Assistant to Director of Recreation and Parks-(Administrative Assistant)-Office of the Director

Salary : $61,799.00 - $119,149.00 Annually

Location : Columbia, MD

Job Type : Full Time

Job Number : 25-00536

Department : Recreation & Parks

Division : R&P REC11F - Gen Fund

Opening Date : 02 / 12 / 2025

Closing Date : 2 / 26 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Eastern

POSITION SUMMARY / CLASS DESCRIPTION

Howard County :

Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government :

Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, best practices and sustainability. It is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2024, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 63 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) - the most awards in the state of Maryland, and the fifth highest in the nation, as compared to more than 3000 counties. NACo Achievement Awards are the premier national honor to recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policy making.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.

What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government :

• We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.

We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged!

We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.

As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

POSITION SUMMARY :

This position provides advanced technical level administrative support work under the direction of the Director of the Department of Recreation & Parks.

STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE :

29.71 - $32.54

61,799 - $67,685

CLASS DESCRIPTION :

Performs senior technical level administrative support work, which many include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work typically involves administrative, technical and para-legal work providing staff assistance to various Boards; or administrative secretarial or constituent services work assisting the County Executive, the State's Attorney, the Chief Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit, Chief of Staff or the Chief Administrative Officer. Assumes responsibility for clerical procedures and office operations; maintains executive calendar and appointments. May supervise a support staff. Work at this level may include independent responsibility for a difficult and complex administrative or clerical process not requiring the attention of a professional or technical expert.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Administrative Duties :

Obtains the Director's signature on a variety of correspondence and other documents; may, as requested by the Director, compose correspondence of a personal nature for the Director to reflect the Director's sensitivity to citizens' needs.

Maintain highly complex and confidential office records and other information, to conduct research, and to prepare accurate reports from file records and materials and outside sources.

Prepare correspondence regarding County policies, procedures, regulations, and operations.

Responsible for scheduling and sending invitations (RSVPs) to all participants to be included in meetings initiated by the Director; conducts research, if necessary, to determine contact information for meeting participants; follows up as necessary to assure all necessary participants are available.

Prepares various weekly / monthly reports for County Administration.

Prepares and edits various agreements for the Director's review.

Assists Director with the various board members of the committees the Director is a part of in planning and organizing meetings, events etc.

Maintains Director's reference material and preparation for daily meeting and onsite visits.

Assists with various meetings for the Director such as quarterly Senior Manager meetings, Bureau Chief meetings, Local Children Board meetings, MACPRA and more.

Performs administrative computer support work; typing of letters, memos, reports, emails.

Create, host and record virtual and hybrid meetings

Attends monthly manager meetings conducted by Director; record and transcribe meeting minutes.

Serves as the liaison for the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board, scheduling meetings, researching perspective board members, providing necessary supplies, serve as backup to the recording secretary; attend evening meetings, record and transcribe meeting minutes as needed.

Reviews and routes contracts, agreements to the appropriate parties.

Prepares various Human Resources disciplinary and termination letters for the Director's signature as well as personnel filing.

Coordinates and schedules meetings / conferences with County personnel and public citizens for the Department.

Make procurement purchases for the Director when necessary and preparing monthly procurement statements on behalf of the Director

Assist in creating interview questions and serve on interview panels when requested

Serves as back-up for Administrative Aides in the Director's area which includes support work for bureau chiefs.

Legislative Duties :

Monitors and reviews local County legislation on a weekly basis. Researches, analyzes and prepares summarization of local County legislation for the Director as well as the Senior Managers involve in the legislation.

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the County Council, County officials, various high level elected or appointed officials at the State and Federal level, executive level representatives of business and private organization and the public.

Liaison Duties :

Maintains awareness of issues the Director considers current and critical through regular meetings with the Director and Senior Management Team members.

Coordinates Public Information review material for public release, fosters public understanding and current activities of the Department and responds to media inquiries.

Answers multi-line phone : answers public inquires and handles customer service complaints.

Special Assignments and Projects :

Responsible for identifying and applying good sustainability practices into all aspects of Department operations.

