Office Coordinator (Administrative Assistant 3)

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Human Resources Office (HRO) within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill an Office Coordinator (Administrative Assistant 3) position. This position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.  

In this role, you will perform high level administrative and secretarial support duties for the Human Resource Office, management teams, and staff. Your daily tasks will focus on initiating and tracking purchasing of equipment and supplies, receiving incoming mail and responding to inquiries and questions, creating and revising accessible documents, creating and managing SharePoint libraries and sites and assisting HR team members with projects. As a main point of contact for employees requesting information or assistance from HR, you will embody our person-centered approach to delivering services. You will also have the opportunity to gain and use your SharePoint and document accessibility skills and will get experience working as part of our HR team delivering services to a mission-driven workforce protecting the environment throughout Washington. 
 
We are looking for motivated candidates who possess the ability to take initiative and direction, balance multiple assignments, and provide great customer service while thriving in a team environment. If this sounds like you, apply to join our team today! 
 
Schedule: This position is required to be in the office five days a week, with standard work hours of 8am to 5pm. 
 

Agency Mission:  Ecology's mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment and to promote the wise management of our air, land, and water for the benefit of current and future generations.
 
Program Mission: The mission of the Human Resources Office (HRO) is to develop successful employees, promote healthy and productive relationships, ensure a safe work environment and recruit great talent to achieve Ecology's Mission.
 
 

Ecology employees may be eligible for the following:
Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave*, 11 Paid Holidays per year*, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver,  Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP),  Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), Employee Assistance Program, Commute Trip Reduction Incentives (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *Click here for more information 
 

About the Department of Ecology

Protecting Washington State's environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. We are a culture that is invested in making a difference. Join a team that is highly effective and collaborative, with leadership that embraces the value of people. To learn more, check out our Strategic Plan. 

Ecology cares deeply about employee wellness; we go beyond traditional benefits, proudly offering:

• A healthy life/work balance by offering flexible schedules and telework options for most positions.
• An Infants at Work Program that is based on the long-term health values of infant-parent bonding and breastfeeding newborns.
• Continuous growth and development opportunities.
• Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work.

Our commitment to DEIR
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR) are core values central to Ecology’s work. We strive to be a workplace where we are esteemed for sharing our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals and collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations.

Diversity: We celebrate and appreciate diversity; our unique perspectives and abilities enrich us all and lead to innovative approaches and solutions.

Equity: We champion equity, recognizing that each of us need different things to thrive.

Inclusion: We intentionally create and hold space so that we all have meaningful opportunities to participate and contribute to Ecology’s work.

Respect: We treat each other with respect and dignity, acknowledging the inherent worth of our diverse perspectives and lived experiences, even in times of uncertainty and disagreement.

 
We believe that DEIR is both a goal and an action. We are on a journey, honoring our shared humanity and taking steps to demonstrate our commitment to a vision where each of us is heard, seen, and valued. 

 

Duties

What makes this role unique?

In this position, you will serve as HR’s first-ever dedicated Document Accessibility Coordinator. You will have the opportunity to establish work processes for document and content creation in HR and directly impact the accessibility of HR forms, documents, and digital content. Apply today and help us to take document accessibility at Ecology to the next level! This position is also responsible for creating and managing HR SharePoint libraries and sites. 

What you will do:

• Use independent judgment and substantive knowledge of administrative policies and HR office procedures and processes to assist employees, managers and the public with personnel inquiries. These inquiries come through email, in person, MS Teams and phone calls.
• Resolve inquiries within the duties of the position and route other inquiries to the appropriate HR staff as needed. 
• As a SharePoint Site Owner, manage site contents for Subject Matter Experts (SME). Serve as a trusted resource for SMEs to ensure content published on SharePoint is accessible, consistent, and best serves staff at Ecology. Ensure that uploaded documents meet Digital Accessibility (DA) standards.
• Create, improve and update HR-owned forms to meet accessibility standards. 
• Answer employee questions regarding digital accessibility tips and best practices within Ecology documents, such as templates, forms, reports, publications, and letters.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Years of required experience indicated below are full-time equivalent years. Full-time equivalent experience means that any experience where working hours were less than 40 hours per week will be prorated in order to meet the equivalency of full-time. We would calculate this by looking at the total hours worked per week, divide this by 40, and then multiply by the total number of months worked. Examples of the proration calculations are:

 

