Executive Assistant - Circuit Court

Frederick County Government, Maryland; Frederick (MD); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Frederick County Government is seeking an Executive Assistant to provide high-level administrative and clerical support to the Circuit Court Magistrate in Frederick, MD. The role reports to the Circuit Court Magistrate with guidance from the Chambers Manager and other judges.

The position is full-time, non-exempt, 40 hours weekly with comprehensive benefits. It requires strong organizational skills, proficiency in Microsoft 365, and the ability to prepare legal documents and manage confidential

Qualifications

• Associate's Degree required.
• Minimum 4 years of administrative or executive support experience.
• Bachelor’s degree with 2 years experience or HS diploma with 6 years experience may be substituted.

Responsibilities

• Acts as intermediary for Administrative Official, maintaining contacts with public, judges, staff and officials.
• Compose and prepare documents, updates, and presentation materials for approval; proofread and format.
• Manage calendars, schedule appointments, and screen/route calls.

Skills

Administrative support

Clerical

Calendar management

Minutes taking

Data entry

Customer service

Documentation

Education

Associate's Degree

Bachelor's Degree with 2 years experience

High School Diploma with 6 years experience

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

JOB INFORMATION

Non-exempt (compensatory and/or overtime eligible); full-time; 40 hours worked; Monday- Friday; 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m; full benefits

This position provides high level administrative and clerical support to the Magistrate of the Circuit Court for Frederick County, MD. The Executive Assistant reports directly to the Circuit Court Magistrate, with supervision by the Chambers Manager. Direction may also be received from other Circuit Court Judges, Magistrate, or Circuit Court Administrator.

This position serves at the discretion of the Circuit Court Judges, and is an at will employee which means that either an employee, or the court, may terminate the employee relationship at any time, with or without cause (Section 2-501 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland). There are no contractual relationships between the Circuit Court and an employee; letters, benefit or policy statements, performance evaluation, handbooks, or other employee communications should not be interpreted as such. The at-will relationship remains in full force and effect notwithstanding any statements to the contrary made by court personnel or set forth in any documents.

NOTE: The upper pay range reflects possible wage rates for internal County transfers and promotions, which are calculated per County policy. For external hires, offers are made at the base wage rate.

Frederick County Government values the principles of diversity and inclusion, and strives to ensure equal opportunities for its workforce, applicants and community members. If you are a person who wants to make a difference, give back to your community, and be a voice for change, apply to Frederick County Government today.

Total Compensation Package

• 11 days of Vacation leave with increase after 2 years of employment
• 15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
• 11 paid holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays (10 and 11 month employees may not receive all holidays)
• Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan options to include generous County Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
• Employee Health Center with no or low-cost primary and urgent care
• 100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit
• County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
• Vesting after 5 years of service
• Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc.
• Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
• Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Other employee-paid benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Lifetime Benefit with Long Term Care plan

NOTE: Benefited employees will accrue service and leave based on the FTE and/or hours worked per calendar year.

For more information, visit our benefits page on the Frederick County Government job opportunities webpage.

Essential Duties And Job Responsibilities

• Acts as an intermediary for the Administrative Official maintaining frequent contacts with the public, administrators, judges, professional staff, and other state or local government officials
• Compose and prepare documents and update as necessary presentation materials, manuals, professional correspondence, memoranda, reports and other materials from electronic files, handwritten notes, or other sources, for approval and signature as appropriate; proof and edit materials for accuracy and format; make corrections; ensure adherence to established style guidelines and formats
• Serve as contact regarding building issues; issue work orders, as needed
• Assist and coordinate building and office moves, as needed
• Assist with annual inventories of all State and County equipment and/or furniture
• Create, update and maintain manual and computerized files and filing systems
• Prepare various different types of case reports to monitor case flow, create recommended court orders and other related legal documents in family cases for the Magistrate from what transpires in court and/or from dictation from corrected copy, rough draft, or oral instructions using a personal computer
• Prepares a range of general to complex correspondence, memorandums, and reports on behalf of the administrative official, department, or assigned unit
• Answers, screens, and routes telephone calls; maintains calendars and makes appointments
• Attend meetings and take minutes on behalf of the Magistrate as needed or setup and distribute Zoom hearing and meeting links for the magistrate
• Develops special forms and summaries using a variety of records in order to secure complete and accurate information
• Track and report information involving child support hearings and orders to be submitted by counsel
• Assist with creating and updating template documents utilized by the Magistrates
• Perform data entry, filing, receptionist duties; including mail processing and other office support
• Perform other related duties as assigned

