Records Assistant - Bilingual/Biliterate English/Spanish Preferred

Under general supervision, performs a variety of responsible, complex clerical and administrative support duties for the City Clerks Division.  Assists the City's Records Administrator in ensuring appropriate retention, management, and destruction of a wide variety of City records, as mandated by Washington State law. Supports the City Public Records Officer (PRO) with public records requests and public disclosure functions. May act on behalf of the PRO in matters related to coordinating and carrying out public records request intake, assignment, and timely communication with a variety of individuals and groups.  Performs clerical duties required of the Police and Fire LEOFF 1 Pension Boards.  Work is performed utilizing independent judgment within established guidelines with latitude and flexibility to make responsible decisions, resolve problems, and interpret complex rules, regulations, and policies. 

Provides a variety of administrative support and assistance to the Public Records Officer, Records Administrator and City Clerk.
 
Assists with maintaining and updating a city-wide records management system, including policies and procedures, retention and disposition schedules, data collection and indexing systems, training and outreach programs, a document disaster recovery plan, and a records management manual.  Ensures City information is maintained, processed, retained, disposed, and/or recovered in accordance with federal, state, and local laws and City policies. 
 
Assists in overseeing the inventory and storage of archived records.  Assists the Records Administrator in preparing public records for transfer to inactive storage; maintains transfer documentation and indexes; and retrieves records when requested. Prepares disposition documentation and arranges disposition. 
 
Assists the Public Records Officer to assure timely and complete response to public disclosure requests. Supports the Public Records Officer in administering the City's public records request tracking system. Coordinates, assigns, and tracks incoming public records requests received, as defined by the City intake procedures. Corresponds with requestors, in accordance with The Public Records Act, RCW 42.56 and the City public records procedures to acknowledge requests, clarify unclear requests, provide responsive records, and/or direct requestors when applicable to internal City information resources or external web-based information. Monitors response due dates in conjunction with assigned departments, divisions, and offices, to ensure that mandated response deadlines are met. Coordinates communications with requestors, other departments, divisions, offices, individuals, and with the Public Records Officer, as needed.  
 
Serves as the assistant to the Secretary of Police and Fire LEOFF 1 Pension Boards.  Assists with the following:  tracking retirees; coordinating insurance benefits; administering pension policy updates; pension board member elections. Performs various accounting and written and oral clerical support functions.  May attend meetings and takes minutes.   Processes: bills with the provider, the Board and the State; .insurance claims payments; and reimbursement checks for medical, dental and vision according to RCW's and pension policies for LEOFF 1 members.
 
Receives and answers a wide range of questions and complaints from the public by telephone and in person; routes calls and visitors; takes messages and complaints and conveys to appropriate staff; registers voters; processes damage claims and lawsuits filed against the City; prepares and assembles packets for City Council.   
 
Requires regular and reliable attendance.
 
Performs other related duties as assigned.
 

Knowledge of: municipal organization, Washington State RCW's, laws, codes, and ordinances relating to record retention and record management guidelines and Public Disclosure Act; modern clerical and administrative support practices and office principles, practices, and techniques. Must possess well developed communication skills, both written and oral with appropriate use of business English including correct grammar, letter composition, spelling, punctuation and mathematical skills; filing and records systems.  Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite including but not limited to Outlook, Word, and Excel.
 
Ability to: answer inquiries by telephone, computer or in person; analyze public records requests and to articulate requirements to departments, citizens, agencies and other groups;  understand and execute complex oral or written instructions; prepare correspondence including letters, reports, forms, work orders, and specialized documents; proofread and edit materials for professional formatting, grammar, punctuation, accuracy, and compliance with City and department policies; anticipate departmental requirements; apply extensive or obscure guidelines to a wide variety of work situations; express ideas clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing; set and manage priorities for work in a public environment with frequent interruptions while providing excellent customer service to a wide variety of customers; establish and maintain effective working relationships with other City employees, outside agencies, vendors, public officials and with persons from widely diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds; coordinate efforts among the various divisions; perform word processing, data entry and retrieval work proficiently with attention to detail; demonstrate professional presentation skills. 

Ability to:  operate a variety of office machines and other equipment including but not limited to personal computer successfully utilizing various computer software programs and tracking systems, telephone, radio, copy and fax machines; work independently with minimal direction; and manage multiple tasks with competing deadlines. Excellent analytical, organizations and time management skills are required.