Salary : $121,596.80 - $167,627.20 Annually
Location : Costa Mesa, CA
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 10.1.2025
Department: Administrative Services
Opening Date: 10/10/2025
Closing Date: Continuous
Description Are you ready to play a pivotal role at the heart of a dynamic public agency? Mesa Water District is seeking a highly skilled and detail-oriented
Board Secretary in our
Administrative Services department to provide executive support to our Board of Directors. As the Board Secretary, you'll prepare Board agendas and packets, ensure Brown Act compliance, act as the liaison with legal counsel, and manage Board member travel, reimbursements, and key administrative functions. This role calls for a detail-oriented, strategic thinker with strong communication skills, professionalism in the Boardroom, and the ability to collaborate across departments while handling sensitive information with discretion. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, excel at managing sensitive and confidential information, and are passionate about public service, this role will put you at the center of impactful decision-making that serves our community every day.
Why Choose Us?
- Competitive Pay & Benefits - We offer strong compensation and benefits packages that are regularly evaluated to stay ahead of industry standards.
- Supportive Work Culture - At Mesa Water, we foster a fun, collaborative environment where meaningful relationships and teamwork thrive.
- High-Impact Role - This position places you at the center of the District's decision-making process, working directly with the General Manager, Board of Directors, and legal counsel on matters that shape the future of Mesa Water District.
- Meaningful Work - Your efforts will directly support transparent government operations and community trust, ensuring the District continues to provide exceptional service to the public.
- Employee-Centered Environment - Our organization-wide engagement program reflects our deep commitment to keeping employees motivated, supported, and excited about their work.
What we're looking for?
- Extensive experience supporting elected officials, boards of directors, or executive leadership in public agencies.
- Expertise in California public meeting laws, including the Brown Act.
- Strong experience preparing, reviewing, and managing Board packets, agendas, minutes, and official correspondence.
- Demonstrated ability to draft and manage resolutions, ordinances, proclamations, and staff reports.
- Professional, calm, and confident presence in the Boardroom.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to follow up with Board members and collaborate across multiple departments.
- Strategic and critical thinker - able to plan Board agendas, coordinate workshops, and balance topics for efficient decision-making.
- Discretion, self-awareness, and strong relationship-building skills.
- Skilled at managing Board-related logistics, including travel, reimbursements, conferences, memberships, and payroll.
- Resourceful, detail-oriented, and able to handle complex information and confidential materials independently.
- Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Adobe Pro, and document formatting for professional presentations and reports.
- Ability to work independently while supporting leadership priorities and multi-department coordination.
This recruitment is open on a continuous basis until filled. The first deadline for the initial review of applications will occur at 11:59 PM on
Friday , October 31, 2025 . Employees at Mesa Water District work a 9/80, onsite schedule, with every other Friday off.
The Position This is a single-class professional classification in the office of the Administrative Services Department. Incumbents work under general direction and exercise a high level of discretion and independent judgment in providing executive support to the General Manager Board of Directors. Incumbents possess a working knowledge of overall District operations and specialized knowledge of research methods and regulatory standards affecting District operations. Work requires creativity and resourcefulness to accomplish goals and objectives. This position requires specialized knowledge, abilities, and skills and the incumbent typically exercises independent judgment in the performance of assigned duties.
Representative Duties - Assists the General Manager and Administrative Services Manager in planning, organizing, implementing, reviewing, and monitoring the activities and operations of the Board; assists with planning Board and District calendar of activities and meetings; coordinates activities with and among District departments relating to Board meetings.
- Prepares materials for the Board including Board and Committee meeting agendas, packets, minutes, correspondence, and related items; ensures compliance with Brown Act and all other related laws for Board meeting agenda, materials, posting requirements, and minutes.
- May Attend Board and committee meetings for the Board of Directors; takes notes and records Board actions; reviews draft minutes and uploads the approved minutes on the website; substitutes for the District Secretary in her absence.
- Provides staff support in the preparation of Board policies (e.g., resolutions and ordinances) prior to their adoption by the Board; writes resolutions, ordinances, proclamations and staff reports, when needed; prepares and advertises notices of public hearings; posts and displays notices in accordance with legal requirements.
- Conducts research, prepares, revises, and implements various administrative policies, procedures, rules, and regulations in accordance with sound organizational practices; develops and revises office forms and report formats; establishes procedural manuals for clerical support services for assigned areas. Researches, collects, and analyzes information from various sources on a variety of specialized topics related to programs administered by the position or by management staff; writes reports that present and interpret data, identify alternatives, and make and justify recommendations; prepares reports to support District compliance with policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Participates in program and policy development and implementation; participates in project management activities including large-scale projects involving extensive planning, coordination, follow-up, and reporting.
- Prepares and processes the Board of Director's payroll, communication, and mileage reimbursement.
- Attends and participates in a variety of meetings and workshops including, managers meetings, staff meetings, meetings with consultants and vendors, community meetings, and meetings with other agencies; prepares information; facilitates meetings; presents and discusses ideas and/or recommendations.
- Coordinates Board election documents with the County and annual Conflict of Interest statements.
- May respond to request for public records and/or accept subpoenas on behalf of the District.
- Performs related duties as required.
At the heart of governance: staff coordinating, advising, and keeping our Board meetings on track.
Minimum & Desired Qualifications Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:
Education: Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in public or business administration, engineering, journalism, or a related field.
Experience: Five (5) years of public administration experience, including at least two (2) years of administrative experience supporting elected officials. Experience in a special district is highly desirable.