To perform this job successfully, an employee must be able to perform all essential functions satisfactorily. Any employee's position may not be assigned all functions or equipment listed above, and the examples may not cover all functions or equipment that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their essential functions.

Qualifications And Requirements

• Associate's Degree
• Minimum 4 years work experience in an administrative or executive support function in multiple areas of support (such as accounting, procurement, personnel management, facility management, or similar area)

Substitutions for the above-listed required education and experience are a Bachelor’s Degree with 2 years work experience as described above; or a High School Diploma (or equivalent) with 6 years work experience as described above.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

A successful incumbent operating in this role displays the following:

• Knowledge of administrative processes, policies, and procedures
• Knowledge of various administrative fields
• Knowledge of Frederick County and Maryland Judiciary policies
• Knowledge of technology (i.e. computer, wireless devices, Internet)
• Skilled in verbal and written communication
• Basic mathematic skill to be used for basic budgeting
• Skilled in phone etiquette
• Skilled in customer service
• Ability to prioritize assignments and tasks and delegate to staff as necessary
• Ability to work efficiently in Microsoft 365
• Ability to follow written and verbal instruction
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with staff, including interdepartmentally
• Ability to maintain professionalism, confidentiality and discretion when dealing with sensitive information
• Ability to utilize various software applications and computer systems required of the position
• Ability to type efficiently, perform clerical duties, and data entry
• Ability to investigate and draft correspondence in response to inquiries or complaints received from the public, via phone, email, and in person
• Ability to respond to a customer’s concerns by determining the appropriate course of action to resolve the issue
• Ability to utilize necessary technology including Microsoft 365, email software, office systems, and other necessary programs and technology, and to learn new software as required
• Ability to evaluate priorities and schedule staff workloads
• Organizational and personnel management skills, with the ability to direct, supervise, and evaluate the work of others
• Ability to follow verbal and written (English) instructions to complete routine assignments
• Ability to organize work, establish priorities, and complete assigned duties with minimal supervision
• Administrative skills to effectively plan, prioritize, and organize a large volume of work
• Ability to work autonomously and efficiently, both individually and as part of a team
• Discretion in working with sensitive and personal information, including the ability to maintain confidentiality
• Accurate math and clerical skills including the ability to write and maintain clear, concise records and reports
• Ability to compile, update and maintain accurate manual and computerized files and filing systems

Preference May Be Given For

• Experience with INFOR financial system
• Maryland Judiciary experience working in MDEC/Odyssey system
• College degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Legal or a related field

Physical Requirements / Working Conditions

• While working in this position, the employee is required to
• While working in this position, the employee is required to

Additional Information / Examination Process

• Available for varied evening and weekend work hours to accommodate meetings, special events, etc.
• Ability to provide own transportation to meetings, etc.
• Required certifications must be maintained throughout tenure of employment

EXAMINATION PROCESS: (may include)

• An evaluation of training and qualifications
• Skills testing
• One or more interviews
• A pre-employment background investigation conducted by the Maryland Judiciary

Frederick County Government is committed to providing an inclusive work environment and complies with all applicable laws and regulations regarding workplace accommodation, including for individuals with disabilities. Applicants who require reasonable accommodation during the application and hiring process may contact the Talent Acquisition section of Human Resources. Inquiries about accommodations can be sent to [e-mail]

Retirement Plan

A defined benefit retirement plan is provided for all regular County employees. Employees are automatically enrolled in either the Uniformed Plan (5 year vesting) or the Non-Uniformed Plan (5 year vesting, effective 07/01/2024) depending upon position classification. The majority of support for the plan is provided by the County; however, employees are required to make a mandatory pre‑tax contribution towards their benefit. Retirement benefits are payable at normal, early or delayed retirement. Retirement benefits are also payable upon termination and in the event of death or disability.

