Administrative Support Specialist (AA 4) DOH8980

This home-based (remote) position is open to Washington residents and those living in Oregon and Idaho only. Work may be performed remotely or from our office located in Tumwater, WA, based on the employee’s preference.

The Opportunity

The Administrative Support Specialist plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of the Office of Government and Community Affairs (OGCA) by providing comprehensive administrative support. This position encompasses quality assurance for administrative documents, coordination of meetings and events, and management of personnel processes, all while fostering collaborative relationships with internal and external partners. By effectively organizing resources and documenting processes, the specialist not only supports ongoing initiatives but also enhances the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Office's mission.

This position requires working knowledge of the OGCA mission, its goals and objectives, and policies and procedures. Work is assigned and delegated by the Director of Public Health Systems and the Director of Performance and Policy.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Executive & Office Administration

• Process Documentation: Document office administrative processes and maintain them electronically in SharePoint, Teams, and the Agency Share Drive.
• Space Management: Coordinate space management and assist in long-range planning for space utilization and renovations.
• Special Projects: Complete special projects for OGCA Directors and Foundational Public Health Services enterprise, tracking progress, and providing regular updates on challenges.
• Quality Assurance: Review and provide quality assurance oversight for administrative documents requiring signatures, and maintenance and creation of forms and templates
• Timekeeping: Support payroll and attendance-keeping activities for the OGCA team.
• General Support: Perform other duties as assigned by leadership.

Meeting, Event, & Presentation Logistics

• Scheduling: Organize and schedule meetings and events with internal and external partners for OGCA team members.
• Meeting Support: Provide note-taking, attendee support, Zoom/Teams set-up and management, technical coordination, and logistics for in-person, virtual, or hybrid meetings (e.g., FPHS, SHIP, PHAB).
• Materials & Presentations: Prepare meeting materials for partner engagements and coordinate with Communications to build presentation decks for directors.

Travel, Training, & Conference Coordination

• OGCA Travel: Arrange travel, handle conference registrations, and process reimbursements for team members.
• Agency-Wide Events: Coordinate registrations, travel, reimbursements, and organizer communications for major agency-wide conference attendance.
• Professional Development: Stay up to date with administrative training.

Monitoring Personnel Actions, Recruitment, & Onboarding

• Hiring Assistance: Submit hiring tickets, schedule interviews, organize panel notes, and move candidates through the Online Hiring Center.
• Onboarding & Offboarding: Assist with onboarding activities for new employees and monitor offboarding processes.
• Tracking & Reporting: Maintain a real-time status report of vacancies, recruitments, and separations; prepare monthly status reports for the budget team and Deputy Chief of Policy.
• Ticket Management: Submit and track Service Central tickets for all OGCA personnel actions while identifying workflow improvements.
• Org Chart Management: Serve as the OGCA coordinator for organizational charts; design and submit changes using Visio software.

Partner Relationships & Backup Support

• Admin Networks: Build relationships with other administrative assistants by regularly participating in lead admin meetings.
• Partner Engagement: Participate in events that support external and internal partner engagements.
• Executive Backup: Act as the backup to the Deputy Chief of Policy Confidential Secretary; maintain their calendar, manage meeting requests, and provide required materials during their absence.

Why You’ll Love This Role

This role plays a key role in the success of high visibility programs with Washington state’s governmental public health system including Foundational Public Health Services and the State Health Improvement Plan. You will regularly connect and collaborate with local health jurisdictions, Tribes, Washington State Board of Health, other state agencies, and cross-sector partners. You will be part of a dynamic and supportive team that works to support the advancement and availability of essential public health services across the state and drive impact and improvement to Washington’s public health systems. 

Required Qualifications 

There are multiple pathways to qualify for this position. You must meet one of the options provided and any additional criteria listed. Experience may have been gained through paid or unpaid activities. Please ensure any relevant experience defined below is outlined in your cover letter, resume, and/or applicant profile.

Option 1: Four (4) years of experience providing administrative or operational support that included coordinating multiple administrative activities, maintaining records and documentation, preparing professional materials, tracking assignments or projects, and supporting leaders, teams, or programs.

Option 2: An associate degree or higher in business administration, public administration, office administration, organizational management, or a related field and one (1) year of experience providing administrative or operational support that included coordinating meetings or schedules, preparing documents or materials, maintaining records, and tracking assignments or projects.

Additional Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Experience

• Experience coordinating complex administrative activities, such as meetings, calendars, events, travel, reimbursements, records, or other office operations.
• Experience tracking multiple assignments, projects, or administrative processes and maintaining accurate status information, documentation, and deadlines.
• Skilled in preparing and reviewing professional documents, correspondence, presentations, meeting materials, or reports for accuracy and completeness.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams or comparable business productivity software.
• Experience organizing and maintaining electronic records, files, and shared documentation.
• Experience communicating and coordinating with internal and external partners to obtain information, schedule activities, resolve administrative issues, or complete assigned work.

DOH Required Competencies:

• Cultural Humility - Demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning, self-awareness, and personal growth by examining biases, valuing diverse perspectives, and adapting to new information. Builds respectful, trusting relationships and fosters an inclusive workplace where differences are recognized, respected, and leveraged to improve outcomes.
• Equity and Inclusion - Promotes fairness, belonging, and equitable access by identifying and removing barriers, valuing diverse perspectives and lived experiences, and applying inclusive practices to decision-making. Builds partnerships and advances policies, programs, and services that improve outcomes for employees and the communities served.
• People Impact Orientation - Considers the impact of decisions and actions on others and takes responsibility for creating positive outcomes. Seeks to understand stakeholder needs, adjusts approaches when needed, and continuously evaluates the effectiveness of actions to better serve employees, partners, and the public.

