Introduction
The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health (DPH), is currently seeking enthusiastic and driven candidates to apply for the position of Secretary 2 within the Community, Family Health and Prevention Branch.
Within this Branch, this Secretary 2 will support programs and approximately 20 staff within the Chronic Diseases and Injury Prevention Section, which includes several program units: the Office of Injury and Violence Prevention, the Injury and Violence Surveillance Unit, and the Heart, Brain, and Diabetes Health Program among others. This position will also perform a full range of administrative support functions, including but not limited to: phone coverage for the Branch, processing purchase requisitions in Core-CT and tracking purchase orders and invoices, preparing travel and reimbursement requests, coordinating virtual and in-person interviews, managing logistics for meetings, and maintaining a system to track work assignments.
HIGHLIGHTS
- UNIT: Community, Family Health and Prevention branch
- ADDRESS: 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT
- WORK HOURS: Full-Time, First Shift, 40 hours per week
- SCHEDULE: Typical work schedule of Monday through Friday
- There is an opportunity for partial telework and flexible/alternate schedule to support a healthy work-life balance.
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU
- The opportunity to work for a Forbes top company: 'Forbes' State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule
- A Platinum Healthcare Plan, the nation’s best for state employees and dependents, according to a report by Georgetown’s Center on Health Insurance Reform and article by Ellen Andrews, Ph.D., along with comprehensive benefit offerings
- Extensive pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings
- Generous paid time off, including 13 paid holidays per calendar year
- Professional growth and development opportunities
- A healthy work/life balance to all employees
- State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service. Click here for more information.
As a Secretary 2, you will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following duties:
- Serve as a main point of contact for the Branch, triage mail, calls, emails, and faxes;
- Create and track purchase order requisitions and invoices in Core-CT;
- Manage logistics for meetings and conferences, including researching, assembling, and coordinating meeting materials (e.g., charts, graphs, reports), arranging meeting spaces and equipment;
- Order and maintain inventory of supplies and equipment;
- Schedule and arrange interviews for job candidates;
- Review time and attendance records;
- Make travel arrangements, prepare Travel Authorization requests, and prepare payroll reimbursements;
- Prepare expense accounts for reimbursements;
- Design and initiate new forms and procedures to facilitate workflow, and maintain a system to track work assignments;
- Create Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentation slides, and Word documents; and
- Format letters and/or memoranda, proofread for contents, and make edits using knowledge of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
ABOUT US
The Mission of the Department of Public Health (DPH) is to protect and improve the health and safety of the people of Connecticut by assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy, preventing disease, injury, and disability, and promoting the equal enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, which is a human right and a priority of the state.
DPH accomplishes this through the implementation of its Strategic Plan which outlines the actions that DPH is taking to accomplish its Mission.
Selection Plan
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!
Please Note: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
TO APPLY
- In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
- In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting.
- You must specify your qualifications on your application. You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.
- In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
- All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
- This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.
AFTER YOU APPLY
- Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
- This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
- NOTE: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
- Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position. Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.
- Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
CONNECT WITH US
- Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.
- Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Jensine Tran at jensine.tran@ct.gov.
PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)
In a state agency this class is accountable for independently performing a full range of secretarial support functions requiring an understanding of organizational policies and procedures.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
Performs a variety of secretarial duties as described in the following areas:
- TYPING:
- Using computers, tablets, and other electronic equipment, formats and types a full range of correspondence, reports, bills, drafts, etc. from rough draft, transcription, dictated notes, etc.;
- Proofreads for content;
- Edits using knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling.
- FILING:
- Designs office filing systems;
- Organizes and maintains files (including confidential files);
- Maintains, updates and reviews reference materials and manuals.
- CORRESPONDENCE:
- Composes complex letters and/or memoranda, etc. (e.g., explaining department practices/policies) for own or supervisor's signature.
- REPORT WRITING:
- Compiles information from a variety of sources and prepares narrative or statistical reports, exercising judgment in the selection of items to be included.
- INTERPERSONAL:
- Greets and directs visitors;
- Answers phones and screens incoming calls;
- Provides advice to callers regarding policy and procedures (e.g., citing a regulation to solve a specific problem);
- Coordinates with others both within and outside of the organization on a variety of non-routine matters.
- PROCESSING:
- Screens letters, memos, reports and other materials to determine action required;
- May make recommendations to the supervisor.
- SECRETARY:
- Arranges and coordinates meetings (including space and equipment);
- Researches, assembles and coordinates meeting materials (e.g., charts, graphs, reports);
- Writes minutes of meetings, lectures, conferences, etc. from rough draft;
- Takes notes and/or meeting minutes;
- Prepares expense accounts;
- Makes travel arrangements.
- OFFICE MANAGEMENT:
- Maintains an inventory of supplies and equipment;
- Orders supplies when necessary;
- Completes, processes and maintains paperwork for purchasing (e.g., orders, requisitions, invoices, etc.);
- Maintains time and attendance records;
- Assists in preparing and monitoring the office budget (e.g., compiles figures, reviews statistical reports, verifies expense items);
- Designs and initiates new forms and procedures to facilitate workflow;
Performs related duties as required.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY
- Considerable knowledge of
- office systems and procedures;
- proper grammar, punctuation and spelling;
- Knowledge of
- business communications;
- department's/unit's policies and procedures;
- business math;
- Skills;
- interpersonal skills;
- oral and written communication skills;
- Ability to
- schedule and prioritize office workflow;
- operate office equipment which includes computers, tablets, and other electronic equipment;
- operate office suite software;
- take notes (shorthand, speedwriting or other method acceptable to the supervisor).
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE
Three (3) years of experience above the routine clerk level in office support or secretarial work.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE
One (1) year of the General Experience must have been as a Secretary 1 or its equivalent.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED
College training in the secretarial sciences may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of two (2) years.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience managing requests for a large group of staff members, including travel authorizations, reimbursements, purchasing, and scheduling interviews
- Experience working in an advanced manner with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams and experience using Core-CT or similar platform for financial functions
- Experience working with office systems and procedures, including electronic and paper filing, digital correspondence, and letter and memo composition
- Experience working with the public to answer phone calls, responding to requests for information on programs and general policies and procedures, and coordinating across organizational departments
- Experience managing multiple and time-sensitive priorities while meeting deadlines
Conclusion
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.