Public Records Officer/Records & Grants Coordinator

POSITION : Public Records Officer / Records & Grants Coordinator

POSITION LOCATION : KSD Administration Center

POSITION OPENS : October 4, 2024

POSITION CLOSES : October 21, 2024

Overview of the Position

The Kennewick School District is seeking an outstanding candidate for the position of Public Records Officer & Legal Assistant.

Kennewick serves over 19,000 students and in 33 schools and learning programs and employs a staff of more than 3,500 people, including 1,320-plus certificated and 1,180-plus classified workers, with an annual budget of approximately $320 million.

The primary responsibility of the Public Records Officer / Records & Grants Coordinator is to analyze, process, and respond to public records requests and ensure implementation of the lifecycle records management program for the district to ensure compliance with the records retention schedule as prescribed by the Washington Secretary of State.

The secondary responsibility of the Public Records Officer / Records & Grants Coordinator is to research and identify potential funding prospects to match district priorities, and collaborate with district staff to generate high-quality proposals, narratives, applications and supporting documents.

The successful candidate will begin duties in November 2024.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Conditions of Employment

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, political science, or other relevant discipline (combinations of education and / or training and / or work experience that provide the ability to perform this work will be considered).
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must be able to meet the Physical Demands of the position.
• Must pass a basic skills test.
• Completion of Safe Schools Web Based Training within 30 days of hire and yearly thereafter.
• Must pass a background check, which includes employee paid fingerprinting.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, political science, or other relevant discipline (combinations of education and / or training and / or work experience that provide the ability to perform this work will be considered).
• 2 - 4 years of experience with Public Disclosure in a local / state government environment.
• Demonstrated ability to excel in a detail-oriented, high demand, time sensitive environment.
• Excellent customer service, interpersonal and problem-solving skills; ability to maintain high levels of self-direction and confidentiality.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Proven ability to work efficiently with accuracy and with multiple deliverables in short time constraints.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret information relevant to the position, including being able to speak effectively and to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
• Ability to take direction and effectively work within designated bounds of authority and confidentiality.
• Ability to effectively use typical office applications and computer programs for email, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and commitment to the mission of Kennewick School District.

Preferred Qualifications

• Law or Paralegal Degree.
• Technological skills; familiarity with Adobe Acrobat Pro, search tools, electronic records systems, GovQA, or other Public Disclosure tracking systems;

eDiscovery tools, redaction tools.

• Ability to understand and apply the complex language of the Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, and other applicable laws.
• Experience in developing and presenting training via a variety of training tools.
• Knowledge of records retention requirements.
• Washington Association of Public Records Officers (WAPRO) Certification.

Duties and Responsibilities

Accountability and Compliance; Communication and Customer Service; Research

Manage the day-to-day operations of the public records office including, but not limited to : Tracking- Receive and track all incoming Public Records Act (PRA) requests to the Legislative Department.

Oversee tracking of time spent responding to requests. Organize and retain request response files for the appropriate retention period.

Forward requests as necessary.Customer Service- Serve as the main point of contact with requesters throughout the request process.

Communication Handle / monitor correspondence with requester to ensure timely responses to requests and meet statutory legal requirements.

Searching Initiate or conduct searches for responsive records. Identify where responsive records are located and coordinate with individual records custodians to collect records.

Review and Redact Review all formats of records for responsiveness and redactions. Ensure appropriate redactions are applied per RCW 42.

56 and create exemption logs for requestor.Production- Coordinate and manage production of records. Prepare billing invoices as necessary for copies or media formats.

District-wide Coordination- Coordinate responses with other district departments.

• Ensure a complete set of PDR responses is maintained, searchable, and easy to access.
• Maintain and communicate public school records retention schedules with various departments and provide training and best practice systems for retention and destruction to ensure compliance.
• Research grant funding opportunities and coordinate with district staff to prepare narratives and grant proposals.

This position reports to the district’s General Counsel.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS : To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability to perform the essential functions.

Language Skills : Ability to read, analyze, and interpret technical manuals, product labels, and procedures. Ability to write effectively and use e-mail correspondence.

Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions.

• Mathematical Skills : Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers, fractions, and decimal numbers. Ability to calculate percentages, discounts, proportions, area, circumference, and volume.
• Reasoning Ability : Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw conclusions. Ability to interpret variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

PHYSICAL DEMANDS : The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Mobility : While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

The employee is sometimes required to sit, and to reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

Employee will frequently use ladders while performing daily responsibilities.

Senses : The employee is often required to listen to slight variations in pitch, amplitude, and frequency. The employee must be able to communicate effectively in person, over the telephone, and by using the district radio communications system.

The employee is occasionally required to taste or smell. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Lifting : The employee must regularly lift and / or move up to 35 pounds; frequently lift and / or move up to 50 pounds;

occasionally lift and / or move over 100 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT : The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Hazards : While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently works near moving mechanical parts;

in high, precarious places; in outside weather conditions; and may be exposed to the risk of electrical shock. The employee will occasionally be exposed to wet and / or humid conditions, airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, extreme cold, extreme heat, and vibration.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but may on occasion be loud and require hearing protection. Working on rooftops and confined spaces occasionally occurs in the performance of daily job responsibilities.

Kennewick School District's Non-Discrimination Policy