Senior Office Assistant

City of Sunnyvale; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Sunnyvale is seeking a highly organized Senior Office Assistant to support the Administration, Fiscal and Performance Management Division of the Information Technology Department. This role is critical for managing contracts and purchasing activities across the City and coordinating with ITD staff and vendors.

Responsibilities include handling contract records, renewals, invoicing, and budget-related support, with a focus on accuracy, confidentiality, and efficient service to City

Qualifications

• Graduation from high school or the tested equivalent.
• Three years of progressively responsible clerical experience.
• Knowledge of purchasing procedures.
• Advanced customer service practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support for departmental contracts, including maintaining records of contract terms, expiration dates, values, and remaining balances.
• Monitor contract expiration dates and coordinate renewals, extensions, and amendments.
• Prepare, review, and route contract documents and purchase requests in accordance with City purchasing policies and procedures.
• Review vendor invoices, track expenditures against approved contract amounts, and assist with resolving billing discrepancies.
• Coordinate purchases of equipment, software, supplies, and services, including obtaining quotes and tracking orders through completion.
• Provide general administrative support to ITD, including responding to inquiries and coordinating with City departments and vendors.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Final filing date is Thursday, November 12, 2026 by 5:00 pm or after receiving 75 qualified applications, whichever is first.

The City of Sunnyvale is seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Senior Office Assistant to join the Administration, Fiscal and Performance Management Division of the Information Technology Department (ITD). While the current vacancy is within ITD, the eligibility list established through this recruitment may be used to fill future Senior Office Assistant vacancies throughout the City. This position plays an important role in supporting the administration of more than 250 technology contracts that serve departments throughout the City. The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational and communication skills, experience with administrative processes related to contracts and purchasing, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.

In this role, the Senior Office Assistant will work closely with ITD staff, other City departments, and vendors to support daily operations. Responsibilities include:

• Provide administrative support for departmental contracts, including maintaining records of contract terms, expiration dates, values, and remaining balances.
• Monitor contract expiration dates and coordinate renewals, extensions, and amendments.
• Prepare, review, and route contract documents and purchase requests in accordance with City purchasing policies and procedures.
• Review vendor invoices, track expenditures against approved contract amounts, and assist with resolving billing discrepancies.
• Coordinate purchases of equipment, software, supplies, and services, including obtaining quotes and tracking orders through completion.
• Provide general administrative support to ITD, including responding to inquiries and coordinating with City departments and vendors.

Under general direction of an assigned supervisor, organizes, assigns and reviews the work of assigned personnel engaged in the performance of general clerical work including the preparation of correspondence and other written materials, the maintenance of files and records, and the receipt and response to questions from the public; and performs related work as required.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Senior Office Assistant is the advanced journey level in the Office Assistant series. Positions at this level are distinguished from other classes within the series by the level of responsibility assumed, complexity of duties assigned and independence of action taken. Employees perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within this series, including providing technical and functional supervision over assigned personnel. Senior Office Assistant is distinguished from the higher-level classification of Principal Office Assistant in that the Principal Office Assistant has full supervisory responsibility.

May include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Plans, prioritizes and reviews the work of staff assigned to a variety of clerical duties in support of an assigned department or program.
• Develops schedules and methods to accomplish assignments ensuring work is completed in a timely and efficient manner.
• Participates in evaluating activities of staff, recommending improvements and modifications.
• Provides and coordinates staff training; works with employees to correct deficiencies.
• Performs difficult clerical work requiring an understanding of departmental or specialized functions to support departmental staff.
• Answers telephones, receives visitors, schedules appointments and supplies information.
• Types letters and other materials from rough draft, marginal notes or verbal instruction and proofreads documents; prepares letters and notices.
• Receives and processes facility use requests; provides information and communicates policies and procedures to the public.
• Assists with the purchase of supplies and materials; receives, reviews and processes invoices for payment.
• Issues routine permits; calculates and accepts fees.
• Receives, reviews and processes department timecards; researches and resolves discrepancies; assists with the preparation of personnel records and documents.
• Develops and maintains general and confidential files.
• Checks forms, records, reports and other materials for accuracy, completeness and confirmation with established procedures.
• Assists with budget input and monitoring; runs periodic budget reports.
• Uses specialized computer databases to input, retrieve, query and manipulate data for statistical reporting.
• Arranges meetings, makes appointments, compiles agendas and assists in preparation of materials for meetings.
• Collects, compiles, audits and posts information to records.
• Establishes and maintains systems to assure accountability and control.
• Searches records to obtain information.
• Processes, audits and cross-references materials related to data processing and payments.
• Checks erroneous, unusual or machine rejected data to ensure proper disposition and reintroduction into the processing cycle.
• Collects information from a variety of sources and compiles data for special and periodic reports.
• Updates and maintains department website.
• As assigned, provide support and services, including preparation of minutes, for Boards, commissions, public hearings and private meetings in an efficient and effective manner.

