Federal Position Descriptions
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Staff Secretary

Staff Secretary, White House
Responsibility
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.

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

• 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

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
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 Appointments
  • Joani Walsh (2014 to 2017) – Deputy Undersecretary, Department of Agriculture8
  • Douglas Kramer (2012 to 2013) – 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
  • Rajesh De (2011 to 2012) – Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice; Counsel, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Counsel, 9/11 Commission10
AGENCY

Executive Office of the President

Mission: To provide internal coordination, the Staff Secretary's Office manages the paper flow to and from the president.1

COMPENSATION

$162,422 in 20163

REPORTS TO

White House Chief of Staff4

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Footnote
  1. https://clinton1.nara.gov/White_House/EOP/html/other/staffsec.html
  2. Romney Readiness Project
  3. https://www.whitehouse.gov/21stcenturygov/tools/salaries
  4. Romney Readiness Project
  5. Romney Readiness Project
  6. https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop
  7. https://clinton1.nara.gov/White_House/EOP/html/other/staffsec.html
  8. Romney Readiness Project
  9. http://www.leadershipdirectories.com/profiles/Joan-Walsh-Deputy-Assistant-to-the-President-and-Staff-Secre.htm
  10. https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-kramer-60b95568
  11. https://www.aspeninstitute.org/our-people/raj-de/
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.
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