Public Records Coordinator (Administrative Specialist III - BU)

City of Seattle; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Vacation, holiday, and sick leave

Job summary

The City of Seattle is seeking an Administrative Specialist III in the Legislative & External Affairs team to manage public disclosure requests and support department communications. You will oversee the lifecycle of PDRs, coordinate with City departments and the City Attorney, and provide administrative support to the LEA Director and team.

A focus on equity and inclusive communication is essential. This role may require travel to offsite events in Seattle and offers a competitive hourly salary

Qualifications

• Requires three years of clerical support experience.
• Bachelor's degree in public administration, political science, or related discipline.
• Understanding of Washington State Public Records Act and how it is generally applied in public agencies.
• Familiarity with legal exemptions for record redaction.
• Strong communication and customer service skills.
• Experience working with the public and inclusive, equitable communication practices.
• Experience coordinating across divisions, departments, or agencies to complete projects.
• Experience using Microsoft Office 365 tools.

Responsibilities

• Manage and lead responses to public disclosure requests (PDRs) pursuant to public disclosure law and City requirements.
• Oversee the lifecycle of PDRs from receipt to release.
• Track progress of PDRs and create regular status reports for leadership.
• Attend Citywide trainings and coordinate with other City departments and City Attorney’s Office as needed.
• Train and support staff on record retention and serve as public records subject matter expert.
• Manage LEA reception phone and email inbox and respond to inquiries timely.
• Provide general administrative support for the LEA team.
• Manage LEA Director’s calendar and LEA team calendars, scheduling meetings.
• Support LEA meetings with agendas, materials, notes, and follow-ups.
• Maintain LEA files and shared folders and track deadlines and trainings.
• Assist with internal and external communications projects as capacity allows.
• Travel to offsite events in Seattle may be required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Clerical support

Public Records Act

Communication skills

Customer service

Attention to detail

Inclusive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Job description

The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) lives out its mission to connect people with resources and solutions during times of need so we can all live, learn, work, and take part in strong, healthy communities. HSD is responsible each year for investing hundreds of millions of dollars to community-based human service providers that support the city's most vulnerable populations. The department works closely with its community partners, the public, and other nonprofit service providers to understand and address current and emerging human service needs, and to invest in creation of a comprehensive and integrated regional human service system.

The Legislative & External Affairs (LEA) team supports HSD through community engagement, communications management, media relations, and public affairs. Reporting to the Director of LEA, the Administrative Specialist 3 is an integral member of a team—often the first ‘voice’ that constituents hear. This position will facilitate HSD’s public disclosure requests (PDRs), lead constituent communications for the department, and provide administrative support to the LEA Director and the LEA team. This position may support LEA products such as social media and community engagement and, like all staff, is expected to hold and continue to grow commitment to racial equity and inclusion, dismantling racism, and intersectional prejudices (e.g., ageism, ableism), and promoting relational culture.

• Manages and leads the Human Services Department’s (HSD) response to public disclosure requests (PDRs) pursuant to public disclosure law and City requirements.
• Oversees the lifecycle of PDRs from: receiving the request (i.e., email, phone call, letter, online form); providing the legally required five-day letter acknowledging receipt of request to the requestor; searching for records using software tools; reviewing individual records for responsiveness; and finally, releasing the records.
• Tracks progress of PDRs and creates regular status reports for the Legislative & External Affairs Director. Pulls quarterly summary reports to gauge trends and resources.
• Attends regular Citywide PDO trainings and meetings and coordinates with Public Disclosure Officers at other City departments/offices, and City Attorney’s Office as needed.
• Trains and supports HSD employees on record retention while serving as HSD’s public records subject matter expert.
• Manages HSD’s main reception phone and email inbox and responds to inquiries or concerns in a timely manner. Logs communications to track progress and provide regular metrics.
• Department lead addressing inquiries referred from the Customer Service Bureau (CSB)
• Provides general administrative and office management support for the LEA team.
• Manages the LEA Director’s calendar, including scheduling meetings and coordinating appointments and other commitments, and LEA’s internal team calendar, including scheduling team and HSD-wide meetings.
• Supports regular LEA team meetings by developing agendas, coordinating meeting materials, taking notes, and tracking follow-up items.
• Maintains organized LEA files, records, shared folders, and other administrative systems.
• Tracks team deadlines, required training, and other recurring administrative requirements.
• Assists with internal and external communications projects when appropriate and as capacity allows.
• Traveling to offsite events in Seattle may be required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires three years of clerical support experience (or a combination of education, training and/or experience which provides evidence of the ability to perform work of the class).

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Political Science, or other relevant discipline.
• A demonstrated understanding of Washington State’s Public Records Act and how it is generally applied in public agencies.
• Has familiarity with legal exemptions for record redaction and withholding.
• Great communication skills and customer service skills.
• A commitment to excellence and a strong attention to detail.
• Experience working with the public and a demonstrated understanding of inclusive and equitable communication practices that reflect, respect and celebrate the communities we serve.
• Experience coordinating across multiple divisions, departments, or agencies to complete projects.
• Experience using Microsoft Office 365 tools (Outlook, Teams, OneNote, etc.).

Position Classification: Administrative Specialist III - BU

The full salary range for this position is $39.65 - $44.51 an hour.

The first review of applications will be Tuesday, September 29th.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits.

Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.