Administrative Assistant 1 / Trainee 1 / 2 - NY HELPS

Duties Description Section Overview

The Department of Environmental Conservation’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) works to address environmental issues and concerns that affect primarily low income and minority communities through grant opportunities, enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, consultation, guidance, and enhanced public participation.

The Administrative Assistant 1 is needed to serve as the principal administrative support position for OEJ. Under the direct supervision of the program Director, the Administrative Assistant 1 would organize and coordinate administrative activities; direct the information flow for the program and provide support for section managers. The Administrative Assistant 1 would be expected to review incoming correspondence and draft responses where appropriate; review outgoing correspondence; research background information; transmit instructions to staff and conduct follow-up. The Administrative Assistant 1 would be responsible for the following tasks:

Duties Description

• Provide support to the Director of the Office of Environmental Justice.

• Schedule and arrange virtual and in-person meetings, conferences, and presentations for the Office of Environmental Justice.

• Arrange travel accommodations and process travel forms for office staff.

• Monitor office spending and available funds. Utilize SFS and local spreadsheets to provide office management and office budget liaison with real time budget information. Forecast budget use and availability.

• Schedule biweekly staff meetings. Work with attendees' calendars and assistants to schedule meetings with outside personnel. Provide updates to the team when meetings are cancelled or re-scheduled. Ensure agenda and other meeting materials are distributed in a timely manner.

• Take minutes at staff meetings or other meetings as needed.

• Transmit instructions from the Director to staff and monitor requests.

• Receive incoming correspondence, including phone calls, emails, and letters, and determine significance. Distribute as appropriate and ensure follow up as necessary.
• Prepare and proof correspondence.

• Act as a liaison between Office of Environmental Justice and other programs outside of the agency as needed.

• Assist with submissions and requests related to the Commissioners Correspondence Unit.

• Assist with monitoring and tracking of correspondence.

• Assist the with the planning and coordinating of events.

• Provide additional administrative support for Executive staff and OEJ staff as instructed by the Director.
  

Minimum Qualifications This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).

For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.

To be eligible for appointment under NY HELPS, candidates must meet the minimum qualifications below:

Non-competitive qualifications for NYHELPS:

Administrative Assistant Trainee 1:
Six months of experience in administrative support, which includes use of office software (e.g., email, word processing), provision of customer service, business writing, and/or office administration.

Administrative Assistant Trainee 2:
One year of experience in administrative support, which includes use of office software (e.g., email, word processing), provision of customer service, business writing, and/or office administration.

Administrative Assistant 1:
Two years of experience in administrative support, which includes use of office software (e.g., email, word processing), provision of customer service, business writing, and/or office administration.

Competitive qualifications:

Reassignment – Currently in the title and an employee of DEC
OR

Reinstatement Eligible – Previously held the title on a permanent competitive basis or held a title as indicated under the transfer eligible section on a permanent competitive basis
OR

Transfer Eligible – One year of permanent competitive service at Salary Grade 6* or higher and:

Eligible for transfer under Section 70.1: Permanent competitive service as an Administrative Assistant 1 (formerly Secretary 1), Administrative Assistant 2 (formerly Secretary 2), Accountant Aide including Trainee 1 & 2, Business Document Specialist 1 & 2, Program Aide, Legal Assistant Trainee 1 & 2, Library Clerk 2 & 3, Office Assistant 1, Office Assistant 1 (Keyboarding), Office Assistant 2, Office Assistant 2 (Calculations), Office Assistant 2 (Customer Service), Office Assistant 2 (Keyboarding), Office Assistant 2 (Stores/Mail), Office Assistant 3, Office Assistant 3 (Calculations), Senior Offset Machine Operator, Stores & Mail Operations Supervisor.

Also, any language parenthetic for the above titles. Additional titles which qualify can be found on the Department of Civil Service website, search "GOT-IT".

• Note: Appointment may be made at a traineeship level. Two-year traineeship (Administrative Assistant Trainee 1, NS=Grade 8 starting salary $40,391 & Administrative Assistant Trainee 2, NS=Grade 10 starting salary $45,081) leading to Administrative Assistant 1, Grade 11 ($47,695). Trainees will be required to take four mandatory courses the first year of the traineeship and four elective courses in each the second year of the traineeship in four competency areas through the CSEA Partnership, or equivalent offerings through another entity as determined by the agency. All trainees are required to successfully complete all courses before advancing to the Administrative Assistant 1, G-11.
  

Additional Comments Telecommuting may be available up to 50% of work schedule, will be discussed at interview.

We offer a work-life balance and a generous benefits package, worth 65% of salary, including:

• Holiday & Paid Time Off
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
• Pension from New York State Employees’ Retirement System
• Shift & Geographic pay differentials
• Affordable Health Care options
• Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost
• NYS Deferred Compensation plan
• Access to NY 529 and NY ABLE College Savings Programs, and U.S. Savings Bonds
• And many more...

For new State employees appointed to graded positions, the annual salary is the hiring rate (beginning of the Salary Range) of the position. Promotion salaries are calculated by the NYS Office of the State Comptroller in accordance with NYS Civil Service Law, OSC Payroll rules and regulations and negotiated union contracts.

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Our work would not be possible without the diverse backgrounds, experiences, ideas, and abilities of our employees. DEC is committed to developing a workforce which represents the diverse population of New York State. DEC embraces a diverse and inclusive work environment by encouraging all individuals, including those with disabilities, to apply to open positions at the agency.

Please be advised, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation does not use E-Verify, and we are unable to provide sponsorship for employment visa statuses (i.e. H-1B, Self-Sponsorship, STEM OPT).