Office Administrator - TPU Customer Service

City of Tacoma; United States; Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telework on limited basis

Job summary

City of Tacoma is seeking an Office Administrator for TPU Customer Service to provide direct administrative and operational support to the senior management team. You will manage calendars, anticipate deadlines, and draft materials for leadership review.

This role coordinates with HR, the Public Utility Board, and other stakeholders, ensuring timely responses and smooth division operations. Telework may be available on a limited basis, with a hybrid work option depending on business needs.

Qualifications

• Minimum education: High School Diploma or GED.
• Minimum experience: 5 years in office administration and/or program support with at least 1 year at advanced level.
• Experience coordinating administrative initiatives and working with multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct administrative and operational support to division leadership.
• Manage complex scheduling and calendars, identify conflicts and priorities.
• Draft, edit, and coordinate sensitive correspondence and reports.
• Coordinate travel, training, reimbursements, purchasing, and invoices.
• Coordinate with HR, Legal, and other stakeholders for processes.

Skills

Administrative coordination

Schedule management

Communication

Relationship building

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Department: Customer Experience & External Affairs

Division: TPU Customer Service

Job classification: Office Administrator

Posting type: No Civil Service Exam Required

Categories: Administration, Executive Management, Office and Administrative Support

Summary

They may assist with contracts and purchasing functions as needed. This position is responsible for independently handling escalated customer complaints, issues, and inquiries, and must determine when management needs to be involved in order to resolve the situation.

The Office Administrator for TPU Customer Service serves as a key administrative and operational partner to the Customer Services Division Manager and senior management team. The position works with a high degree of independence to anticipate needs, coordinate priorities, provide administrative coordination for division initiatives and special assignments, support sensitive customer and leadership matters, and ensure timely follow-through.

The position requires strong judgment, initiative, organization, and relationship-building skills. The successful candidate will be comfortable shifting between leadership-level coordination and hands‑on administrative support based on the needs of the division. This position supports five senior management team members and approximately 130 employees.

Primary Responsibilities

Division Leadership and Administrative Support

• Provide direct administrative and operational support to the Customer Services Division Manager and senior management team.
• Manage complex scheduling and calendaring, proactively identifying conflicts, competing priorities, preparation needs, and opportunities to protect and maximize efficient use of leadership time.
• Anticipate upcoming deadlines, meetings, decisions, and administrative needs and take appropriate action with limited direction.
• Draft, edit, and coordinate sensitive correspondence, division communications, presentations, reports, and leadership briefing materials.
• Coordinate requests involving Executive Leadership, the Public Utility Board, City Attorney’s Office, Human Resources, labor partners, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Serve as a central point of coordination for administrative functions and ensure timely response and follow-through.
• Provide hands‑on logistical and administrative support to the Division Manager, anticipating day‑to‑day needs and responding flexibly to changing priorities.
• Coordinate travel, training, reimbursements, purchasing, invoices, and related financial administrative activities.

HR Liaison

• Serve as the primary administrative liaison between Customer Services leadership and Human Resources.
• Create requisitions and role requests and coordinate associated HR processes.
• Maintain confidential personnel records in accordance with applicable requirements.
• Coordinate onboarding and offboarding activities, including equipment, system access, and orientation.
• Support compliance with HR policies and labor agreements and appropriately elevate questions requiring HR or management review.

Customer and Leadership Support

• Provide administrative support for sensitive or elevated customer matters and leadership requests.
• Coordinate with appropriate Customer Services staff to gather account information, documentation, and other information needed to respond to inquiries.
• Route matters to the appropriate manager or subject‑matter expert for review and resolution and follow up on outstanding responses.
• Maintain records of elevated matters and track assigned follow‑up through completion.
• Prepare correspondence and organize supporting information for Division Manager or leadership review.
• Develop familiarity with Customer Services programs, policies, and processes to effectively route inquiries and coordinate administrative support.

