Legislative Assistant - Part-Time

Title:                                       Legislative Assistant (Part-time)

EEO:                                       5

Status:                                   Non-exempt (Part-time)

Department:                          Commission                                          

Supervises:                           None                     

Position Reports To:            Town Mayor/Commissioner 

Sworn:                                   No

Job Specifications

PURPOSE

The Legislative Assistant (Part-time) will perform routine and complex clerical and administrative duties supporting the daily operations of either the Mayor or a City Commissioner. Work involves keeping official records, providing administrative support, coordinating schedules for meetings, external affairs and events, developing a variety of correspondence and public communications materials, conducting research, and completing projects. Will frequently interact with the public, elected officials, and external agency representatives while handling highly sensitive and confidential matters. Will report to the assigned Elected Official.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The following duties and functions, as outlined herein, are intended to be representative of the type of tasks performed within this position. They are not listed in any order of importance. The omission of specific statements of the duties or functions does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this description. Other duties may be required and assigned: 

• Executes special projects assigned by elected officials, including entering citizen requests in the electronic system, drafting proclamations, and planning elected official sponsored events.
• Answers phones and emails, providing information or routing and directing calls to appropriate department/personnel as required.
• Gathers data and correspondence relevant to assigned agenda items, conducts research and provides updates and summaries to prepare individuals for meetings as appropriate.
• Manages Elected Official’s social media accounts and public communications, including but not limited to, drafting and initiating social media posts, messages, updates, articles, scripts, podcasts, and panel questions and answers.
• Coordinates and/or schedules and attends meetings, including during evening hours as necessary.
• Participates in a variety of meetings, recording notes, completing necessary forms and documents, and drafting or coordinating the creation of promotional flyers, correspondence, and sponsorship requests; coordinates, as appropriate, with external entities including but not limited to Homeowner Associations (HOAs), community partners, and event sponsors.
• Attends the events and programs sponsored / hosted and attended by elected officials, including but not limited to, external events, proclamation deliveries, charitable contribution presentations; takes pictures for public relations and community engagement initiatives and communications.
• Provides accurate and thorough information regarding city activities and events, including those involving the Mayor and City Commission.
• Monitors calendar and regularly reviews, briefs, and reminds Elected Officials of their schedules, action items, and commitments.
• Composes, prepares, edits, and proofreads a variety of professional, official, confidential, and legal correspondence, reports, memoranda, including but not limited to, agenda packets for meetings, PowerPoint presentations, public notices and legal advertisements, constituent responses, and digital or printed marketing and promotional materials.
• Maintains and creates electronic files and records, including when working out of multiple office locations; uploads and scans a variety of correspondence, documents, and forms to appropriate electronic filing systems; inventories files in accordance with records retention policies, forwarding designated files to long-term storage; tracks items requiring a response or action from other departments.
• Coordinates travel arrangements for assigned Elected Official pertaining to meetings, trainings, and conferences; processes all travel expense reports accordingly.
• Sorts, opens, and/or distributes incoming and outgoing mail for assigned Elected Official; inputs and updates information into designated manual and/or electronic correspondence logs.
• Receives and responds to public inquiries, by phone, email, and in person, coordinating responses on behalf of the assigned elected official as directed.
• Maintains quality communication and interaction with all city personnel, representatives from external organizations, and the public to maintain goodwill toward the city and to project a positive city image. 
• Maintains on-call work availability as assigned, to prepare for, respond to, or recover from a hurricane, tropical weather event, or other emergencies to meet the city’s obligation to remain operational before, during, and after the event; duties assigned may or may not be typical of the job and are contingent upon the needs of the city and the residents because of the event.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with those interacted with during work regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetic information, disability, political affiliation, military service, or diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
• Performs any other related duties and assignments.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

The Legislative Assistant to the Elected Official should be able to:

• Perform a variety of complex technical and/or clerical work involving independent judgment.
• Interpret and apply policies, regulations, and procedures.
• Make accurate comparisons and arithmetic computations.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Follow oral and written instructions. Work effectively with the public, in person and by telephone.
• Supervise temporary, volunteer, or support clerical personnel.
• Possess a high degree of detail orientation, integrity, and confidentiality.
• Exercise adaptive thinking and facilitative style.
• Work well with peers and supervisors.
• Confidentially handle sensitive organizational issues.
• Possess a commitment to ethical standards and quality public services.
• Listen actively, be a supportive team builder, and demonstrate an energetic work style.
• Demonstrate strong knowledge of computers and Microsoft Office Suite software.
• Strong knowledge of grammar, spelling and punctuation are required, as is the ability to grasp written and oral instructions.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Two (2) years of clerical or administrative support experience.
• Any equivalent combination of experience and education may be considered. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a teammate to successfully perform the essential duties and functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Regularly required to stand, sit, see, speak, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, or other electronic device. 
• Occasional light to moderate lifting of office products and supplies may be required. 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a teammate encounters while performing the essential duties and functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

• Moderate noise (business office with computers, telephones, printers, fax machines, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and light traffic).
• Ability to work within a confined area.
• Ability to work at a computer station for an extended period.
• May be requested to work nights and weekends for special town events, Commission meetings/workshops, emergencies, and other Town-related activities.

The Town of Pembroke Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

Benefits

The Town of Pembroke Park, for recruitment and retention purposes, offers a comprehensive benefits package to its employees. The following is a list of some of the benefits offered to its employees:

• Paid Time Off: Holidays, Vacation, Sick, Bereavement, Volunteer, Unpaid Personal Leave, and an Annual Personal Day. Paid time off encourages and supports a healthy work-life balance and helps to retain and attract talent.
• Medical (All coverage is 100% paid by the Town)
• Dental (All coverage is 100% paid by the Town)
• Vision (All coverage is 100% paid by the Town)
• Life (All coverage is 100% paid by the Town)
• Short-Term Disability (All coverage is 100% paid by the Town)
• Long-Term Disability (All coverage is 100% paid by the Town)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Additional Voluntary Life
• Other Voluntary Supplemental Insurance through Aflac
• Educational / Tuition Reimbursement
• Retirement Benefits such as Florida Retirement System (FRS), 457b, and ROTH IRA
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)