Office Assistant II

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, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2025, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 83 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in the history of the State of Maryland, and the highest number of awards out of any county in the State of Maryland which received a collective 136 awards. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.

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/CLASS DESCRIPTION:

This position is responsible for the daily functions required to convert County paper records to electronic records. This mainly involves, but is not limited to: prep, scan, and data entry. Meeting established daily production is expected. Must be able to successfully pass a Police Civilian Background Investigation.

STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE:

$ $20.54 hourly

$39,977 - $42,719 annually

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Performs administrative support work under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work may include organizing, storing and maintaining records and books; processing mail; transcribing data using data entry and verifying equipment; and a variety of clerical and manual tasks; preparing materials for mailing; and operating automotive equipment.

Includes the following and may have other duties assigned:

Preps departmental paper documents for scanning according to the guidelines preset by the department's needs.

Will include removing all staples, clips and inserting divider sheets so documents are electronically separated in the record system.

Scans prepared documents using Windows based capture software.

Verifies quality of scanned images and replacing any that do not meet quality standard.

Keys data from scanned images entry to associate metadata to be used to search for documents in the County record system.

Verifies processes done by others to assure quality.

Performs general clerical assignments.

High School Diploma or GED; and one year experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Basic knowledge of personal computer use and Windows operating system.

Basic knowledge of Records Management principles.

Good computer keyboarding skills.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

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; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds to and from a utility cart. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Work is conducted in a "secured" work environment due to confidential nature of many documents. Limited access only by anyone other than the staff of this area. 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. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts, such as scanners. The noise level in this area is not loud.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedures manuals.

Ability to write routine communication.

Ability to speak effectively to internal customers and employees of the organization.

Ability to successfully handle work or customers under deadline pressure.

Ability to calculate figures and amounts. Ability to apply concepts of basic math.

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.

Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

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 ) or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation ).

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.