Director of Special Projects

Introduction The State of Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS) is seeking a Director of Special Projects (Executive Assistant 1) to support the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and senior leadership. This pivotal role will provide high-level administrative, programmatic, and project coordination support for initiatives spanning data transparency, interagency collaboration, and internal operations. The ideal candidate is proactive, detail-oriented, and thrives in a mission-driven public service environment. They will possess excellent organizational skills, have the ability to multitask, and be an independent problem solver. WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU • Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page! • Professional growth and development opportunities • A healthy work/life balance to all employees THE ROLE In this role, you will be responsible for: • Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Governor's Fellows Program, including tracking and managing program budgets, supporting recruitment and onboarding, managing the contracting process alongside the DAS Business Office, managing meetings and fellowship-related events, and serving as a liaison to funders and placement agencies; • Supporting implementation of agency initiatives, including coordinating planning, reporting, and monitoring activities in collaboration with the communications, legislative, and legal teams; • Leading special projects, including creating a project plan and tracking deadlines, identifying and contracting with vendors, communicating with stakeholders, and collaborating with other state agencies as necessary; • Providing general administrative support to the Commissioner's Office on special projects, policy documents, and compliance tracking; • Assisting the CAO and Communications Director to improve data transparency, including working with DAS divisions to identify and post data on Connecticut's Open Data Portal; • Leading coordination of the annual agency data inventory and open data access plan in collaboration with the Office of Policy and Management and internal stakeholders; • Assisting the Communications Team with website content management and updates to support the agency's digital communication goals, including form and survey development; • Supporting the Freedom of Information Liaison by responding to and processing FOI requests within the GovQA platform; • Performing related duties as required. POSITION HIGHLIGHTS • Monday - Friday • Full-time • First shift • Location: Hartford, CT • Hybrid position (telework and in office) Watch the video below to see what it's like to be a State of Connecticut employee! Selection Plan FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING: Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Reference Library for additional support throughout the recruitment process. BEFORE YOU APPLY: • Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified. • Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below by the closing date listed on the job posting. • Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency. • Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift. • Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing DAS.SHRM@ct.gov. • Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other. • Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the 'Apply' or 'Apply Online' buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting. AFTER YOU APPLY: • Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire's expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). • Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression! • Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks. • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class. • Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics. QUESTIONS? WE'RE HERE TO HELP: Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Frank DeCusati at frank.decusati@ct.gov. Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence! PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK) Acts as an executive assistant to a state elective officer or department head as defined in Section 4-5 of the Connecticut General Statutes and performs such duties as are assigned. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS • Experience with state government operations and public sector programs • Experience with Core-CT, CT Source, and state contracting • Experience with project management, including tracking project budgets over $1 million • Experience supporting executive-level leaders and managing cross-agency initiatives • Quantitative and qualitative analysis skills, including experience with data platforms such as Connecticut's Open Data Portal, PowerBI, R, Stata • Experience utilizing Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) • Experience with web development and web project management, including experience with Sitecore • Experience distilling complex information into materials and presentations for different audiences • Experience writing and editing professional documents • Experience handling competing priorities with minimal supervision • Excellent written and verbal communication skills Conclusion AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.