are reading this announcement in print format, please visit www.careers.wa.gov to access the online recruitment system. Click on "Look for Jobs" and select Dept. of Ecology under the "Department" search list. Click "Apply Search."

Other Information:
 
If you need assistance applying for this job, please call Human Resources at (360) 407-6186 or e-mail careers@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not call this number or send an email to this address to follow-up the status of your application. You can view the latest status of your application on your profile's main page.

If you have specific questions about the position, please email Mark Pakula at: mark.pakula@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Mark to inquire about the status of your application.

The act of submitting application materials electronically is considered affirmation that the information is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information and any untruthful or misleading answers are cause for rejection of your application or dismissal if employed.

This position is included in the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) union bargaining unit for the Department of Ecology.

The Washington State Department of Ecology 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, veterans or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application/testing process or this job announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 407-6186. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.