Office Manager

The City of Danbury is announcing an Open Competitive Exam for the position of

Office Manager

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

This position is professional in nature and is responsible for the coordination of the Public Works office operations and procedures.   Responsibilities and direction are received from the Director of Public Works/City Engineer, but the employee is required to exercise considerable initiative and independent judgment in developing and carrying out work assignments.  Work involves supervision of clerical/secretarial staff daily, dealing with confidential personnel related matters and managing the daily administrative functions of the office of Public Works.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• With direction from the Director of Public Works/City Engineer, determines day to day priority in work assignments and plans work for the other clerical staff based on department priorities, schedules and standard procedures. Will also provide support for all Public Works Department Division Heads.

• Supervises, trains and develops office support staff.

• Uses considerable judgment and initiative to determine the approach or action to take in non-routine situations.

• Anticipates and prepares materials needed by the office for conferences, correspondence, appointments, meetings, telephone calls, etc.

• Notes commitments made by staff during meetings and arranges for implementation or staff follow up.

• Maintains records and reports for matters of a sensitive and confidential nature related to personnel matters and union contracts.        Oversees and assists in the processing of records, including but not limited to budgets, purchasing of supplies and equipment, personnel records and correspondence.

• Evaluates office production, revises procedures, or devises new forms to improve efficiency of workflow.

• Establishes and maintains a computer-based tracking program for various office/department functions and trains staff in its use.

• Formulates procedures for systematic retention, protection, retrieval, transfer, and disposal of records.

• Assists in the preparation, review and evaluation of standard office reports, forms, etc. selecting relevant information from a variety of sources.

• Prepares, reviews and tracks purchase order requests and all Public Works Department Division operations budgets.

• Provides information to the general public in person and over the telephone with respect to status of projects, permits, and miscellaneous office functions/records.

• Assists in the preparation of grant applications, as required.

• Develops status reports as warranted by State, Federal and/or local funding and other requirements.

• Performs special research, as directed.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES, AND SKILLS

Thorough knowledge of the functions and practices of office administration and record keeping.

Thorough knowledge of MS Office suite

Strong knowledge of budgetary practices and procedures, records maintenance and ability to utilize computer software applications to compile and generate reports, spreadsheets, etc.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, subordinates, associates, and the general public.

Ability to plan, direct and supervise the work of other Division clerical staff.

Ability to comprehend and carry out oral and written instruction.

Ability to communicate/express oneself clearly, both orally and in writing.

Ability to prepare written reports, both narrative and budgetary.

Ability to read and interpret complex written material and technical documents.

Ability to do budget analysis and track budgets.

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

Seven (7) years of progressively responsible clerical and administrative experience.

EDUCATION

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Works under the direction of the Director of Public Works/City Engineer.Application Submission:

Applications must be submitted online at www.danbury-ct.gov/employment.   Qualified applicants must submit an application no later than 11:59 pm, Thursday March 28th, 2024 EEO/M/F/D/V 

Important Note:  Paper applications will not be accepted.

The application must be completed in its entirety.  Omissions, false, misleading or inaccurate information will result in rejection of the application.

It is recommended that applicants do not wait until the last day to submit the application. Applications should be completed as soon as possible after publication of the announcement for examination.

Please contact the Human Resources/Civil Service Department at (203) 797-4598 or humanresources@danbury-ct.gov if you need assistance or if you have any general questions.
1. Application Review

The Civil Service Commission is responsible for reviewing the applications to determine if     they are complete and meet the minimum requirements for the position.  The Commission   will review all the applications for the position during their monthly meeting following the   closing date of the position.

If an application is accepted by the Civil Service Commission, then the applicant will be notified in writing and will be informed of the next step in the process.  If the Commission does not accept an application, the applicant will also be notified in writing.  
2. Testing

Once an application is accepted by the Civil Service Commission, the applicant will be notified in writing of the next steps in the testing process.   Each test phase must be passed in order to continue to the next level of the selection process.  The examination for this position will consist of the following parts:

PARTS                                       WEIGHT

WRITTEN EXAM                          100%

It is the applicant's responsibility to adhere to the City's testing schedule.  Unless otherwise stated, there will be no make-up examinations or alternative examination dates.

If an applicant fails the test, the applicant will be immediately eliminated from consideration for this hiring process.

Oral Test Date:            *week of April 15th, 2024

Test Time:                    To be determined

Test Location:              To be determined

• Exam date may be subject to change

Unless otherwise notified, applicants are not permitted to bring and/or use calculators, electronic devices, books or other reference materials during the examinations).

Reasonable Accommodations in the testing process:

All requests for reasonable accommodations in the testing process along with medical documentation establishing the need for the accommodation must be submitted to the City of Danbury Human Resources Department no later than the closing date of applications.
3. The Eligibility List

A passing average score of "70" on the above test will place an applicant on the Eligibility List in rank order.  The rank on this list is established according to the scores on the exam(s) indicated above plus any additional applicable veterans and/or residency points awarded. The resulting list is then certified by the Civil Service Commission and will be used to fill vacancies as they occur, as per Civil Service Rules.

If the list is not exhausted, it remains in effect for one year.  However, the Commission can decide to extend an eligibility list for one additional year.

Participation in the testing and recruitment process and/or placement on an eligibility list does not guarantee a continuance in the remainder of the hiring process nor does it imply or constitute an offer of employment.  
4. Additional Testing Requirements

Once the eligibility list is certified, depending on the number of vacancies, candidates with the highest ranking on the list will be interviewed by a panel of City Officials.  As future positions become available, applicants are interviewed from this list based on their ranking for as long as the list is active.

Those candidates selected through the panel interview will continue in the selection process by participating in an additional series of testing which may include but is not limited to background checks, drug screens, medical physical, etc.  Once again, each test phase must be passed in order to continue to the next level of the testing process.  If any one of the test phases is not passed, the candidate will be immediately eliminated from consideration for this hiring process and subsequently removed from the eligibility list.