Office of the Legislative Auditor - Financial Audit Division

Administrative Support Specialist - The Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) is seeking an exceptional individual to join a team of professionals who provide high-level administrative support to OLA’s leadership and staff. 

Agency Overview:  OLA is a nonpartisan office in the legislative branch of Minnesota state government.  With a staff of 60, the office conducts audits, evaluations, and investigations of state agencies and state-funded programs. 

Job Duties:  The individual in this position will perform a wide range of administrative support functions, including—but not limited to—the following:  (1) help ensure that all OLA documents (letters, memos, and reports) are clearly worded, free of typographical errors, and properly punctuated; (2) help create graphs, charts, and other visual aids for OLA documents and presentations; (3) help organize and maintain documents necessary for OLA to comply with applicable laws and audit standards; (4) help facilitate staff meetings and training events; (5) help ensure that private personnel and other not public information is protected from unlawful disclosure; and (6) respond appropriately to requests and inquiries from legislators, other public officials, and the public. 

Minimum Qualifications:  To be selected for this position, an individual must have a commitment to high professional standards; strong organizational skills; excellent time management skills; and the ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
In addition, the individual must submit a cover letter and must have:

• Successfully completed a two-year administrative support program at an educational institution plus two years of administrative support experience in an organization OR four years of experience providing administrative services in an organization.
• Excellent proofreading skills, and experience preparing, editing, and printing reports and other documents.
• Experience working with complex tables, graphics, and images for reports and other documents.
• Experience organizing, planning, and prioritizing work, and completing work within deadlines.
• Proficiency in word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, and other business software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Foxit/Adobe).
• Experience providing courteous and clear explanations and directions to individuals via telephone and in person.
• A demonstrated ability to maintain good working relationships with a diversity of individuals.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Minnesota state government and the legislative process.
• Experience with general accounting and/or payroll activities (experience using SWIFT and/or SEMA4 is a plus).
• Experience with Minnesota’s accessibility standards (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0)).  Experience using CommonLook PDF is a plus.
• Experience with basic HTML tagging and webpage markup and design.

Additional Requirements

• Cover letters and resumes will be reviewed to identify applicants meeting minimum and preferred requirements.  Selected applicants will go through an interview process and will be required to submit employment references.  At the time of the interview, applicants will be required to take a proofreading test. 
• Background checks will be conducted prior to any employment offer.  Personal integrity is an essential qualification to work at OLA, and certain violations of ethical or legal standards relevant to working at OLA may disqualify an applicant. 
• Applicants may be disqualified for prior partisan work experience. 
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without needing sponsorship for an employment visa (e.g., H1B status).

Why Work for Us
MEANINGFUL WORK!  OLA promotes accountability in state government by strengthening legislative oversight, supporting good management, and enhancing program effectiveness in state agencies. 

GREAT BENEFITS PACKAGE!  The State of Minnesota offers a comprehensive benefits package, including low-cost medical and dental insurance, employer-paid life insurance, short- and long-term disability, pre-tax flexible spending accounts, retirement plan, tax-deferred compensation, generous vacation and sick leave, and 11 paid holidays each year.

How to Apply
Interested applicants must submit a cover letter with their resume through the state’s Careers website.  You may do this by uploading them together as a single file attachment, or uploading the cover letter separately from the resume.  If you have questions about applying for jobs, contact the job information line at 651-259-3637. 

Administrative Support Specialist – Job ID 43211  (Posting closes at 11:59 p.m. on January 26, 2021.)

Contact for More Information
If you have job-specific questions, contact Lori Leysen at Lori.Leysen@state.mn.us or 651-295-0118.  For benefits-related questions, contact Shelly Gilb at Shelly.Gilb@state.mn.us or 651-296-1730