Administrative Analyst I - Public Works, Office of the Director

Howard County Government; Ellicott City (MD); On-site; USD 63,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Howard County Government is seeking a skilled administrative professional to support the DPW Directors Office, manage special projects, and coordinate HR-related tasks. The role requires strong data handling, records management, and training capabilities within a high-volume environment.

The position offers growth within a respected county department, with competitive pay and comprehensive benefits. You’ll engage with internal teams and external partners to enhance operations and service

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR management or related field; 2+ years of related experience.
• High level administrative experience in Public Works.
• Experience supervising administrative staff.
• Proficiency with MS Outlook, Word, and Excel for data management.
• Strong knowledge of recruitment, payroll, and HR processes.
• Experience with NEOGOV, ADP, Kronos and SAP entry.

Responsibilities

• Provides administrative support to department bureaus as assigned by the Director’s Office.
• Manages special projects and coordinates research and reporting.
• Maintains retention schedules and records management processes.
• Trains staff on county software and develops user materials.
• Represents DPW at meetings with contractors, vendors, and agencies.
• Develops SOPs and trains staff to ensure policy adherence.

Skills

Administrative experience

Public Works admin

Staff supervision

HR software proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR management or related field

Tools

NEOGOV

ADP

Kronos

SAP entry

Job description

Howard County: Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government: Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2026, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 113 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in the history of the State of Maryland, and the highest number of awards of any county in the State of Maryland which received a collective 165 awards. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.

What are we looking for? We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.

What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government:

• We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
• We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged!
• We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.
• As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Professional and administrative work managing assigned functions from the DPW Directors Office. Work involves managing and planning the daily administrative support functions with the Directors Office; managing special projects as assigned by the Administrative Manager of the Department of Public Works. Work requires technical and administrative skills, as well as ability to coordinate several activities at once and quickly analyze and resolve specific problems. Work involves frequent personal contact within the department and other county agencies, contractors, vendors, and the public.

STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE:

$30.31 - $42.17/Hourly $63,034 - $87,707/Annually

*This is the anticipated starting salary range for this position. Please note that the final salary will be determined by the Office of Human Resources, commensurate with experience and aligned to ensure internal equity with similarly situated roles.*

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Performs professional level administrative work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work includes carrying out administrative and technical tasks related to administrative support, public information, and purchasing.

*This is a Classified position, meaning that it is a part of the Howard County Classified Service upon completion of a probationary period of at least six (6) months*

Administrative Support:

• Provides human resources and administrative support to department bureaus, as assigned by the Director’s Office.
• Prepares reports, maintains records, and drafts correspondence incorporating recommendations and comments.
• Assists the Administrative Manager in Department of Transportation drug testing processes.
• Works with Bureau Liaisons and management to assist County HR in maintaining up-to-date licenses and certifications.

Project Management and Research:

• Manages special projects as directed by the Administrative Manager.
• Conducts project-related research and develops recommendations for appropriate action.
• Creates and updates statistical reports as needed and makes recommendations based on data analysis.
• Manages the department’s foreign language proficiency testing process.

Records Management and Compliance:

• Assists department employees with developing file plans, establishing access groups and permissions, and defining retention schedules for working documents and records.

Training and Software Support:

• Trains department employees on new county software.
• Develops user manuals, training materials, and presentation slides to support employee learning and reference.

Coordination and External Relations:

• Represents DPW at meetings.
• Maintains liaison with contractors, vendors, consultants, and county, state, and regional representatives.

Policy Development and Standard Operating Procedures:

• Maintains current knowledge of administrative regulations and developments affecting DPW.
• Develops departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and trains bureau staff to ensure adherence to established procedures.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position may supervise subordinate staff who perform Human Resources related and other departmental processing in Public Works Bureaus. Bachelor's degree and one (1) year of related experience, or equivalent combination of experience and education.

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management or related field and two or more years of related experience.
• High level administrative experience in Public Works.
• Experience supervising administrative staff.
• Proficiency in using MS Outlook, Word, and Excel software to create, maintain and track statistical data.
• High level of proficiency in NEOGOV or other applicant tracking software, ADP, and Kronos.
• Demonstrated experience processing work with a high degree of accuracy in a high-volume, time-sensitive customer service environment.
• Working knowledge of Federal and State regulations, and County policies and practices on recruitment, selection, and administrative steps to fill vacancies.
• Experience managing administrative functions of performance management processes, including tracking employee evaluations, probationary periods, and communicating statuses to internal groups.
• Experience working with confidential information.
• Experience with supply ordering, bill paying, account reconciliations, and SAP entry.
• Understanding of payroll processes and principles.
• Experience consulting union contracts for quality control in administrative transaction processing.
• Demonstrated ability to creatively problem-solve while exercising sound judgment to achieve short- and long-term objectives.
• Ability to interact in a positive and professional manner with individuals of all ranks.
• Ability to derive logical and practical conclusions from available information.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS, AND REASONING ABILITY:

• Language/Math Skills and Reasoning Ability:
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rare, ratio and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, and talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.