Administrative Assistant Cemeteries

City-of-Suffolk; Suffolk (VA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Suffolk is seeking a professional to perform secretarial and administrative duties for a department head, handling correspondence, research on complaints, and coordinating events and inquiries. The role requires independent judgment and discretion in a public-facing setting.

Additionally, the position assists the Superintendent of Cemeteries with daily operations, answers questions on lots and interments, coordinates arrangements with funeral homes, reads cemetery maps, performs

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; vocational/technical courses in computers and maintenance preferred.
• 3–5 years of grounds maintenance experience, including supervisory responsibilities.
• Valid driver's license required.

Responsibilities

• Assists the Superintendent of Cemeteries with the daily operation and administration of City cemeteries.
• Responds to questions regarding cemetery lots, interments, records, regulations, procedures, and available services.
• Assists funeral homes and families with cemetery-related arrangements and coordinates information with cemetery maintenance staff.
• Reads and interprets cemetery maps, plats, lot information, and records to identify and locate graves, lots, and burial spaces.
• Performs basic mathematical calculations related to cemetery lots, measurements, fees, records, or other assigned duties.
• Completes forms, permits, reports, work orders, and other required documentation accurately and timely.
• Maintains and updates cemetery records, including burial, ownership, lot, interment, and related information.
• Maintains confidentiality and security of cemetery and customer records.
• Assists with inspections of cemetery grounds, burial spaces, monuments, and other cemetery features and reports maintenance or safety concerns to the appropriate staff.
• Answers telephone and greets visitors; receives and responds to inquires based on detailed knowledge of departmental operations and status of work; advises supervisor of complaints and concerns received, as appropriate.
• Maintains a comprehensive, current knowledge of City policies and procedures; attends workshops and training sessions as appropriate.
• Performs general research as requested for department and compiles information as needed.
• Communicates with Department Head, Managers, Employees, Vendors and other departments, the public, outside agencies and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, exchange information to resolve problems.
• Assists in the coordination of special projects and programs within the department.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Skills

Supervision

Grounds maintenance

Record keeping

Communication

Safety procedures

Tool operation

Education

High school diploma with vocational/technical courses in computers and maintenance

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Under general supervision, performs secretarial and administrative duties for an assigned department head. Work involves the preparation of correspondence and other documents. Employee is also responsible for performing research and providing information on complaints received; assisting in the coordination of special events; screening and independently handling a variety of routine inquiries by telephone and in person; and maintaining a variety of records and files. Employee must exercise independent judgment, discretion and initiative in completing assignments. Employee must also exercise considerable tact and courtesy in frequent contact with the general public.

• Assists the Superintendent of Cemeteries with the daily operation and administration of City cemeteries.
• Responds to questions regarding cemetery lots, interments, records, regulations, procedures, and available services.
• Assists funeral homes and families with cemetery-related arrangements and coordinates information with cemetery maintenance staff.
• Reads and interprets cemetery maps, plats, lot information, and records to identify and locate graves, lots, and burial spaces.
• Performs basic mathematical calculations related to cemetery lots, measurements, fees, records, or other assigned duties.
• Completes forms, permits, reports, work orders, and other required documentation accurately and timely.
• Maintains and updates cemetery records, including burial, ownership, lot, interment, and related information.
• Maintains confidentiality and security of cemetery and customer records.
• Assists with inspections of cemetery grounds, burial spaces, monuments, and other cemetery features and reports maintenance or safety concerns to the appropriate staff.

• Answers telephone and greets visitors; receives and responds to inquires based on detailed knowledge of departmental operations and status of work; advises supervisor of complaints and concerns received, as appropriate.
• Maintains a comprehensive, current knowledge of City policies and procedures; attends workshops and training sessions as appropriate.
• Performs general research as requested for department and compiles information as needed.
• Communicates with Department Head, Managers, Employees, Vendors and other departments, the public, outside agencies and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, exchange information to resolve problems.
• Assists in the coordination of special projects and programs within the department.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Graduation from high school supplemented by vocational or technical courses in computers and maintenance and 3 to 5 years of experience in grounds maintenance work, including experience in a supervisory capacity; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required skills, knowledge and abilities. Requires a valid driver's license.

• Knowledge of the physical location and layout of City-owned property, including right-of-ways and City cemeteries.
• Knowledge of the practices, procedures, materials and equipment used in the grounds maintenance trade.
• Knowledge of the practices, procedures, equipment, tools and chemicals used in vector control programs.
• Knowledge of the occupational hazards and safety precautions involved in grounds maintenance and vector control work.
• Knowledge of the requirements, practices and procedures of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration pertaining to the reporting of employee accidents or injuries.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of supervision, organization and administration.
• Skilled in the use of a variety of motorized equipment, and hand and power tools necessary to perform grounds maintenance, grading and tree trimming or removal work.
• Ability to plan and supervise the work of skilled and semi-skilled workers.
• Ability to plan, establish and implement preventive maintenance schedules.
• Ability to establish and maintain moderately complex records.
• Ability to prepare clear, concise, and detailed reports on grounds maintenance and vector control operations and inspections.
• Ability to inspect the work of contracted work crews for adherence to plans, specifications, and work orders.
• Ability to exercise considerable independent judgment and initiative in planning and directing all maintenance and repair activities and in inspecting completed work for compliance with established procedures and specifications.
• Ability to exercise tact and courtesy in contacts with private suppliers, contractors with municipal departments, department heads and public officials regarding requests for service and complaints.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.
• Ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or compositional characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.
• Ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments or directions to subordinates or assistants.
• Ability to read a variety of records, invoices, work orders, technical reports, bid proposals, balance sheets, etc.; to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, budgets, diagrams, work orders, bid requests etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style.
• Ability to speak to people with poise, voice control and confidence.
• Ability to apply rational systems to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists; to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic or schedule form.
• Physical Requirements
  Must be physically able to operate a variety of machinery and equipment including common office equipment, pickup trucks, backhoes, grave probes, tape measures, shovels, picks, etc. Must be able to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are those for Light Work. Requires the ability coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using hand tools. Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as hand tools. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination. Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color. Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under minimal levels of stress. Requires the ability to talk and hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear.) Must be able to communicate via a telephone.
• Ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to communicate effectively and efficiently in Standard English and mechanical terminology.
• Ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; understand and apply the theories of algebra and geometry.
• Ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.