Special Assistant (EXEMPT)

Government of the Virgin Islands; Christiansted (United States Virgin Islands); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Government of the Virgin Islands seeks a senior administrator to assist the agency head in directing and evaluating agency activities. Responsibilities include applying policies, coordinating divisions, and managing budget processes.

The role requires a Master’s degree in Business or Public Administration or Economics and at least four years of administrative experience interpreting and applying laws and regulations. Graduate study may substitute for experience.

Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of public administration theory and practice.
• Ability to interpret and apply administrative policies, laws, rules, and regulations.
• Experience organizing and directing large administrative programs.
• Ability to conduct practical administrative research and a structured analysis of data.
• Strong communication and relationship-building with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Assist agency head by planning, coordinating, directing and evaluating agency activities.
• Prepare budget estimates and manage budget appropriations for the agency.
• Conduct research and prepare complex reports with actionable recommendations.
• Serve as liaison between agency head and divisions, bureaus, and committees.
• Examine records and procedures and recommend procedural changes.

Skills

Public administration

Policy interpretation

Budget administration

Research and reporting

Interpersonal relations

Education

Master’s Degree in Business or Public Administration

Economics or related field

Job description

An employee in this class performs a variety of special assignments of a highly responsible administrative nature assisting an agency’s head with directing and controlling the agency’s activities. Work involves planning, coordinating, directing, and evaluating activities of the agency and instituting new or amended methods and procedures. Work is performed within the framework of existing policies, laws, rules, and regulations of the agency; but an employee is expected to use acquired training and experience in exercising initiative and good judgement. General supervision is received from the agency’s head in the form of special instruction discussion, and evaluation performances.

Acts as liaison officer between agency head and various division, bureaus, and committees in or out of the agency, transmitting, instructing, handling as many administrative problems as possible, referring those problems involving deviation from or revision existing policies, procedures and regulations.

Carries out a constant evaluation and analysis of departmental operations to ascertain the efficiency and effectiveness of existing policies, rules, and regulations recommending amendments and revisions where necessary.

Assists the agency head in preparing budget estimates and in administration and control of budget appropriations for the agency.

Performs a variety of research of research assignments and special studies collecting information, preparing complex and technical reports, and recommending action to the agency head based upon information obtained.

Acts as executive secretary to boards and councils.

Examines the records, procedures, and operations, and prepares comprehensive and technical reports recommending changes in procedures where necessary.

Prepares digests of material for study by the agency head, studies particular problems in the operation of any area of the department as directed by the agency head and makes reports thereon.

Undertakes, as delegated by the Commissioner, assignments involving administrative responsibilities in special areas of operation of the Department and in development of new projects and programs not a responsibility of existing Division.

Performs other related work as required.

Graduation from a recognized college or university with a Master’s Degree in Business or Public Administration, Economics, or equivalent any closely related field and four (4) years of administrative experience involving interpreting and applying policy and determining compliance with laws, rules, and regulations. (Graduate study may be substituted for the required experience).

FACTOR 1 – KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED BY THE POSITION

• Considerable knowledge of the theory, principles, and techniques of public administration as they apply to departmental administration.
• Thorough knowledge of the objectives, policies, rules, and regulations governing operation of the Department and of the functions of the various divisions and bureaus within the department.
• Ability to interpret and apply administrative policies, laws, rules, and regulations.
• Ability to develop general assignments into specific results by organization of material and independent development of procedures, and to train subordinates in such procedures.
• Ability to perform administrative research involving collecting and assembling pertinent facts and data and arriving at justifiable and logical conclusions and recommendations there from.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, the business public, and all other persons contacted during the course of work.

FACTOR 2 – SUPERVISORY CONTROL

Employee works under the supervision of a higher-level who outlines scope of work, goals and objectives and furnishes guidance only in new situations and on critical issues.

Employee plans and schedules own work and/or work of others based on the understanding of broadly defined objectives and priorities. Supervisor reviews work upon completion through conferences, reports and achievement of objectives.

FACTOR 3 - GUIDELINES

Employee is expected to use knowledge acquired through training and experience in making independent decisions. Additionally, departmental guidelines and procedures must be followed.

FACTOR 4 - COMPLEXITY

Work is demanding, confidential, and organizational nature that involve multifaceted duties with changing situations, andtime pressures. Duties require a high degree of concentration since different factors must be considered and weighed before decisions can be reached. Work involves a complicated tasks requiring coordinating numerous processes/methods, careful interpretation and excellent judgment;

FACTOR 5 – SCOPE AND EFFECT

Responsible for performing administrative staff assignments and office management work for a departmental division or institution, particularly in assisting a higher-level administrator with the management of the agency.

FACTOR 6 – PERSONAL CONTACTS

Personal contacts are with co-workers, supervisor(s) and other administrative officials.

FACTOR 7 – PURPOSE OF CONTACTS

The purpose of the contacts is to exchange knowledge of the theory, principles, and techniques of public administration as they apply to departmental administration.

FACTOR 8 – PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Physical demands include regularly required to stand; sit; use hands and fingers to perform repetitive motions, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and distant vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

FACTOR 9 – WORK ENVIRONMENT

Employee works in an office while maintaining records for employees within the department, and financial budget reports, auditing records, gasoline coupons information, and more applicable to the day-to-day operations of the department.