Health Insurance

County employees have a choice of two medical insurance plans, an In‑Network (HMO) Plan or a High Deductible medical plan with a Health Care Savings Account, to provide coverage for medical and surgical expenses, hospital and emergency care expenses, mental health expenses and prescription drugs. The County and participants share in the cost of the health insurance with the employee having the benefit of pre tax contribution deductions. Medical insurance goes into effect on the first day of active employment.

Dental Insurance

Employees may select coverage from one of three dental plan options, ranging from a PPO plan to a dental HMO plan. Coverage includes preventive care, fillings, crowns, bridges and dentures, and the cost of dental insurance is shared by both the County and the employee. Dental insurance goes into effect on the first day of the month that follows the eligible employee's completion of 30 days of active employment

NOTE: Employees working 75% or greater of a 35 or 40 hour position are eligible for health & dental insurance.

Flexible Spending Accounts

The Flex Spending plan allows employees to pay health and day care expenses with pre‑tax dollars. Employees may set aside part of their salary in a special account that can be used throughout the year to reimburse themselves for out‑of‑pocket medical expenses. The maximum contribution is $3,400 per year for Health Care Spending and $7,500 for Dependent Care Spending (work‑related day care expenses). Examples of expenses that can be reimbursed for Health Care Spending include, but are not limited to: deductibles, co‑payments, dental fees, chiropractors' services, and eyeglasses / contact lenses.

Life Insurance

Employees are insured for 2 times their annual salary in case of death plus 2 times their annual salary for accidental death. Employees do not contribute to the premiums for this coverage. A Supplemental Life Insurance is also offered to regular County employees. The plan allows employees to purchase individually owned term life insurance for themselves, their spouse, and their dependents.

Savings Plan - Deferred Compensation

The County offers a Section 457 Plan. Deferred compensation plans allow participants to save for retirement in either a pre‑tax or post‑tax (Roth) investment account. Contributions are invested at the employee's direction into one or more of the variety of investment options offered by the plan. Changes may be made to the contribution levels, investment options, etc. at any time. Contribution maximums are set each year by the IRS.

Educational Reimbursement Program

County employees who have successfully passed their probationary period may apply for education reimbursement for courses that can improve or develop an employee's capabilities related to their current job or for a promotional opportunity within Frederick County Government. The benefit also covers the costs of job‑related non‑credit courses. If an employee receives a grade of at least a C, or successfully passes a non‑credit course, the County reimburses the employee 75% of the costs of tuition, fees and books. If an employee doesn't remain employed with Frederick County Government for two years after a class is taken, the benefit needs to be reimbursed to FCG.

Employee Assistance Program

This confidential assessment, referral and counseling service is available at no cost to all employees who may need help with a personal or job‑related issue or concern.

Leave

Annual Leave – Employees are eligible to use Annual Leave after their 6 month probationary period. Annual Leave accrues as follows: Years of service days per year 0 – 2 years 11 days 2 – 10 years 17 days 10 + years 24 days

Sick Leave - Employees will earn sick leave at a rate of 15 days per calendar year.

Sick Leave may also be used for illness of an employee's child, dependent, spouse, parent or parent‑in‑law. There is no limit on the amount of sick leave accumulated. Unused Sick Leave may be used for additional credit in the pension plan at the time of retirement.

NOTE: Regular benefited part‑time employees earn annual and sick leave on a pro‑rated basis based on their actual number of hours worked biweekly up to their assigned number of regularly scheduled work hours.

Other available types of leave includes, but is not limited to, Family Medical Leave, Bereavement, Jury, and Military.

Holidays

The County observes 10 holidays every year and 11 are observed on years of General Elections.

For additional information on Frederick County Government's benefits package, please visit the Division of Human Resources website at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov.

All hires before January 1, 2012, will follow the benefit and leave rules as described in the Personnel Rules amended October 3, 2013.