This position may be deemed as essential, in an emergency, at the discretion of the Director.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES :

This job has no supervisory responsibilities; however, on occasion, may supervise the work of lower-level clerical employees.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE

Associates' Degree and four (4) years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES :

Ability to express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates and the public.

Knowledge of all County policies and procedures.

Experience and knowledge of County Administration.

Working knowledge of Word and Microsoft Office applications.

Full awareness of Department and staffing structure.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT :

PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and / or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and depth perception.

WORK ENVIRONMENT : The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL :

LANGUAGE SKILLS :

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports and business correspondence. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS :

Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

REASONING ABILITY :

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION :

TO APPLY : You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted.

Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening, background screening, and reference checks.

At time of application, please submit a copy of any college degree, coursework, licenses, or certifications that you have referenced on your application. Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http : / / www.naces.org) or World Education Services : International Credential Evaluation (https : / / www.wes.org / ).

Howard County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Howard County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. The County prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Applicants requiring accommodations during the hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources directly at . Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application.

The following is a summary of the benefits available to Howard County employees who hold full-time benefit-eligible positions. Employees in positions covered by a bargaining agreement should consult their union contract for other specific benefits. Additional details are also available in the Employee Manual and in summary plan descriptions which are available in the Office of Human Resources or at

FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN : Under the County's flexible benefits plan called CountyFlex, employees may elect to enroll in medical insurance plans, dental insurance plans, optional life insurance, dependent life insurance, and healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts. Employee contributions to these benefits are made on a pre-tax basis. Information concerning enrollment options, plan rates and a benefits comparison chart are available in the Office of Human Resources.

GROUP TERM LIFE INSURANCE : Employees receive a group term life insurance benefit equal to 2 times their annual salary at no cost. Accidental death and dismemberment coverage is included. The County pays the entire cost for this benefit. Employees may purchase additional coverage under the CountyFlex benefits plan.

PAID LEAVE BENEFITS : Annual and Disability Leaves are accrued over 24 pay periods each year. Personal leave is credited on January 1st each year. Use of Annual, Disability and / or Personal Leave requires supervisory approval.

ANNUAL LEAVE : During the first 5 years of employment, employees accrue the equivalent of 13 days per year. From years 6 through 10, the accrual is the equivalent of 16 days per year. From years 11 through 20, the accrual is the equivalent of 19 days per year. From year 21 on, the accrual is the equivalent of 21 days per year. Annual leave may not be used during the first 6 months of employment. A maximum of 40 days may be carried over from one fiscal year to the next.

DISABILITY LEAVE : Employees accrue the equivalent of 1 day per month (12 days per year). There is no maximum accrual. This leave may be used for the disabling illness / injury of the employee, spouse or minor child or for a serious medical condition approved under F.M.L.A. Absences of over 3 days must be substantiated by a physician's certificate.

PERSONAL LEAVE : Employees receive 6 personal leave days each calendar year to be taken during the calendar year. Employees hired after April 30th receive 4 days of personal leave that year; those hired after August 31st receive 2 days; and those hired after November 30th receive no personal leave for that year. Personal leave may not be carried over.

HOLIDAYS : Employees are paid for the following holidays : New Year's Day; Martin Luther King Day; President's Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Juneteenth; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veteran's Day; Thanksgiving Day; Friday after Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day.

OTHER PAID LEAVE : Other paid leave will be granted for approved jury duty, military leave, bereavement leave and official leave. Unpaid leave will be granted in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act.

RETIREMENT : Howard County sponsors a defined benefit plan for its employees. participation in the plan is mandatory. Employees are required to make contributions to the plan, which are taken on a pre-tax basis. Contribution rates are dependent upon the plan in which the employee participates (general plan, or police and fire plan). The County contributes an additional percentage sufficient to ensure that each plan is adequately funded. Complete details are available in the summary plan descriptions which are available in the Office of Human Resources.Howard County Retirement Plan : Employees contribute 3% of salary to the plan. Sheriff Deputies hired after 7 / 1 / 2021 contribute 8.5% of salary to the plan. All eligible Corrections Employees must enroll in the Corrections Employees Enhanced Benefit and must contribute 8.5% of salary to the plan.Howard County Police and Fire Employees' Retirement Plan : Sworn police officers and career firefighters must participate in this plan. Police employees contribute 11.6% of salary and Fire employees contribute 7.7% of salary to the plan.

