Staff Office Assistant

Full Job Description

This Staff Office Assistant position serves as the primary front counter representative at City Hall and is often the first point of contact for residents, visitors, and staff, helping create a welcoming and positive experience for all who visit. This public-facing role involves continuous interaction with the community, including greeting and directing visitors, answering questions, and supporting email, phone, and other communications using the City’s Community Relationship Management (CRM) system.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A proactive and can-do attitude
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and a passion for community service
• Resourcefulness — the ability to find answers, make connections, and solve problems with poise under pressure
• Comfort working independently in a public-facing environment

This recruitment for this position opens on Monday, April 6, 2026, and the final filing date is Monday, April 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. or after receiving 100 qualified and complete applications, whichever is first. The list established from this recruitment may also be used to fill other Full Time or Part Time Staff Office Assistant vacancies in other City Departments.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
The position of Staff Office Assistant is a fully qualified journey-level clerical classification. This classification differs from Office Assistant in the variety and difficulty of the tasks assigned, the independence of action expected, and the nature of contacts required which may involve the handling of discrepancies and the processing of complaints.

Requirements

• Types documents and other materials.
• Maintains office files and filing systems.
• Receives, opens, and distributes mail; bundles and disperses outgoing mail.
• Receives, enters and files time sensitive materials and documents.
• Issues routine permits and calculates fees.
• Receives and reviews supplies; processes receiving slips and invoices for payments.
• Develops, maintains and archives a variety of files and records.
• Answers phones and greets customers.
• Orders and tracks office supplies and materials.
• Schedules meetings and appointments for various meetings.
• Enters data in various computer programs; cross references data in various systems.
• Conducts transactions with both the public and with other employees, as assigned, including (but not limited to): accepting payments or fees; issuing permits or licenses; preparing requisitions and receiving reports; distributing documents, data, or information; explaining regulations and/or interpreting procedures, regulations, and policies.
• Collects information from a variety of sources and compiles data for reports.
• Performs general clerical duties and specialized clerical functions for assigned program area.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

The minimum qualifications for education and experience can be met in the following way:

Graduation from high school or tested equivalent; AND

Two years of responsible clerical experience.

Knowledge of:

• Proper English usage, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Alpha numeric filing and retrieval systems.
• Office methods, procedures, software and equipment.
• Filing, indexing and cross referencing materials
• Record keeping, proofreading, and filing practices.
• Purchasing procedures.
• Basic mathematics.
• Principles of customer service.

Ability to:

• Operate a computer using word processing and business software and other office equipment.
• Compose correspondence in a clear and concise manner.
• Determine matters of confidentiality and handle in a confidential manner.
• Proofread documents for grammar and proper formatting.
• Compose general correspondence and letters and take meeting minutes.
• Organize material in an understandable and acceptable manner.
• Sort and categorize material.
• Establish and maintain accurate logs and files of information.
• Learn the operation, policy and procedures of the assigned department.
• Understand and follow written and oral instructions.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain and promote positive and effective working relationships with employees, other agencies and the public.
• Observe safety principles and work in a safe manner.
• Work independently and as a team member; recognize and set priorities to meet deadlines.
• Perform data entry functions with speed and accuracy.
• Input and retrieve material through a variety of computer programs and check output for accuracy.
• Read and interpret forms.

Willingness to:

Occasionally work varying hours or on weekends and holidays.

Licenses/Certificates:

Possession and continued maintenance of a valid class C California driver's license or the ability to provide alternative transportation as approved by the appointing authority and a safe driving record.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Clerical experience in a governmental agency.
• Bilingual skills.

Additional Information

The application submitted must meet the minimum qualifications listed in the job description in order to move forward in the recruitment process with the City of Sunnyvale.

The information provided in the Work Experience, Education, and Certificates/Licenses sections of the application will be used to determine if the application meets the minimum qualifications.

A resume, employment history provided elsewhere in the application, or other attachments will not be accepted in lieu of the completed application.

Note: The minimum qualifications for experience are based on full-time experience (40 hours per week).

Experience included in the Work Experience section of the application is calculated to the full-time equivalent (hours are pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).

Volunteer experience is not considered qualifying experience.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit a City of Sunnyvale employment application and responses to the supplemental questions to the Department of Human Resources by Monday, April 20, 2026 at 5:00 pm or after receiving 100 qualified and complete applications, whichever is first.

Candidates are asked to fully describe any training, education, experience, or skills relevant to this position. Electronic applications may be submitted online through the City's employment page at Sunnyvale.ca.gov and click on JOBS. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

EXAM PROCESS

Applications will be competitively screened based on the minimum qualifications of this position.

Based upon a review of the application materials, the most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in an online written examination process scheduled for April 28-29, 2026.

(Note: The examination process may be changed as deemed necessary by the Director of Human Resources.)

SELECTION PROCESS

Those candidates that receive a passing score on the examination will be placed on an eligibility list for up to one year, in accordance with the City's Civil Service Rules and Administrative Policies.

Top candidates on the eligibility list will be invited to participate in a selection interview with the department tentatively scheduled for May 18, 2026.

Any candidate that is selected by the hiring department will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment process, which may consist of a background history check, as well as a medical exam(s) administered by a City selected physician(s) before hire.

Prior to starting work, all newly-hired employees will be fingerprinted to check conviction history.

A conviction history will not necessarily disqualify an applicant from appointment; however, failure to disclose conviction history will result in refusal of employment or termination.

Positions which are covered by the Department of Transportation regulations are required to submit to a pre-employment drug test and to random drug and alcohol testing.

INFORMATION ABOUT PROOF OF EDUCATION

Any successful candidate, selected by the hiring department will be required to submit proof of education (i.e. original copy of the diploma or college/university transcripts).

A candidate with education obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credential evaluation service at the candidate's expense to determine its equivalency in the United States.

Candidates may utilize any third-party agency for the evaluation.

If you search ‘education equivalency verification’ or similar online, you will obtain results for agencies that provide this evaluation service.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Positions in this job classification are represented by the Sunnyvale Employees Association (SEA).

For assistance on how to fill out your job application, watch the following video:

• How to Apply for a City of Sunnyvale Job- YouTube (5:13)

The information contained within this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

The City of Sunnyvale is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state, or local laws. The City of Sunnyvale is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at (408) 730-7490 or recruitments@sunnyvale.ca.gov.