Special Assistant to the Comptroller

City of St. Louis; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

City of St. Louis seeks a Special Assistant to the Comptroller to provide professional support on executive priorities and special assignments. You will assist with research, preparation of materials, and coordination across City offices, ensuring discretion and timely follow-through.

The role requires a Bachelor's degree in a related field and 3+ years working with government finance; strong writing, analytical, and organizational skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field.
• Experience with governmental finance and IRS regulations.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional and administrative support to the Comptroller on special assignments and priorities.
• Conduct research and prepare concise summaries, briefing materials, reports, and recommendations.
• Assist with internal/external communications and draft messages for the Comptroller's Office.

Skills

Discretion/Confidentiality

Written & spoken communication

Research & analysis

Prioritization & organization

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Business/Public Administration

Job description

Job Description - Special Assistant to the Comptroller (260000P7)

Job Description

Special Assistant to the Comptroller - ( 260000P7 )

Description

Position Grade: 215G

Job Type: Full-Time (Permanent)

Examination Number: EX1808

Location: Downtown - St. Louis, MO

The incumbent in this position serves as the Comptroller’s administrative staffer, providing specialized administrative support, helping create policy, and assisting the Comptroller. Additional duties include supporting executive projects, research, communications, meeting preparation, and the coordination of priority initiatives—all require sound judgment, discretion, responsiveness, and effective collaboration across the Comptroller's Office and City government. The role also assists with negotiations, as well as the development and revision of proposed financial agreements and strategies.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Provide direct professional and administrative support to the Comptroller on special assignments, executive priorities, and time-sensitive matters.
• Conduct research, gather and analyze information, and prepare concise summaries, briefing materials, correspondence, reports, presentations, and recommendations.
• Assist with internal and external communications, including drafting messages and coordinating information on behalf of the Comptroller's Office.
• Coordinate and monitor special projects and initiatives, following up with department managers, City offices, and outside organizations.
• Assist the Executive Assistant II with executive-office coordination, meeting preparation, document development, and operational support.
• Attend and represent the Comptroller at internal, community, and professional meetings, ensuring appropriate follow-up.
• Maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment, and support executive-office priorities.
• Advise the Comptroller and provide recommendations on assigned finance and development projects.
• Review reports for administrative and financial analysis regarding economic development and public works projects.
• Provide support documentation and analysis for selection committees.
• Assist in the negotiation, development, and revision of proposed financial agreements and strategies.
• Facilitate finance and development strategy planning meetings and prepare agenda materials.
• Review the processing of financial documents, including vouchers, contracts, and bank documents.
• May require after-hour neighborhood meetings and/or events.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to exercise discretion, maintain confidentiality, and use sound judgment when handling sensitive executive, personnel, policy, and organizational matters.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to organize complex information and present it clearly and professionally.
• Ability to research issues, analyze information, identify key points, and prepare accurate and concise recommendations or briefing materials.
• Ability to organize multiple priorities, meet deadlines, follow through on assignments, and work effectively with senior officials, employees, external partners, and the public.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining close coordination with the Comptroller and executive-office staff.
• Proficiency with standard business applications, including Microsoft Office, and the ability to learn City systems and processes.
• Be proficient in performing research and data collection.
• Data Utilization: Requires the ability to perform mid-level data analysis including the ability to audit, deduce, assess, conclude and appraise. Requires discretion in determining and referencing such to established criteria to define consequences and develop alternatives.
• Equipment, Machinery, Tools and Materials Use: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or provide simple but continuous adjustment on equipment, machinery and tools such as computer terminal, telephone, fax machine and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a variety of reference, descriptive and advisory data and information such as financial statements, budgets, contracts, bid specifications, press releases, city charter, ordinances, statutes, various policies, master plans, program reports, procedures, guidelines and non-routine correspondence.
• Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; calculate percentage and decimals; develop and interpret descriptive statistical reports.
• Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems. Ability to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic or schedule form. Ability to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.
• Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental and/or subjective criteria, as opposed to criteria that are clearly measurable or verifiable.
• Environmental Factors: Work is normally performed in an office environment under generally safe and comfortable conditions where exposure to irate individuals poses a very limited risk of injury. Physical Requirements: Requires the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light office work. Tasks may involve extended periods of visual concentration at a keyboard or workstation.
• Sensory Requirements: Requires the ability to recognize and identify individual characteristics of colors, shapes and sounds associated with job-related objects, materials and tasks.

Qualifications

A Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field; plus three years of experience in the field of public administration. OR an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Qualifying experience must include knowledge and skill working with governmental finance and IRS regulations.

Scoring Components and Their Weights

Experience and Training: 100%

May be Subject to:

Background Investigation: Pass/Fail

Medical Examination: Pass/Fail

Documentation of Academic Credentials must be Submitted Upon Request

When completing the Employment History and the Educational/Training History sections of the Employment Application, please be as thorough as possible when describing your education, training and experience relating to this position. Applicants will only receive credit for their experience, training and education as shown on the application. Resumes will not be accepted as a substitute to a fully completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

To be eligible for veteran's preference points, the applicant must submit a copy of their DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty with the Employment Application or upon request. The Director of Personnel may, in their discretion, accept alternate documentation.

City Residence Preference Points

City residents who pass an examination for a position in the classified service and do not receive any other preference will receive a five (5) point preference on a scale of 100 points on the exam. An additional one (1) point shall be added to the passing score of City residents who receive any other preference on a scale of 100 points. City residents must have resided in the City for at least one (1) year at the time of filing their application to be eligible for the preference points.

Accommodations

If assistance with the job application is necessary based on a physical impairment, mental impairment, or otherwise, they should reach out to the Office on the Disabled with contact information.

This office will not disclose any information that an applicant or employee has a disability or has discussed possible accommodations without the applicant's or employee's prior consent.

• City of St. LouisCity Hall1200 Market StreetSaint Louis, MO 63103