Office Assistant II - English & Bilingual (English-Spanish)

Do you have?

• The drive to provide exemplary customer service
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with others
• A talent for working well under pressure and the ability to be assertive when supporting challenging customer service situations
• The capacity to work independently and exercise sound judgment
• Strong computer skills, including experience with electronic databases, Excel, Outlook, and Word

Working as an Office Assistant II (OA II), you will perform a variety of clerical and customer service activities, including data entry, answering phones, processing forms and client payments, handling mail, filing, and obtaining and conveying information related to department services, records, and programs. As an OA II, you will learn about the various services the department provides and gain knowledge regarding department guidelines and state/federal regulations that govern the work of the County. This is a great opportunity to learn valuable knowledge that can start you on the way to building a long-term career in public service.

This recruitment is currently being conducted to fill:

• One monolingual (English) position in Permit Sonoma
• One fluent bilingual (English/Spanish) position in the Community Development Commission (CDC)
• Two basic bilingual (English/Spanish) positions in the Department of Health Services (DHS)
• One monolingual (English) position and one fluent bilingual (English/Spanish) position in the Human Services Department (HSD)

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:
 

• A hybrid telework schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Bilingual premium pay** is an additional $1.15/hour on top of the hourly pay rate for bilingual positions
• Eligibility for a salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County paid 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance of up to $500 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement fully integrated with Social Security
• May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment

*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Memorandum Of Understanding (SEIU MOU) and our Employee Benefits Directory.

**Bilingual positions require English and Spanish skills at either the basic (conversational) or fluent (reading, writing, and conversational) level. Applicants who wish to be considered for a bilingual position must indicate their level of skill in the required supplemental questionnaire. An examination will be conducted prior to employment in a bilingual position to confirm the level of skill in this area. Bilingual premium pay is $1.15/hour. 

This recruitment is being conducted to fill multiple Office Assistant II positions. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment. The Sonoma County Community Development Commission is a separate entity from the County of Sonoma and not within the County's Civil Service System.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Experience: Any combination of training and experience which would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities. Normally, one year experience as an Office Assistant I with the County or one year of work experience in an office environment will provide this opportunity.
 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Working knowledge of: modern office practices, methods and procedures, general goals and purposes of county and departmental programs, services, and operations; clerical and department work practices, procedures, programs, services, policies and regulations; the purpose and processing of a diversity of materials; English grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and composition; basic arithmetic, ratios, and percentages; office equipment such as personal computers, typewriters, adding machines, calculators, alpha readers, electronic data processing terminals, printers, copiers, binders, collators, and microfilm equipment; the use of electronic information equipment and specific systems as used within the department; and the use of modern office equipment.

Ability to: read English at a level necessary to understand procedures, manuals, policies and guidelines; write English at a level necessary to prepare correspondence and record incoming information; speak English at a level necessary to communicate information clearly; answer a variety of questions related to department programs, services and operations; exercise sound judgment when initiating processes, actions, and alternatives within established procedures and regulations; understand and carry out written and oral instructions; prepare and maintain accurate reports and records; establish and maintain harmonious work relationships with employees and the public; communicate effectively verbally and in writing with individuals from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds; enter data accurately into automated systems; maintain confidentiality of restricted information; use discretion in organizing work and carrying out assignments with minimum supervision; use electronic information equipment and specific systems as used within the department; and operate modern office equipment.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.