SOCIAL SECURITY : Participation is mandatory. Employees contribute at the current established rate.

457(b) DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN : Employees are eligible to participate in an IRS 457(b) deferred compensation program. This plan allows employees to defer a portion of their income on a pre-tax basis. Contributions are invested at the employee's direction on a tax deferred basis.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM : Employees experiencing problems that affect their personal lives and job performance may take advantage of confidential assessment and referral services.

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE : Employees may apply for reimbursement for tuition costs after completion of 6 months of employment. Prior course approval is required. The maximum annual reimbursement is $2500 contingent upon County funding.

PAID PARENTAL LEAVE : Employees who have worked for the county for at least twelve (12) months are eligible for twelve (12) weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the qualifying birth of a child, or the placement of a child with an employee for adoption or foster care. Leave must be used within the 12 months following the birth or placement.

LONG TERM DISABILITY BENEFITS : Employees who have completed 6 months of service are enrolled in the LTD plan. After 6 months of disability, plan may pay 60% of base monthly pay up to $2500 per month. The County pays the entire cost of this benefit.

DISABILITY LEAVE BANK : Employees have established a Disability Leave Bank to which employees may donate disability leave in order to be eligible to receive salary and benefit protection when they are absent due to a serious disabling illness or injury and have exhausted all accrued leave. Employees are eligible to join the Bank after having completed 1 year of employment. Administration of the Bank, including the review and approval of claims for grants of time, is handled in accordance with the Bank's Rules and Regulations which are available in the Office of Human Resources.

VOLUNTARY BENEFIT OPTIONS : Employees may elect to enroll in long term care insurance, critical illness insurance, short term disability income protection, and universal life insurance.

CREDIT UNION : Employees may participate in the Tower Federal Credit Union through payroll deductions. Loans are also available to qualified applicants.

The supplemental questions are a very important first step in our screening process. Therefore, you are required to complete these questions so that we may initially determine your eligibility for this position. A lack of detail and explanation in the supplemental questions and in your application may result in failure or disqualification for this position. This means you will be ineligible for further consideration in this recruitment process.Please check "yes" to show that you have read and understand this statement.

Do you possess an Associate's Degree and four (4) years of related work experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience?

Do you possess experience performing advanced technical level administrative support work including typing letters, memos and reports?

If you possess experience performing advanced technical level administrative support work including typing letters, memos and reports, please explain where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

Do you possess experience transcribing from tapes various letters, memos, reports, and Board meetings?

If you possess experience transcribing from tapes various letters, memos, reports, and Board meetings, please explain where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

Do you possess experience in performing special projects such as marketing research or in depth legislative analysis?

If you possess experience in performing special projects such as marketing research or in depth legislative analysis, please explain where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

Do you possess experience preparing and maintaining highly confidential letters, reports, and files?

If you possess experience preparing and maintaining highly confidential letters, reports, and files, please explain where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

Do you possess experience answering a multi-line phone, answering public inquiries and handling complaints?

If you possess experience answering a multi-line phone, answering public inquiries and handling complaints, please explain where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

Do you possess experience coordinating and scheduling meetings / conferences?

If you possess experience coordinating and scheduling meetings / conferences, please explain where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

How did you hear about this position?

If you indicated "Job Fair" or "Other" in the previous question, please indicate which job fair you attended and specifically how you became aware of this position. Otherwise, indicate "N / A" (Not Applicable).

Which of the following best describes your proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)?

I understand I am responsible for maintaining the accuracy of my contact information, including my street address, my e-mail address, and my contact telephone numbers. My failure to maintain accurate contact information may result in my not receiving information regarding this job announcement and / or may result in my not being further considered for this employment opportunity. To update this information visit www.governmentjobs.com, click on the "career seekers" link, and follow the prompts.

I certify that the information submitted in this application is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that providing false, erroneous, and / or misleading information may result in elimination from the hiring process and termination of employment if hired.

Required Question

Salary : $61,799 - $119,149