PD_EOP_Staff-Secretary

pOSITION DESCRIPTION
staff secretary, white house

Overview

Position Type
Presidential appointment (PA)

Agency Mission

To provide internal coordination, the Staff Secretary’s Office manages the paper flow to and from the president.¹ _{https://clinton1.nara.gov/White_House/EOP/html/other/staffsec.html}

Position Overview

The staff secretary is responsible for every document that goes to and from the president for review, action and/or signature. The staff secretary also ensures input and review from all relevant White House offices, departments and agencies; coordinates comments; and acts as an honest broker to ensure all points of view are heard.² _{Romney Readiness Project position description}

Compensation

$162,422 in 2016³ _{https://www.whitehouse.gov/21stcenturygov/tools/salaries}

Position Reports to

White House Chief of Staff⁴ _{Romney Readiness Project position description}

Responsibilities

Management Scope

The Office of the Staff Secretary has 40-50 employees plus volunteers in the Correspondence office. It includes the following offices: Presidential Correspondence, Executive Clerk and Records Management.⁵ The position is almost always at the assistant level, but is currently at the deputy assistant level. _{Romney Readiness Project position description
https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop}

Primary Responsibilities

® Circulates enrolled legislation, proposed executive orders, decision memoranda, speeches and other presidential documents to relevant White House offices for clearance and comment
® Ensures that any document being forwarded to the president is in suitable condition, technically and substantively, for presidential review and action
® Ensures the president’s decisions and requests are transmitted to the proper staff members for appropriate action⁶ _{https://clinton1.nara.gov/White_House/EOP/html/other/staffsec.html}
® Ensures every document that goes to the president has been thoroughly vetted for accuracy of information, legal considerations and consistency with presidential policy
® Ensures all documents between the White House and the Congress are properly recorded
® Ensures all presidential records are maintained in accordance with Presidential Records Act
® Oversees all presidential and executive branch correspondence with the public, including photos for signature
® Ensures input and review from all relevant White House offices, departments and agencies, and acts as an honest broker to ensure all points of view are heard⁷ _{Romney Readiness Project position description}

Strategic Goals and Priorities

[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration]

Requirements and Competencies

Requirements

® Close relationship with, and trusted advisor to, the deputy chief of staff and/or the chief of staff, given that the staff secretary controls the flow of paper to and from the Oval Office
® Legal background
® Understanding of public policy
® Must be focused on management and not have their own policy agenda

Competencies

® Detail-oriented
® Able to work quickly
® Able to send out papers around the office and get responses in a set time period
® Collaborative and inclusive team player
® Excellent writer/editor

Past Appointees

Joani Walsh (2014 to 2017) u2013 Deputy Undersecretary, Department of Agriculture⁸ _{http://www.leadershipdirectories.com/profiles/Joan-Walsh-Deputy-Assistant-to-the-President-and-Staff-Secre.htm}
Douglas Kramer (2012 to 2013) u2013 Associate Counsel and Special Assistant to the President, White House; Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, Department of Justice; Partner, Polsinelli Shughart⁹ _{https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-kramer-60b95568}
Rajesh De (2011 to 2012) u2013 Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice; Counsel, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Counsel, 9/11 Commission¹⁰ _{https://www.aspeninstitute.org/our-people/raj-de/}
Endnotes
This position description was created with the help of Martha Kumar from the White House Transition Project, which provides information to a new White House staff about their individual offices thereby streamlining the process of transition from one administration to the next.
The Partnership’s Center for Presidential Transition helps ensure the efficient transfer of power that our country deserves. The Center’s Ready to Govern· initiative assists candidates with the transition, works with Congress to reform the transition process, develops management recommendations to address our government’s operational challenges, and trains new political appointees.