Education Staff Assistant

The State of CT, Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) is recruiting for an Education Staff Assistant position. The duties of the Education Staff Assistant position will be to:

• Serve as executive assistant to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) in coordinating scheduling and daily activities while interfacing with internal and external customers;
• Perform a range of administrative responsibilities such as developing and maintaining office policy and procedures, and organizing and reviewing work submitted to the COO from units within the division;
• Prepare policy materials and reports for presentation to the State Board of Education in alignment with implementation of Goal 1 of the State Board of Education five-year comprehensive plan, for which the COO is the goal leader;
• Participate in the planning and coordination of the Board’s educational goals and strategies, as well as projects that are led by the COO;
• Attend meetings within the agency as well as outside the agency as determined by the COO;
• Perform research for projects as directed.

The position reports directly to the COO and is located at 450 Columbus Blvd in Hartford, CT.  This is a 12-month position, 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Candidates selected for interview will be asked to provide a resume detailing experience in addition to three (3) pertinent professional references.  State employees selected for interview will be asked to provide a copy of their last two service ratings. 

Due to the volume of applications anticipated, the Bureau of Human Resources is unable to provide confirmation of receipt and/or the status of applications during the recruitment process.  Updates will be provided through your JobAps portal account.  Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.  For all other inquires, please contact Kim Barberi at kim.barberi@ct.gov.

In the Department of Education assists the Secretary, State Board of Education, in the performance of special assignments in matters pertaining to educational policy and other State Board responsibilities.

Acts as an executive assistant to the Secretary, State Board of Education; prepares policy materials for presentation to the State Board of Education; may work with representatives of the State, Federal, Local and Legislative agencies on educational matters; prepares reports on matters of concern to the State Board of Education as required; participates in the planning of educational goals and strategies; coordinates the dissemination of information to interested parties; assists in the organization and staffing of units of the Department; may assist in developing the State Board of Education agenda; performs research projects as directed; does related duties as required.

Knowledge of the basic philosophy of education; knowledge of organizational behavior and planning; ability to plan educational policy; ability to prepare comprehensive reports; ability to develop and maintain cooperative working relationships; administrative ability; considerable skill in oral and written expression.

Demonstrated competence to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position as determined by the State Board of Education.

Preference will be given to applicants with the following experience and training:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education or Management;
• At least five (5) years of experience in providing high-level support to an agency executive;
• Experience in a fast-paced, executive level environment with excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills;
• Experience in providing high-level confidential support utilizing advanced problem-solving and interpersonal skills;
• Experience in working with state, federal, local and legislative agencies on educational matters;
• Experience in office administration and management;
• Effective communication skills for daily interactions with State agencies, educators, school districts, families and general public;
• Experience in proofreading complex and technical documents for grammatical errors;
• Experience operating office equipment which includes personal computers, iPads and other electronic equipment utilizing CORE-CT, Microsoft Office applications including MSWord, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint;
• Experience using varied communications (composing complex letters and/or memoranda, board reports, etc.);
• Experience interacting with the public, districts, etc., as well as working alongside all levels of staff – professional, support and management;
• Experience in the coordination and overseeing of long-term strategic planning;
• Experience in the coordination of partnerships across sectors.

Must hold an appropriate certificate issued by the State Board of Education.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.