Knowledge: - California governmental public meeting and information regulations; the Brown Act and Public Records Act; pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
- Operational characteristics, services, and activities of the functions, programs, and operations of the Office of the General Manager and Administrative Services Department; work organization and office management principles and practices; basic principles and practices of water utility management.
- Advanced methods and techniques of data collection, research and report preparation, administrative, organizational, economic, and procedural analysis, statistical and financial analysis; principles of business letter writing.
- Principles and practices of records management and modern office procedures.
- Principals of providing functional direction and training.
- Principles and techniques for working with groups and fostering effective team interaction to ensure teamwork is conducted smoothly.
- Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and District staff.
- The structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar.
- Modern equipment and communication tools used for business functions and program, project, and task coordination, including computers and software programs relevant to work performed.
Abilities: - Oversee and participate in the management of the administrative functions and operations of the Board of Directors; understand the organization and operation of the District and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities; understand, interpret, and apply administrative and office policies and procedures as well as pertinent laws, regulations, and ordinances.
- Perform responsible and difficult professional analytical and administrative duties involving the use of independent judgment and personal initiative; participate in and perform various complex organizational studies and analyses; collect, evaluate, and interpret complex information and data.
- Prepare a variety of clear and concise reports; review and analyze technical documents and proposals; maintain accurate records and files.
- Advise and provide interpretation regarding the application of policies, procedures, and standards to specific situations. Interpret, apply, and explain pertinent laws, policies, rules, and regulations.
- Effectively provide staff leadership and work direction.
- Maintain sensitive and confidential information.
- Understand, interpret, and apply all pertinent laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures, and standards relevant to work performed.
- Effectively represent the department and District in meetings with governmental agencies; community groups; various business, professional, and regulatory organizations; and in meetings with individuals.
- Independently organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow-up on assignments.
- Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
- Effectively use computer systems, software applications, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks.
- Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, using appropriate English grammar and syntax.
- Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Holidays - Mesa Water provides full-time employees with 107 holiday hours per year, comprised of twelve observed holidays (96 hours) and (11) floating holiday hours.
Vacation - Employees accrue between eighty-eight (88) and one hundred and sixty (160) hours annually, depending on tenure. Accrued time is available to use after six months.
Sick Leave - Employees accrue ninety-six (96) hours per year, with no maximum accrual cap.
Retirement - Mesa Water employees participate in CalPERS retirement.
Effective January 1, 2013, newly hired employees who are new CalPERS members, as defined by the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), will be enrolled in the CalPERS 2% at age 62 defined benefit plan with a three-year final compensation in accordance with PEPRA. New members will be required to pay 8.25% of pension reportable salary as their full share of their member contribution.
An employee who is a "classic" member of CalPERS or a current member of another California public retirement system who is hired on or after January 1, 2013, will be enrolled in the CalPERS 2% @ 55 benefit formula with one-year final compensation. Effective 1/6/17, employees pay 7.0% of the employee contribution to CalPERS.
The District participates in Social Security. Please contact Human Resources if you have more questions.
Cafeteria Plan Benefits - Employees receive a $2,400 "Flex Credit" allocation per month to be used towards health benefits including medical, dental and vision. Flex credits not used towards benefits may be taken as additional taxable non-"Persable" income.
Deferred Compensation - A voluntary Deferred Compensation Plan (Section 457) is available to employees through Empower Retirement. Eligible employees may receive dollar for dollar employer match up to 3.5% of salary per calendar year.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) - Employees may participate in either or both of Mesa Water's Section 125 plan flexible spending accounts: Dependent Care Reimbursement (eligible upon hire) and Medical Expense Reimbursement (after one-year).
Life Insurance - Full-time employees are covered by $200,000 in group term life insurance paid by District (benefit decreases at age 65).
Long Term Disability (LTD) - Full-time employees receive District-paid LTD insurance coverage equal to 2/3 of salary ($12,000 maximum monthly benefit) after a 90-day waiting period.
Short-Term Disability - The District participates in State Disability Insurance (SDI).
Automobile Allowance - Management employees receive an Automobile Allowance per month.
9/80 Work Schedule - Employees are offered a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off.
Tuition Reimbursement and Educational Incentives Salary Increases - Based on performance, new Mesa Water employees are eligible for merit step increases at 6-months and 12-months, and annually thereafter.
01
How many years of experience do you have working in public administration?
- I have no experience in this area
- Less than one year of experience
- One year, but less than 2 years
- Two years, but less than 3 years
- Three years, but less than 4 years
- Four years, but less than 5 years
- Five years of experience or more
02
How many years of administrative experience do you have supporting elected officials?
- I have no experience in this area
- Less than one year of experience
- One year, but less than 2 years
- Two years or experience or more
03
Do you have experience working at a special district or government agency? (e.g, City, County, water district, school district, sanitation district, mosquito control, etc.)
04
Check off all of the areas that you have experience in (check all that apply):
- Experience implementing the Brown Act
- Coordinating travel and expense reimbursements for elected officials
- Processing payroll for a Board of Directors or City/County Council
- Drafts resolutions or ordinances (or other formal documents passed by a governing body)
- Creating/modifying documents in Adobe Acrobat Pro
- None of the above
05
Please describe your experience that support your responses to Questions 1-4. (If you have no experience in this area, please enter "N/A".)
06
Tell us why you are interested in this Board Secretary position at Mesa Water District.
Required Question
