Executive Assistant (Administrative Specialist III)

Full Job Description

Job Appointment: Full-Time, Regular.
Work Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8 am-5 pm. An alternate schedule may be available.
Work Location: 1120 SW 5TH AVE, PORTLAND, OR 97204

Benefits: Please check our benefits tab for an overview of the benefits for this position
Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need to attach a resume and a cover letter.

The City of Portland is seeking an experienced, highly skilled, and proactive Executive Assistant to support the Portland Public Utilities Director, overseeing the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) and the Portland Water Bureau (PWB).

This role is ideal for a professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, takes initiative, and excels at managing multiple priorities with discretion and precision.

As a key member of the executive support team, you will provide a full range of administrative and operational services to the Bureau Director and leadership team.

This includes coordinating with bureau leadership, managing sensitive communications, and supporting high-impact projects and programs.

The scope of responsibilities is broad and requires a high degree of administrative judgment, confidentiality, and professionalism.

BES is the City's sewer and stormwater utility working to protect public health and our environment by collecting and recovering resources from the city’s wastewater, managing stormwater, and restoring and protecting Portland’s rivers, streams, and watersheds.

PWB serves water to nearly a quarter of all Oregonians and is committed to great water sources, public health, community relationships, planning, and striving to serve excellent water every minute of every day.

As the Executive Assistant for the Bureau Director, you will be responsible for the following:

• Manage the Bureau Director’s calendar in a frequently changing environment; coordinate calendars with others within and outside of the Bureau/Office; ensure the Director is prepared for each meeting with the appropriate materials, briefings, and communications.
• Direct the coordination and scheduling of meetings; ensure that travel arrangements are made; produce resources and materials for participants.
• Provide confidential administrative support to Bureau/Office Director; compose correspondence, reports, and informational materials.
• Engage with City and Bureau Leadership, along with elected officials and the public, in a timely and professional manner.
• Research and alert management to potential issues that could impact Bureau/Office function and activities.
• Type, format, edit, revise, proofread, print, and publish a variety of narrative, statistical, legal, and technical documents and materials; compose documents from rough notes, drafts, modified standard formats, and brief oral instructions; create forms, charts, tables, and spreadsheets involving data manipulation; review documents for accuracy, completeness; and compliance with City requirements; develop; revise; and maintain standardized documents; copy materials for internal and external distribution; coordinate mailings.
• Perform a variety of Bureau/Office-specific program administration functions in the area of responsibility.

Who you are:

• Discreet: Practices good judgment in sensitive matters and values confidentiality.
• Emotionally Intelligent: Empathetic, perceptive, overcomes challenges, and communicates well with others.
• Someone who values Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Use DEI Concepts to guide and inform your work.
• Flexible: Able to work as a team to accomplish a task and autonomously at times.
• Solutions Oriented: Uses strong communication skills to create, implement, and document solutions.
• Collaborative: An outgoing professional who values partnership and develops and supports relationships to get things done.
• Organized: Able to work on a multitude of tasks and understand/respond to various situations in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment.
• Dedicated: Motivated and have a passion for serving in this role and fulfilling the duties of an executive assistant.

Questions?:
Terrol Johnson
Senior Recruiter
terrol.johnson@portlandoregon.gov

Requirements

Applicants should specifically address and demonstrate in their cover letter and résumé how their education, training, and/or experience meet each of the following minimum qualifications:

1. Experience editing and proofreading communication materials, including emails, reports, and documents as needed
2. Experience managing complex executive-level administrative functions, such as scheduling, travel management, purchasing practices, and procedures.
3. Experience coordinating meetings, such as drafting agendas, arranging logistics, managing virtual and hybrid technology, and capturing detailed minutes.
4. Experience preparing and maintaining accurate, concise, confidential, and highly sensitive records and information.
5. Experience working with limited supervision and guidance on complex tasks, proactively managing competing priorities and deadlines to support organizational goals and executive operations.

Qualifications

STEP 1: Apply online between March 30, 2026, and April 6, 2026

Cover letter.Details are key!

The city uses a merit-based system, so your cover letter should be thorough and specifically address each qualification listed in the "To Qualify" section of the job announcement.

Your cover letter can exceed one page to ensure you can provide detailed information for every qualification.

Follow the instructions, as a subject matter expert will be evaluating your details to confirm that you meet the minimum requirements.

Resume

Answer to Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)

Optional Application Materials:

• Veteran’s Preference documents (e.g., DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter) must be submitted by the closing date.
• Update: As of March 3, 2025, if you have already submitted veteran documents and qualified for preference, you do not need to resubmit them for future recruitments.
• To update or remove veteran preference for this recruitment or from your profile, contact the recruiter listed in the job announcement.

Application Tips:

• Your cover letter can exceed one page but no more than three, to ensure you can provide detailed information for every qualification. A subject matter expert will evaluate your details to confirm that you meet the minimum requirements.
• Your résumé should support the details described in your cover letter.

How We Determine Pay: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act.

Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying.

It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid, regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.

• E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.
• Do not attach any additional documents.
• Please note that all completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
• You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting. We encourage the use of AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.
• All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process.

BOLI: Equal Pay for Workers: State of Oregon
Every worker must get equal pay for equal work regardless of gender, race, age, or other protected characteristics.

• An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their resume and cover letter, is weighted 100%.
• Your resume and cover letter will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation results. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required before the establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

• The hiring bureau will review and select candidates to interview.
• Please note that the selection process may take up to 90 days from the notification of being placed on the eligible list.

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.
•