Customer Service Specialist

Introduction THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended. Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires will only be accepted online. DESCRIPTION THE COUNTY: Established in 1853, Alameda County has a population of over 1.6 million residents making it the second largest county in the Bay Area and the seventh largest in the State. The County encompasses 14 cities including Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, and Union City as well as six unincorporated communities and rural areas that span a total of 738 square miles. Alameda County employs approximately 9,000 employees working in 21 different agencies and departments and has an annual budget of over $3 billion. As a major urban County, Alameda delivers a full spectrum of services, including general government and internal services, health care, social services, public works, criminal justice, and other public safety services for its community. The County celebrates the rich diversity of its workforce, which in large measure, reflects the cultural and ethnic diversity of the community it serves. The County’s mission is to enrich the lives of its residents through visionary policies and accessible, responsive, and effective services. Its vision is to be recognized as one of the best counties in which to live, work, and do business. THE DEPARTMENT: Department Mission Deliver high quality and timely human resource services in partnership with County agencies, departments and special districts to enable our customers to reach their organizational goals. Vision To be the employer of choice and a great place to work. Values In a spirit of partnership, HRS strives for: Excellence in everything we do. Responsiveness to our customers and their needs. Fairness in our policies and practices. Innovation in developing and implementing new programs. Diversity in recognizing everyone’s unique contribution. Development of every employee’s full potential. Anticipate and meet the changing needs of employees and candidates to ensure the recruitment and retention of a talented and committed workforce. Support the County’s organizational culture that values customer service, performance excellence, diversity, and fiscal stewardship. Redesign and transform the recruitment function for improved customer service and satisfaction. Champion workforce planning and development to ensure that employees have every opportunity to assume leadership positions as baby boomers retire. Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services through the increased use of technology. THE TRAINING AND EDUCATION CENTER: For over 30 years, the Alameda County Training & Education Center, a division of Alameda County Human Resource Services, has provided innovative learning as well as state-of- the-art meeting and conference space. We are a team of energetic, customer-oriented professionals, passionate about what we do! We work together to provide internal and external customers with impactful and memorable learning and development experiences while providing high-value, strategic programs and services for individuals and organizations. We look forward to welcoming you here. Our Mission: Be the East Bay’s premier learning center that promotes individual and organizational excellence through innovative learning and development. Our Vision: Transforming lives through innovative learning. Our goals include supporting the county’s mission to enrich the lives of county residents through visionary policies and accessible, responsive and effective services. The Training & Education Center serves both public and private individuals and organizations. We value respect, trust, integrity, adaptability, responsiveness, health, wellness, vision, and innovation. THE POSITION Under general supervision of the Conference Center Services Manager, initiates and closes sales and provides general support for Training & Education Center services in the areas of space rental; meeting and planning services; training support; and, performs related work as needed. For more detailed information about the job classification, visit: Training and Education Center Customer Service Specialist (#0482). MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Education: High School diploma or equivalent. AND Experience: The equivalent of four years full-time experience serving customers within a direct sales environment, working with a diverse customer base and a variety of products/services. Substitution: Any college education based on quarterly or semester units in the equivalency of a year may substitute for experience on a year-to-year basis. (A 4-year quarterly unit equivalency is 180, 3-year is 135, 2-year is 90, 1-year is 45; A 4-year semester equivalency is 120, 3-year is 90, 2-year is 60, 1-year is 30). NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination. KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies: Knowledge of: Sales and marketing principles. Quality customer service principles. Effective business principles and perspective, with emphasis on sales and marketing. Understanding of marketing strategies. Ability to: Work within business and sales oriented environment. Open/initiate and close sales for services/products. Communicate effectively and respond to customer needs and complaints in calm manner. Handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment with equanimity and humor. Use database, spreadsheet and word processing programs. Creatively problem solve in difficult situations. Work in a team environment and be flexible with priorities. Work within context of large organizations. EXAMINATION COMPONENTS THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS: A review of candidates' application to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process. A review of the supplemental questionnaire to determine the best qualified. Those candidates considered the best qualified will move on to the final step in the examination process. An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises. Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this recruitment. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS. Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work. To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency. Deadline for Filing: 5:00:00 PM, Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Review of Minimum Qualifications: Monday, September 14, 2026. Screening for the Best-Qualified: Week of September 28, 2026. Civil Service Oral Examination: Week of November 9, 2026. The combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement no later than the recruitment filing deadline. If this is a continuous open recruitment without a filing deadline, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement within ten (10) business days of submitting your application. Unless your disability is readily apparent (for example, you use a wheelchair and need wheelchair-accessible spaces), Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes. For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, BENEFITS The County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall wellbeing. These benefits include but are not limited to*: For your Health & Well-Being Medical – HMO & PPO Plans Dental – HMO & PPO Plans Vision or Vision Reimbursement Share the Savings Basic Life Insurance Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees) Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance County Allowance Credit Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance Short-Term Disability Insurance Long-Term Disability Insurance Voluntary Benefits - #J-18808-Ljbffr