Special Assistant

Introduction

The Governor's Office for Children serves as a central coordinating office to support the well-being of children and families and reduce the number of children living in poverty, which requires a holistic, coordinated approach within State government and across public and private sectors at the federal, State, and local levels. The Governor's Office for Children will lead statewide efforts to build a comprehensive and efficient network of supports, programs, and services for children and their families in order to promote social and emotional well-being, reduce food insecurity, combat youth homelessness, expand access to health services, improve educational outcomes and job readiness, expand access to good jobs, and increase economic opportunity in sustainable ways in jurisdictions that historically have experienced underinvestment. The Governor's Office for Children will also work with multi-sector partners to implement place-based strategies designed to provide 'cradle to career' access to high quality education and care; connect workers to high quality jobs; enable family-sustaining income and access to affordable high quality housing, child care and health care, including reproductive, maternal, behavioral and mental health care; and increase community health and safety.\r
\r
\r
To apply, please submit your resume to Tracey Webb ) by the deadline, September 3, 2024 at 11:59PM ET. The subject line should read: (YOUR NAME – Special Assistant.)\r

GRADE

18 \r

LOCATION OF POSITION

Annapolis, MD\r

POSITION DUTIES

General Purpose: The Special Assistant will support with the following priorities:\r
\r
\r
Staff the Special Secretary and coordinate scheduling, briefing materials, and additional support tasks�\r
Lead effective communication plans and manage special projects, including but not limited to research and policy analysis�\r
Coordinate administrative tasks for the office\r
\r
\r
\r
The Special Assistant must possess the core skills and passion to support the Special Secretary and Governor's Office for Children in promoting child well-being and economic mobility and addressing disparities across the State of Maryland.\r
\r
This is a hybrid position and requires flexibility to report to locations in Annapolis, Baltimore, and other areas of the state as needed.\r
\r
\r
Responsibilities:�\r
\r
\r
SPECIAL SECRETARY SUPPORT (40%)�Staff and support the Special Secretary�\r
\r
Manage the Special Secretary's calendar (field incoming requests and coordinate meetings across GOC team) and track major GOC team milestones�\r
Prepare high-quality briefing materials for critical engagements�\r
Coordinate meeting follow-ups, organize tasks to progress initiatives, and delegate next steps as needed\r
\r
\r
RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS (30%)\r
Manage and develop expertise in issues within the Special Secretary's portfolio; conduct policy research and analysis as needed�\r
\r
Triage incoming scheduling requests�\r
Elevate items for Special Secretary decision making and prioritization�\r
Develop proficiency in key GOC policy areas and Secretary priorities\r
Support Policy Advisor by maintaining issue area awareness and assisting Special Secretary with managing GOC priorities�\r
Develop internal briefing tools (i.e. memos) to equip Special Secretary with relevant status updates�\r
Engage with external entities to further the work of the GOC\r
\r
\r
OFFICE ADMINISTRATION (15%)\r
Support administrative functions of the Governor's Office for Children�\r
\r
Manage office equipment inventory (i.e. tracking and troubleshooting the requests for maintenance and repair, scheduling service calls, providing staff with updates of results and assisting with the purchase and storage of any new office equipment, etc.)�\r
Manage correspondence, document organization, and administrative paperwork for the Governor's Office for Children�\r
Assists with special projects including GOC events, site visits and programmatic announcements�\r
Manages small Procurement by ensuring staff obtain acceptable bids, adhere to the internal pre-authorization process and complete the full procurement process\r
\r
\r
COMMUNICATIONS (10%)\r
\t\tDevelop effective communication materials and manage externally-facing \t\t\t\t\tcommunication systems for the Governor's Office for Children�\r
\r
Manage ongoing communication systems for the Governor's Office for Children�\r
Develop public-facing communications materials and strategies\r
\r
\r
OTHER (5%)\r
Other duties and projects as assigned\r
\r
\r

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates must be detail-oriented, organized, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate must be able to demonstrate the following:\r
\r
\r
Excellent written and verbal communication skills�\r
Active listening skills�\r
Strong people-management and delegation skills�\r
Collaborative approach to leading work; ability to work as part of a team�\r
Ability to work independently and take initiative�\r
Open to coaching and feedback�\r
Ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion in all matters\r
\r
\r
\r
\r
Education: Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.�\r
\r
Experience: Minimum of two years of prior administrative or professional work experience.�\r
Skills:�\r
\r
\r
\r
Proficient in Google Suite and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel and Powerpoint)�\r
Strong research and writing abilities\r
\r
\r
\r

DESIRED OR PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Completion of two or more years of study at an institution of higher education or\r
possession of a Bachelor's degree in public administration, communications, public policy, or\r
other related degree is preferred.\r
\r
\r
Experience: The ideal candidate will have experience working on one or more of the following\r
issues: poverty, education, benefits access, economic development, and other issues impacting\r
children and families. Candidates with legislative, policy, government, or community-based\r
organization experience are encouraged to apply.\r

EXAMINATION PROCESS

The assessment may consist of a rating of your education, training, and experience related to the requirements of the position.�It is important that you provide complete and accurate information on your application.�Please report all experience and education that is related to this position.\r

BENEFITS

STATE OF MARYLAND BENEFITS\r

FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

To apply, please submit your resume to Tracey Webb ) by the deadline, September 3, 2024 at 11:59PM ET. The subject line should read: (YOUR NAME – Special Assistant.)\r
\r
The State of Maryland is committed to diversity among its staff, and recognizes that its continued success requires the highest commitment to obtaining and retaining a diverse staff that provides the best quality services to supporters and constituents. The State of Maryland is an equal opportunity employer and it is our policy to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer any and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or expression, ethnic identity or disability, or any other legally protected basis. The State of Maryland is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities in the hiring process and on the job, as required by applicable law. The State of Maryland will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination and any such conduct is strictly prohibited.\r