Preferred Qualifications

While these aren’t required, having them can help you stand out as a candidate.

• Experience providing administrative support to senior leaders, executives, or multiple program leaders. 
• Experience supporting recruitment, hiring, onboarding, offboarding, or other personnel-related administrative processes. 
• Experience coordinating conferences, large meetings, trainings, workshops, or events involving multiple participants or organizations. 
• Experience with SharePoint or comparable document-management and collaboration platforms. 
• Experience creating or maintaining organizational charts using Visio or comparable diagramming software. 
• Experience supporting payroll, timekeeping, travel, purchasing, or reimbursement processes. 
• Experience documenting administrative procedures, workflows, or standard operating processes.
• Experience working in government, public health, healthcare, nonprofit, or another complex organization involving multiple programs and external partners. 

Employee Benefits 

We offer a solid benefits package that supports you and your family’s health, financial security, and work-life balance. You’ll have access to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and long-term disability insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts, and retirement plans that help you plan for tomorrow while you’re living today. Paid holidays, vacation and sick leave help you recharge, and additional programs like dependent care assistance and professional development opportunities add value beyond basic coverage. Join us and enjoy benefits designed to care for you as much as you care about public health. Learn more about DOH benefits and see how we support your life at work and beyond by visiting Work@Health. 

The Office of Government and Community Affairs (OGCA) is a leading catalyst for a healthier and more equitable future, fostering public health excellence through effective policies, collaborative partnerships, impact-driven insights, and strategic Innovation. As a dynamic nexus connecting policy, partnerships, assessment and strategy, OGCA proactively works to shape, support and strengthen public health priorities. 

About the Washington State Department of Health

We're nearly 2,700 professionals across Washington working together to protect and improve community health. Guided by our values of Equity, Innovation, and Engagement, we address health disparities, respond to emerging challenges, and strengthen systems that support resilience. 

At DOH, we help reduce barriers, collaborate with diverse communities, and champion equitable health outcomes. We're passionate people who are driven to make a difference in public health. Our work depends on people who take action to learn and grow and who take action to meet the needs of others every day, in service of a healthier Washington. Explore more about the Department of Health, our programs, and our impact by visiting our website.

Working Conditions:

The following describes the working conditions of this position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Work Setting:

• This position may work from home, a DOH facility, or remotely from an alternate location. The official duty station for this position is home-based. If onsite work is requested by the supervisor, the request will be planned and communicated in advance.
• Exposure to hazards is limited to those commonly found in indoor at home or office environments.
• This position is sedentary, working at a computer for extended periods.
• The position requires repetitive use of a computer, inputting data and navigating a database, creating and modifying electronic documents, and using email and the internet.

Schedule:

• Standard DOH business hours are Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; however, an alternate or flexible work schedule may be considered at the employee's request, subject to supervisory approval. The position would not normally require working in excess of 40 hours per week, but if it became necessary for business needs, your supervisor would notify you in advance.

Travel Requirements:

Travel is not required to perform the duties of this position; however occasional travel may be expected to attend meetings, trainings, or conferences. Examples of travel could include hybrid Foundational Public Health Steering (FPHS) Committee meetings (3-7/year), FPHS Project Management Team retreats (2/year), and other FPHS convenings and State Health Improvement Plan events. When driving for state business, the employee must be able to legally operate a state or privately-owned vehicle; OR provide alternate transportation while on state business.

Tools & Equipment:

• This position uses standard office furniture and equipment, such as a desk, office chair, cell phone, computer, monitor(s), keyboard, and mouse; and when in the office, the position may also require the use of a printer, phone, fax machine, and/or copy machine.
• This position requires reliable access to an internet connection sufficient to perform all job duties remotely.

Customer Interactions:

• The position regularly requires engagement with customers in a variety of settings agency staff, agency managers, agency supervisors, legislators and their staff, governor's office staff, local health jurisdictions, federal government, State Board of Health, Tribes, tribal health programs, statewide professional associations, and other external partners.

Other:

• This position is covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.
• The DOH campus is a smoke-free, drug-free, alcohol-free, scent-neutral environment. 
• This position may be required to conduct and/or participate in public health emergency preparedness and response activities. 

APPLICATION DIRECTIONS:

We’re committed to a fair and equitable hiring process. Only materials submitted through the official application will be considered. Emailed resumes or documents won’t be accepted or shared with the hiring manager.

Click “Apply” to complete your application. Attach your resume, cover letter, and DD-214 (if applicable). List at least three professional references, directly in your Applicant Profile or as a separate attachment, including a supervisor, a peer, and someone you’ve supervised or led (if applicable).

DO NOT INCLUDE private details like your SSN or birth year, personal photos, transcripts, certifications, diplomas, projects, portfolios, or letters of recommendation.

Veterans Preference: Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference must attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or a signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. Please remove or cover any personally identifiable data such as social security numbers and birth year

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: We regard diversity as the foundation of our strength, recognizing that differing insights and abilities enable us to reflect the unique needs of the communities we serve.  

DOH is an equal-opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination based on race/ethnicity/color, creed, sex, pregnancy, age, religion, national origin, marital status, the presence or perception of a disability, veteran’s status, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity. 

Questions and Accommodations: If you have questions, need assistance with the application process, require an accommodation, or would like to request this posting in an alternative format, please contact Kristina Cox at employment@doh.wa.gov and reference DOH8980.

Technical Support: Reach out to NEOGOV directly at 1-855-524-5627 for technical support and login issues. 

This recruitment may be used to fill positions of the same job classification across the agency. Once all the position(s) from the recruitment are filled, the candidate pool may be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days. 

Only applicants who follow the directions and complete the Application Process in full will have their responses reviewed for consideration. 

Experience and education selected, listed, or detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable on the submitted applicant profile.