• 30 hours worked per week for 20 months: (30/40) x 20 months = 15 months full-time equivalent
• 20 hours worked per week for 12 months: (20/40) x 12 months = 6 months full-time equivalent

A total of four years of experience and/or education as described below:

Experience: in office/clerical, secretarial, bookkeeping, accounting, or general administrative office work. Experience must also include the following:

• One year of experience using SharePoint to create or maintain sites or Microsoft Office products (Word, Outlook, and Excel) to compose, create and edit correspondence, reports and other digital content.  Experience may be gained concurrently with qualifying education or experience.
• Ability to type 30 words per minute.
• Demonstrated ability to accomplish assignments with frequent interruptions and adjust quickly to changes in priorities and assignments.

Education: A High School Diploma or equivalent or formal college level education with a major study in business administration, public administration, or closely allied field.

See chart below for a list of ways to qualify for this position:
 

Possible Combinations

College credit hours or degree - as listed above.

Years of required experience - as listed above.

Combination 1

A High School Diploma or equivalent. No college credit hours or degree.

4 years of experience

Combination 2

30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.

3 years of experience
 

Combination 3

60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).

2 years of experience
 

Combination 4

90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.

1 years of experience
 

Combination 5 

A Bachelor's Degree or above.

0 years of experience
 

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

Ability to lift up to 30 lbs.

Desired Qualifications:
We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.

• Experience with document accessibility, including creating and/or updating forms to meet accessibility standards.
• Experience with eTime or other time/leave management system.
• Experience with an electronic purchasing system.
• Experience with setting up and maintaining filing systems, both electronic and hard copy.

Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.

Supplemental Information

Ecology seeks diverse applicants: We view diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect through a broad lens including race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, military background, language, education, life experience, physical disability, neurodiversity, and intersectional identities. Qualified candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.


Need an Accommodation in the application and/or screening process or this job announcement in an alternative format?

 

• Please call: (360) 407-6186 or email: careers@ecy.wa.gov and we will be happy to assist.
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing you can reach the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.
• If you need assistance applying for this job, please e-mail careers@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not send an email to this address to follow-up on the status of your application. You can view the latest status of your application on your profile's main page.
• If you are reading this announcement in print format, please enter the following URL to your search engine to apply: https://ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Get-to-know-us/Jobs-at-Ecology.  

Application Instructions:

It's in the applicant's best interest to submit all of the documents listed below. Applications without these documents may be declined.

 

• A cover letter describing why you are interested in this position.
• A resume outlining your experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to the minimum qualifications of this position.
• A list of three professional references.

Note: References will only be contacted during the final steps of the recruitment process for candidates selected as finalists. References will not be contacted without the candidate’s formal authorization. 

Please do NOT include your salary history. Wage/salary depends on qualifications or rules of promotion, if applicable.  
 
For Your Privacy:
When attaching documents to your application (such as Resume, Cover Letter, Transcripts, DD-214, etc.):

 

• Please be sure to remove private information such as your social security number, date of birth, etc.
• Do not attach documents that are password-protected, as these documents may not be reviewed and may cause errors within your application when downloaded.

Additional Application Instructions for Current Ecology Employees:

 
Please make sure to answer the agency-wide questions regarding permanent status as a classified employee within the Washington General Service or Washington Management Service. Do not forget to select Department of Ecology as a response to question 2, and type your personnel ID number for question 3. If you are not sure of your status or do not know your personnel ID number, please contact Human Resources.

Application Attestation: 

The act of submitting application materials electronically is considered affirmation that the information is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information and any untruthful or misleading answers are cause for rejection of your application or dismissal if employed. 

Other Information:

If you have specific questions about the position, please email Jovita Ramirez at: Jovita.Ramirez@ecy.wa.gov Please do not contact Jovita to inquire about the status of your application.
 
To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov

Why work for Ecology?

As an agency, our mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment for current and future generations. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability.

Joining Ecology means becoming a part of a team committed to protecting and restoring Washington State's environment. A career in public service allows you to help solve some of the most challenging problems facing our state, while keeping your health and financial security a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to life/work balance.

To learn more about The Department of Ecology, please visit our website at www.ecology.wa.gov and follow, like or visit us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or our blog.

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Washington State Department of Ecology is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, military spouses or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application/testing process or this job announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 407-6186. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.

Note: This recruitment may be used to fill other positions of the same job classification across the agency.