Program Technical Specialist

Overview

We are the Metropolitan Council
, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services. The Council is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Join an award-winning wastewater industry leader in protecting our environment! Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) operates and maintains the wastewater collection and treatment system in the Twin Cities metropolitan region. It also provides coordinated long-range water resources and supply planning, and air and water quality monitoring to meet future needs. MCES treatment plants earn state and national awards for environmental permit compliance, and MCES has received a Governor’s Award as a Great Place to Work.

To learn more about the Environmental Services division, please review the information on the Council’s website.

How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities region: The Program Technical Specialist provides nimble and advanced administrative support to several departments in the Metropolitan Council's Environmental Services Operations Support Services with limited supervision. The role requires a high level of attention to detail, sound judgment to interpret guidelines, adaptability in procedures, and the ability to resolve problems.

The ability to flex, multi-task, and remain professional in stressful or deadline-oriented situations is important.

Responsibilities

• Composes original correspondence not requiring the supervisor's personal attention; screens/processes/tracks correspondence; develops agendas.
• Monitors and tracks budgets and expenditures; prepares purchase requisitions and tracks approval processes for various purchase orders and related documents.
• Researches, compiles, and analyzes information; prepares statistics; writes/drafts reports; prepares or updates presentations for meetings.
• Creates procedures for complex or specialized functions; solves unusual problems; may coordinate office moves and renovations.
• Answers non-routine and/or sensitive inquiries.
• Makes travel arrangements.
• Coordinates large and complex conferences/meetings/programs; makes complex scheduling arrangements involving multiple parties; takes minutes at meetings and manages dissemination of information; arranges for special room or equipment needs and multiple locations.
• Interacts with internal employees, council members, public officials, contractors, and public action groups; establishes purpose, role and authority of each party to determine information disclosure.
• Prepares purchase requisitions and tracks approval processes for procurement documents.

Qualifications

• Education and experience combinations in Business Administration/Management, Public Administration, Communications/Writing or related field with applicable administrative experience:
• High school diploma/GED with five (5) years of experience
• Associate degree with three (3) years of experience
• Bachelor's degree with one (1) year of experience

What additional skills and experience would be helpful in this job (desired qualifications):

• Bachelor's degree in business administration or communications/writing
• Public sector experience (e.g., Met Council, State of MN, counties, cities)
• Experience ordering supplies, P-card administration, and receiving in a purchasing system
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Share Point
• Experience managing intranet or Microsoft Teams content
• Experience converting paper to electronic documents using a document management system
• Experience coordinating multiple departments or managers; lead experience a plus
• Experience monitoring and tracking budgets and expenditures

Knowledge, skills and abilities within the first six months on the job:

• Knowledge of Metropolitan Council Environmental Services and agency policies and procedures
• Ability to work with limited supervision and to manage priorities with guidance as needed
• Ability to schedule meetings, manage calendars, and organize emails in Outlook
• Ability to work independently with sensitive…