PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT

About the role

Applicants Must Be Permanent in the Principal Administrative Associate Civil Service Title:

The Department of Social Services (DSS) is comprised of the administrative units of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). HRA is dedicated to fighting poverty and income inequality by providing New Yorkers in need with essential benefits such as Food Assistance and Emergency Rental Assistance. DHS is committed to preventing and addressing homelessness in New York City by employing a variety of innovative strategies to help families and individuals successfully exit shelter and return to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible.

The DSS Accountability Office (DSS-AO) is responsible for protecting the integrity of social services programs administered by the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) and ensuring that DSS complies with all statutory, regulatory, and contractual standards. DSS-AO works to identify potential compliance and integrity risk areas and recommends appropriate action plans to address identified risks, provide the functional structure for improving compliance, integrity and performance standards and establish a sustainable culture of ethics and accountability to core principles.

Office of Audit and Quality Assurance Services (OAQAS) provides an objective evaluation methodology designed to add value and improve the Agency's operations to ensure the best client experience, the issuance of correct client benefits and services, and adherence with all regulatory mandates. OAQAS aims to achieve this by applying a systematic, disciplined approach to our reviews and audits at concert with our programmatic partners.

Office of Audit and Quality Assurance Services is recruiting for (1) one PAA III to function as a Principal Assistant who will:

• Coordinate and maintain scheduling activities and in-house agendas of the Deputy Commissioner in order of Agency priority and programmatic importance.
• Maintain and/or monitor information and control systems to report on the status of activities and services, to assist with improving timeliness, and to foster adherence to management directives.
• Coordinate tasks which require cooperation and coordination amongst Assistant Deputy Commissioners, OAQA managers and any internal and external partners.
• Review and approve monthly statistical reports and field audit and QA reports to ensure that field time is used appropriately, recorded accurately and that program objectives and projections are being met.
• Assist with scheduling and coordination of meetings and events as needed for the Office of Audit and Quality Assurance. Direct the implementation and preparation of analytical reports and initiatives on behalf of the Deputy Commissioner.
• Establish priorities of incoming and out-going correspondence; maintain chronological registers of materials received with follow-up action; enhance and maintain filing system.
• Draft communications, correspondence, and reports as needed. Update existing reports and presentations.
• Coordinate inventory of supplies and equipment, ensure the request and distribution of new supplies as necessary for all departments/units reporting to the OAQAS.
• Screen /monitor incoming calls for the Deputy Commissioner, take messages, answer general questions and/or appropriately transfer or refer calls.

Hours/Shift: 9AM - 5PM

Qualifications & Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience, one year of which must have been in an administrative capacity or supervising staff performing clerical/administrative work of more than moderate difficulty; or
• An associate degree or 60 semester credits from an accredited college and three years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience including one year of the administrative supervisory experience described in "1" above; or
• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a state's department of education or a recognized accrediting organization and four years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience including one year of the administrative supervisory experience as described in "1" above; or
• Education and/or experience equivalent to "1", "2", or "3" above. However, all candidates must possess the one year of administrative or supervisory experience as described in "1" above. Education above the high school level may be substituted for the general clerical/administrative experience (but not for the one year of administrative or supervisory experience described in "1" above) at a rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college for 6 months of experience up to a maximum of 3 year.