Office Specialist I

Yakima County; Yakima (WA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Benefits

Retirement Benefits

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Paid Sick Leave

Job summary

Yakima County Clerk's Office is seeking an Office Specialist I to manage court records, jury coordination, and clerical duties. Duties include daily records, calendar management, and timely communication with diverse stakeholders. Proficiency in Odyssey and strong organizational skills are essential.

Required: High School Diploma or GED plus 3 years office experience; general employment verification. This is a regular, non-exempt position with benefits and opportunities for overtime.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED with 3 years general office experience or equivalent
• Must pass general employment verification
• Experience in law/legal environment preferred but not required

Responsibilities

• Prepare and maintain daily records for court proceedings and enter into Odyssey
• Summarize court sessions to create clerk minutes and docket entries
• Prepare daily/weekly clerk calendars and court hearing schedules
• Coordinate and facilitate jury selection and maintain jury records
• Enter and scan information into Odyssey and print required reports
• Assist other deputies with docketing, filing, and customer service duties

Skills

Critical thinking

Organization

Time management

Communication

Education

High School Diploma or GED + 3 years office experience

AA in Criminal Justice / Legal Assistant preferred

Tools

Odyssey DMS

Job description

The mission of Yakima County Government is to provide accessible, responsive and responsible public service through leadership and teamwork committed to understanding and meeting public needs.

Our Values:

• Integrity




• Common Sense




• Innovation




• Accountability

Position Data:

Office Specialist I-J23-U34-H

Regular

Non-Exempt (eligible for overtime)

Overview:

Pay Range: $21.29 - $27.00 per hour (Teamsters Clerk-Clerical Pay Plan, B21, Step 1-13)
Hiring Range: $21.29 - $22.60 per hour (Teamsters Clerk-Clerical Pay Plan, B21, Step 1-4)

Job Closing Date: September 14, 2026

There is one Office Specialist I opening with the Yakima County Clerk’s Office. This position is responsible for performing specialized support services both in and outside of the courtroom for the County Clerk.
Duties include: Jury management pursuant to state law, Court rules and guidelines and the for the coordination, professional and cordial communication and dissemination of information to many different entities either by speech, or written communication; facilitating jury selection, and preparing Clerk paperwork and calendars for use in Court.

Benefits included in position:
-Health Care Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Basic Life and Basic LTD)
-Retirement Benefits
-Paid Vacation
-Paid Holidays
-Paid Sick Leave

Note: This is a Teamsters-Clerk Clerical Contract Bargaining Unit position.

_ This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies that _ occur within 90 days of the closing of this position. (This excludes Yakima County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Corrections)

Responsibilities:

Essential Duties:

Prepares and maintains daily records for all court proceedings by tape recording hearings and takes custody of original documents for entry into Superior Court Document Management System (Odyssey). Marks and secures exhibits per statute concerning release of exhibits. Responsible for notifying security regarding potential violence and hazards and evacuation procedures.

Summarizes court sessions to create Clerk minutes, Court rulings and jury verdicts for entry into Odyssey. Verifies documents signed in court for Judge/Commissioner signatures and file stamps all appropriate pleadings.

Prepares daily and weekly court Clerk calendars and schedules court hearings through proper extraction of dates from legal documents and correct application of identifying calendaring codes.

Coordinates and facilitates jury selection; prepares and maintains appropriate record of jury called; administers oaths, announces jury verdicts; polls jury, records length of proceedings, updates jury time logs, witness records, seating charts.

Enters and scans information into Odyssey, prints reports as required. Provides input for assessment or reassessment as issues related to compliance are identified.

Prioritizes office/desk work to meet Clerk’s duties in timely manner (entering of Public minutes, discharging exhibits, issuing calendars, customer service duties); coordinates with other clerks to balance work load; maintains and releases exhibits admitted at trial/hearings including drugs, weapons, money and biohazardous materials according to statute.

Performs other duties as assigned such as: assisting other Deputy Clerks in duties such as docketing, filing, assisting the public, cashiering, certifying court records, participating in training and planning sessions.

Education and Experience:

High School Diploma or GED PLUS three (3) years general office experience; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the essential duties of the job.

Required:

• Successful completion of a general employment verification.

Preferred:

• Experience related to the law and justice field, such as legal secretary, paralegal or civil or criminal justice work is preferred.


• AA in Criminal Justice / Legal Assistant is preferred and may substitute for experience.


• Experience working with maintaining complex filing systems both electronic and paper


• Computer data entry experience preferred.


• Bilingual English/Spanish is preferred.

Equipment Used:

Basic office equipment; multi-line telephones, computers, fax machines, scanners, and other general office equipment.

Working Conditions:

This position is rated as Sedentary Work, Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Environment: pathogen exposure, multiple work locations, and may be exposed to hostile/angry /opinionated individuals.

Physical Demands: bending, carrying, handling, lifting, pulling, pushing, reaching, sitting, standing, walking, crouching, kneeling, hearing, talking, repetitive motions, and visual acuity.

Intellectual Demands: Ability to multitask, Confidentiality, Ability to work under pressure, Ability to articulate and communicate information in conversations, and ability to follow written and verbal instruction.

Knowledge:

The legal system including legal terminology, court rules and procedures;

Computers and word processing software; Roles and responsibilities of the County Clerk’s Office and other judicial system departments and agencies

Grammar, spelling and punctuation;

File maintenance techniques;

Customer service techniques;

Office practices and procedures;

Data processing system and methods for input;

Modern office procedures and customer service techniques

Skills and abilities:

Critical thinking sufficient to summarize and interpret Court rulings, written opinions and legal documents.

Writing business correspondence, drafting documents, and recording minutes.

Organization, prioritization and time management

Communication of complex and/or sensitive information to a widely diverse population.

Use of office equipment and computer equipment and software.

Making responsible decisions in accordance with Clerk office policies and state statutes

Establishing effective working relationships with co-workers, other agencies and the general public.

Working effectively with constant interruptions.

Communicating and expressing ideas effectively, orally and in writing.

“AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER”
Minorities, Females, Protected Veterans and the Disabled are encouraged to apply.

Yakima County ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of a person’s age, color, creed, sensory, mental or physical disability, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political belief, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and military status, or any other protected status under federal or state statute.

PAY TRANSPARENCY NONDISCRIMINATION PROVISION

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish the information.

Disabled applicants may request accommodation to participate in the job application and/or selection process for employment. Please contact Human Resources for further information.

Yakima County is a qualified Public Service entity for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information, go to https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service or contact your federal loan servicer.

In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Yakima County will hire only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States.

Yakima County is an E-Verify Employer.

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