Leadership and Meeting Operations

• Coordinate senior management meetings, division meetings, town halls, workshops, employee events, and other special activities.
• Develop agendas, prepare materials, document decisions and action items, and track commitments through completion.
• Follow up directly with managers, principals, and other staff on behalf of the Division Manager regarding assigned actions, deadlines, and information requests.
• Maintain visibility into significant division initiatives and upcoming deadlines and proactively identify items requiring Division Manager attention.
• Support leadership preparation for Public Utility Board meetings, leadership briefings, presentations, and other high‑level meetings.
• Coordinate hybrid and virtual meeting logistics and ensure appropriate technology, materials, and resources are available.

Administrative Coordination and Follow‑Through

• Provide administrative coordination and support for division initiatives and special assignments.
• Organize meetings, materials, schedules, deadlines, and other administrative needs associated with assigned work.
• Maintain action‑item and assignment trackers and follow up with staff regarding established deadlines and commitments.
• Coordinate information and materials from multiple teams to support timely completion of assignments and leadership requests.
• Keep the Division Manager informed of upcoming deadlines, outstanding items, and matters requiring attention.
• Assist with implementing administrative processes and tools that improve organization and follow‑through.

Examples of duties

Minimum Education*

High School Diploma or GED

Minimum Experience*

5 years of office administration and/or program support experience including 1 year of prior advanced level experience

*Relevant education and experience may substitute for one another on a year‑for‑year basis.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience providing administrative or operational support to senior‑level management.
• Experience coordinating administrative initiatives, special assignments, or work involving multiple stakeholders and deadlines.
• Knowledge of customer service, utility, contact center, or other complex operational environments.

Qualifications

Proactive and Forward‑Thinking

Anticipates leadership and organizational needs, identifies emerging issues, and takes appropriate action without waiting for detailed direction.

Independent Judgment

Works with a high degree of independence, prioritizes competing demands, and determines when an issue requires leadership attention.

Critical Thinking and Problem‑Solving

Evaluates information, identifies key issues, supports practical solutions, and anticipates potential problems.

Organization and Follow‑Through

Organizes assignments, coordinates with multiple stakeholders, monitors deadlines, and follows through on established commitments.

Process Improvement

Identifies inefficient or unclear administrative processes and recommends practical improvements to strengthen organization and service delivery.

Relationship Building and Organizational Awareness

Develops trusted relationships across teams and organizational levels, maintains awareness of emerging issues, and effectively navigates the organization to accomplish work.

Influence Without Authority

Coordinates work and supports accountability through effective communication and follow‑through without formal supervisory authority.

Communication and Synthesis

Communicates clearly and professionally and organizes information into concise summaries and materials for leadership review.

Discretion and Professional Judgment

Handles sensitive customer, employee, legal, labor, and leadership matters with appropriate confidentiality and judgment.

Adaptability and Service Orientation

Responds effectively to changing priorities and is willing to provide both high‑level coordination and hands‑on administrative and logistical support as business needs require.

Supplemental information

City of Tacoma Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At the City of Tacoma, we’re on a mission to make our workforce as diverse and inclusive as the community we serve. We’re committed to eliminating racial and other disparities, and we actively seek out candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. Join our team at the City of Tacoma and help us build a more vibrant, inclusive, and equitable community for all.

The City of Tacoma believes that diversity of thought, background, and experience contributes to our success and innovation. If you’re passionate about this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply. If you have a less traditional background, we want to hear about your transferrable skills and experience. We value a variety of perspectives and are excited to see what you bring to the table.

This position is covered by a Labor Agreement between the City of Tacoma and Local 483.

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Details:

Hourly Rate: $34.35 - $48.36

Employee Benefits | City of Tacoma

Work Schedule

Telework may be available on a limited basis based on business needs.

This position requires flexibility to support changing business needs. Occasional work outside of regular business hours, including overtime, may be required to support division events, urgent matters, or other operational needs.

Communication with the City of Tacoma

We primarily communicate via email during the application process. Emails from Tacoma.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure that you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk email folders.