Clerk III

Job Title

This position will remain posted until filled

Job Description

This is complex clerical work involving the processing of documents and information. Work involves carrying out processes where input is varied and unpredictable, and where the employee must decide how to deal with situations not seen before. Decisions to be made require the exercise of judgement because choices available are not right or wrong. The employee must utilize experience in choosing how to do something based on which choice is most likely to lead to the desired outcome. At this level employee recommendations for changes to improve operating procedures are given considerable weight. Employees may have authority to depart from standard procedures to resolve processing problems. Work at this level generally results in a product that is used by persons who are outside the work unit and not likely to pick up errors. Mistakes can have an adverse effect on operations outside the work unit and can cause noticeable inconvenience to the general public. Employees may have contact with other offices to resolve problems which require departure from regular procedures. Contact with the public may be to justify actions, explain points of view, and to gain support and cooperation. Work may involve providing guidance and instruction to other employees or serving as a lead worker for an office function involving several employees.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Typical examples of work:

• Reviews information to be filed or processed for content, completeness, and correctness in order to determine whether it is appropriate to process or whether further information is required.
• Files documents where the filing process requires knowledge of involved technical or legal procedures in order to change the information into the proper form for filing.
• Functions as a lead worker by distributing and explaining work assignments, conducting on the job training, and reviewing output of work unit for adherence to standards.
• Performs arithmetic computations which require the determination of the proper formula or order of procedure to obtain the desired result.
• Proofreads typed materials for adherence to office rules, consistency, and appropriateness in relation to other actions.
• Reads incoming correspondence to become familiar with contents and determine proper course of action to follow to assure that proper information is provided.
• Composes correspondence to answer questions about the status of unusual or non-standard actions.
• Gathers information for reports which requires determination of the completeness and appropriateness of the information compiled and may require determination of whether to search outside of normal office files to find necessary information.
• Assists citizens in resolving unusual problems with requests, applications, payments, etc. that may require the use of seldom used procedures or where exceptions to established procedures are required.
• Prepares reports and correspondence which require the consolidation of status reports, logs, lists and other statistical and narrative information generated by other employees.
• Operates typewriters, copiers, mail processing machines, calculators, and similar office equipment where sufficient skill can be acquired on the job.
• Performs related work as required or other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required knowledges, skills, and abilities:

• Knowledge of English grammar, punctuations, and spelling.
• Knowledge of standard office procedures and practices such as the types, organizations, and use of standard office files, logs, forms, and letter formats.
• Knowledge of advanced arithmetic which involved calculations similar to adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing mixed numbers or complex fractions, conversions of fractions into decimal or percent form, and the use of variable formulas that are selected on a situation or problem basis.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions which explain the work objectives and general guidelines that require independent decision making on the most appropriate procedures to be followed in varied courses of action.
• Ability to make independent determinations on the best possible resolution to processing problems.
• Ability to develop and set up clerical procedures for the process or office activities performed.
• Ability to assemble, organize, and present status information from various source materials concerning the operation of a process or office activities.
• Ability to proofread varying types of information for conformance with a prescribed pattern or form, to assure adherence to instructions and clerical office procedures, to maintain consistency of thought and requirements, and for compliance with specific administrative or procedural rules.
• Ability to organize work in a manner which insures smooth processing and accomplishment of priority items on schedule.
• Ability to use discretion and judgment in dispensing information which may be susceptible to misunderstanding or misuse.
• Ability to instruct and advise clerical employees on the methods and procedures used in a process.
• Ability to collect and organize material for reports by determining the information sources, appropriate information, and form of presentation.
• Ability to compose correspondence of inquiry or explanation relating to a problem, request, or program need by surveying the nature of the item and determining the course of action to execute the presentation.
• Ability to maintain cost, financial, tax, or disbursement records and statements that do not involve the use of standard accounting principles by posting, entering, transferring, adjusting, and balancing numerous accounts in the control process.
• Ability to operate office and mail processing machines such as the typewriter, adding machines, photocopier, postage meter, and addressograph and instruct others in their use.
• Or any equivalent combination of experience and/or training.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Any equivalent experience and/or training which provided the required knowledge and abilities.

The County of Luzerne is an EEO/ADA employer