Senior Secretary (OPS/SS 3)

Key Responsibilities

Technical/Professional: 

• Receives and routes all correspondence referred to the office of the Chief Internal Auditor and ensures that all matters are attended to and dispatches promptly to the relevant Directors and other officers; 
• Classifies correspondence received from the Chief Internal Auditor; 
• Establishes and maintains a filing system for control of confidential documents, such as Cabinet Submissions, Executive Management Information, Estimates of Expenditure, monthly warrants and policy matters; 
• Prepares drafts of Cabinet Submissions, letters, charts etc. from general instructions given by the Chief Internal Auditor; 
• Monitors and operates fax machine to ensure that faxes are dispatched promptly to the relevant officers in the Section; 
• Participates in research of documents and other materials to provide basic information to the Commemorative and Special Events Unit, for reference to the electronic/print media and other senior officers within the Ministry, its Agencies and Local Authorities; 
• Ensures that all meetings requested by the Chief Internal Auditor with members of staff in the Unit, Heads of Sections in the Ministry, its Agencies and Local Authorities;
• Maintains and prioritizes the Chief Internal Auditor’s diary on a daily basis, and ensures that he/she is kept abreast of important dates and deadlines; 
• Advises Heads of Sections and other relevant officers on the scheduled date of meetings, as directed; 
• Conducts research of information as is required in the preparation of meetings;
• Ensures that the conference rooms are always booked to accommodate meetings and organizing refreshments, where necessary; 
• Plans, co-ordinates and finalizes travel arrangements for the Chief Internal Auditor and ensures that all reports etc. are received and the information collated and documented, as requested; 
• Conducts research to seek information needed for presentation at scheduled conferences or meetings; 
• Makes contact with Heads of Section, Secretary Managers or other senior officers to ensure that all relevant data is available to prepare the reports required; 
• Liaises with the members within the Internal Audit Division to ensure that departmental reports on specific areas are available by the due dates; 
• Prepares summary of reports received for presentation at the Senior Managers meetings;
• Ensures that the Directors are reminded of the deadlines to produce reports;
• Ensures that there is follow-up action on the tasks being monitored by the Chief Internal Auditor, which is needed for presentation at the Senior Management Meetings and external Agencies; 
• Attends meetings internally and externally, produces relevant reports as instructed by the Chief Internal Auditor; 
• Makes contact with senior officers within the Ministry, its Agencies and the Local Authorities to follow up on queries addressed to the Chief Internal Auditor and ensures that he/she receives responses promptly; 
• Conducts preliminary interviews with persons desiring to see the Chief Internal Auditor, by screening callers and refers complaints to the appropriate offices for attention, where necessary; 
• Participates in the prioritizing of appointments/engagements with officials in other Ministries, Departments and other organizations, ensuring that the Chief Internal Auditor is kept abreast and reminded of these scheduled dates; 
• Performs any other related duties that may be assigned from time to time. 

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies

Core: 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills; 
• Excellent interpersonal skills; 
• Excellent customer relations skills; 
• Good integrity/ethics exercised in the performance of duties. 

Functional: 

• Excellent knowledge of protocol for meetings; 
• Excellent shorthand and typing skills; 
• Proficiency in the use of relevant computer applications; 
• Sound planning and organizing skills; 
• Sound judgment and initiative.

Minimum Required Qualification and Experience

• CXC or GCE ‘O’Level subjects including English Language; successful completion of the prescribed Secretarial Course of study at the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) or any Accredited Secretarial Studies, proficiency in typewriting at a speed of 50-55 words per minute and shorthand at a speed of 100-120 words per minute, plus four to five (4-5) years’ general office experience; 

OR 

• Graduated from an accredited school of Secretarial Studies with proficiency in typewriting at a speed of 50-55 words per minute and shorthand at a speed of 100-120 words per minute, training in the use of a variety of software applications e.g., word processing, database and spread sheets; English Language at CXC or GCE ‘O’Level; completion of the appropriate Office Professional Training Course at the Management Institute for National Development, plus four to five (4-5) years’ general office experience; 

OR 

• Successful completion of the Certified Professional Secretary course; proficient in typewriting at a speed of 50-55 words per minute and shorthand at a speed of 100-120 words per minute; English Language at CXC or GCE ‘O’Level; training in the use of a variety of software applications and four to five (4-5) years’ general office experience plus the appropriate Office Professional Training Course at the Management Institute for National Development. 

Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.