Board Secretary

Job Description:

Board Secretary

Description

Job Description

BOARD SECRETARY (Principal Program Analyst)

Salary Range: $123,747 - $164,976

FLSA Exempt / Non-Union Represented

This position allows for up to four days of remote work per week.

About the Office

The primary objective of the Office of the Executive Director (OED) is to ensure that the State Bar's mission of public protection through the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in the legal system. The OED reports directly to the Board of Trustees (BOT), whose members are appointed by the California Supreme Court, the Governor, or the Legislature. The BOT establishes the strategic direction for the State Bar and ensures that the organization is fulfilling its statutory mission.

The Ideal Candidate

The State Bar of California has a unique and exciting opportunity for a Board Secretary role. In addition to ensuring that Board meetings run smoothly and comply with the Open Meetings Act and other legal and regulatory requirements, the ideal candidate is someone who wants to make a positive impact in the lives of their fellow Californians. This role will allow you to use your creativity, strategic thinking, and communication skills to make a difference. This ideal candidate will have:

• Extensive experience with governance of boards and committees, including compliance with open meeting laws, appointments, and public comment management.
• Knowledge of California open meeting laws (Bagley-Keene), public records requirements, ADA accommodations, and conflict of interest compliance.
• Experience supporting an Executive Director or other executive-level leadership.
• Proven project management expertise, ensuring tasks and assignments are completed to meet deadlines.
• Creativity as a problem-solver who sees multiple options when presented with a delay, challenge, or roadblock.
• Demonstrated ability to implement and optimize governance technology tools (e.g., Granicus, Netfile, Formsite/ThoughtExchange) to streamline workflows and ensure transparency.
• Technical savvy and comfort discovering and learning new applications and technology tools to increase efficiencies and audience impact.
• Excellent communication and the ability to pivot between various internal and external stakeholders, including the ability to translate complex information into easily understood concepts for the appropriate audience using data, graphics, and design.
• Strong leadership with the ability to think strategically, connect the dots, and use sound judgment in decision-making.
• The ability to remain calm and focused on the goal despite shifting priorities and deadlines.

Examples of Essential Duties

• Serve as lead governance officer for Board and subentity meetings, managing statutory compliance, agenda and material development, public noticing, ADA access, technology integration, and follow-up tracking.
• Lead planner for all Board meetings, including managing end-to-end logistics from agenda development, materials preparation, public noticing, technology setup, and follow-up tracking.
• Oversee public comment intake, analysis, and reporting to the Board, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
• Oversee the appointments process, including candidate evaluation, conflict of interest tracking, Supreme Court submissions, and onboarding of appointed members.
• Manage and facilitate training and onboarding of new Board members, committee, and subcommittee staff.
• Streamline workflows, improve onboarding systems, create policy and procedures to ensure organizational uniformity and consistency.
• Coordinate and provide oversight to subentity members, including, but not limited to onboarding, assignment and monitoring of compliance requirements, technical and application management and support, meeting management, and documentation.
• Directs work of contractors and consultants ensuring that contract requirements are followed and in accordance with State Bar policies.
• Oversees the implementation of special projects, particularly those crossing multiple offices or units within the State Bar.
• Serves as lead staff to subordinate analytical, administrative and technical staff.
• Liaise between Trustees, the Executive Director, and external entities, exercising judgment on sensitive governance and political matters.
• Administer and track compliance with annual, assuming, and departing office Form 700 filings for Trustees, ensuring timely and accurate reporting.
• Other duties as required.

Employment Standards

Knowledge of:

• Expertise in issue identification and conflict resolution.
• Experience with employee, customer, and member feedback systems, including education, data collection and sourcing, action planning, and related outcome-focused activities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively.
• Effective writing and verbal presentation, including public speaking.
• Expertise in policy analysis and implementation.
• Ability to be neutral and impartial.
• Principles of board and committee administration.
• Principles of program evaluation, policy assessment, and implementation.
• Principles of problem identification, analysis, and resolution.
• Principles of institutional management.
• Ability to perform all job functions in an inclusive and equity-informed manner.
• Principles of project planning and implementation.
• Expertise in California open government laws, including Bagley-Keene, Public Records Act, ADA requirements, and related governance frameworks.
• Conflict of interest disclosure requirements including the Fair Political Practices Commission's Form 700 process.
• Design and implement governance systems and workflows that ensure consistency across multiple committees.
• Principles of computer information systems, including database, report generation, work processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.
• Within the introductory period, obtain a working knowledge of State Bar office and functions.

Ability to:

• Handle confidential information appropriately.
• Learn quickly on the job.
• Work within shifting, sometimes ambiguous parameters while still driving toward practical solutions in support of the State Bar's mission.
• Communicate effectively with officials in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of California State government.
• Exercise good judgment and integrity in handling crises.
• Identify problems, analyze responses, and implement relevant solutions.
• Communicate effectively within institutional parameters, considering different constituencies.
• Review and analyze complex written documents.
• Effectively present and speak publicly to large groups of people.
• Make recommendations on complicated and difficult program matters and present them effectively to governing authorities.
• Obtain and present material in oral and/or written form.
• Effectively interact with others in a collaborative environment.
• Effectively apply conflict resolution techniques to de-escalate and resolve contentious issues.
• Establish inclusive processes and practices.
• Quickly adapt to changing environments and critical needs, and adopt and effectively implement courses of action.
• Facilitate change by bringing different stakeholders together to find creative solutions to difficult problems.
• Create a culture of service, rigorous analysis, impartiality, fairness, and confidentiality.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in a field that develops skills related to essential duties or equivalent academic achievement.
• Master's degree in a relevant field may substitute for up to two (2) years of experience.

Experience:

• Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in business process reengineering, data collection and evaluation, research or performance or financial auditing in a public sector, legal or nonprofit environment, or equivalent.

License, Certificate, Registration Requirements:

• Special Qualifications including specialized knowledge, abilities, education, experience or license may be established for individual positions.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be required to successfully complete the State Bar'sselection process for this classification.

About the State Bar

The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation, and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.

Our Values

Clarity | Investing in Our People | Excellence | Respect | Growth Mindset

Learn more about our values.

DEI Statement

We are a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all of our employees and prospective employees experience fairness, dignity, and respect.

Learn more about our commitment to DEI.