Working Conditions

Position requires prolonged sitting, standing, walking, reaching, twisting, turning, kneeling, bending, squatting and stooping in the performance of daily activities. The position also requires grasping, repetitive hand movement and fine coordination in using a computer keyboard. Additionally, the position requires near and far vision in reading reports and work related documents and using a computer. Acute hearing is required when providing phone and personal customer service. The need to lift, drag and push files, paper, books and documents weighing up to 25 pounds is also required. Some of these requirements may be accommodated for otherwise qualified individuals requiring and requesting such accommodation.

Education and Experience:

The minimum qualifications for education and experience can be met in the following way:

Graduation from high school or the tested equivalent and

Three years of progressively responsible clerical experience.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of technical and functional supervision and training.
• Proper English usage, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Alpha numeric filing and retrieval systems.
• Basic financial recordkeeping and reporting.
• Purchasing procedures.
• Advanced principles and practices of customer service.
• Business letter writing and report preparation.
• Office methods, procedures, software and equipment.

Ability to:

• Provide technical and functional supervision over assigned staff; effectively train staff.
• Develop and maintain filing systems.
• Compose general correspondence, letters and take meeting minutes.
• Understand, apply and explain City policies and procedures.
• Determine matters of confidentiality and handle them in a confidential manner.
• Make mathematical calculations quickly and accurately.
• Collect data and organize materials in an understandable manner.
• Prepare, proofread and edit reports and materials.
• Make accurate comparisons and computations.
• Understand and follow written and oral instructions.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain and promote positive and effective working relationships with employees, and other agencies and the public.
• Demonstrate initiative an exercise good judgment in the performance of duties.
• Work independently and as a team member; recognize and set priorities to meet deadlines.
• Observe safety principles and work in a safe manner.

Willingness to:

Occasionally work varying hours or on weekends and holidays.

Licenses/Certificates:

Possession and continued maintenance of a valid class C California driver's license or the ability to provide alternate transportation as approved by the appointing authority and a safe driving record.

Desirable Qualifications

• Clerical experience in a governmental agency.

Exam Process

Applications will be competitively screened based on the minimum qualifications of this position. Based upon a review of the application materials, the most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in the oral examination process scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, and Thursday, December 10, 2026. (Note: The examination process may be changed as deemed necessary by the Director of Human Resources.)

Selection Process

Those candidates that receive a passing score on the examination will be placed on an eligibility list for up to one year, in accordance with the City's Civil Service Rules and Administrative Policies.

Top candidates on the eligibility list will be invited to participate in a selection interview with the department tentatively scheduled for December 16, through December 18, 2026.

Information About Proof of Education

Any successful candidate, selected by the hiring department will be required to submit proof of education (i.e. original copy of the diploma or college/university transcripts).

A candidate with education obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credential evaluation service at the candidate's expense to determine its equivalency in the United States. Candidates may utilize any third-party agency for the evaluation. If you search ‘education equivalency verification’ or similar online, you will obtain results for agencies that provide this evaluation service.

Additional Information

Positions in this job classification are represented by the Sunnyvale Employees Association (SEA).

The information contained within this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

The City of Sunnyvale is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state, or local laws. The City of Sunnyvale is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at [phone] or [e-mail].