Staff Services Specialist

Under general supervision, a Staff Services Specialist performs a variety of technical administrative duties in support of facilities management, budget, administrative functions, or department projects, or programs that require a thorough knowledge of the terminology, procedures, and practices for the assigned functional area. Areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to: researching, compiling, and reviewing data and information; processing financial and administrative records; creating and maintaining reports, records, spreadsheets, and files; coordinating technical administrative support services activities involving facility/fleet maintenance, office moves/setups (including telecommunications and information technology changes), program evaluation for funded programs; and participating in special projects, studies, and presentations. The work performed emphasizes decisions, processes, and procedures that require incumbents to use substantial independent judgment within established laws, regulations, policies, and/or guidelines. Incumbents must apply a thorough knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures in order to make both routine and non-routine decisions. When encountering a new or unfamiliar problem, incumbents are expected to evaluate the problem based on their knowledge and experience, and determine the appropriate course of action within their range of authority. However, these types of decisions and actions do not require complex analytical skills or methods, nor do they typically have significant strategic or policy impact. Instead, incumbents primarily support day-to-day departmental and/or program operations; and the scope, scale, and complexity of their work is limited. Assignments may focus on one or more of the areas identified below, or may serve as a generalist, performing a wide variety of duties involving multiple administrative functions. Assignments may include the supervision of subordinate clerical and/or support staff; however, supervision is not a critical allocation factor but rather an ancillary responsibility. Duties may include, but are not limited to the following: Reviews reports, logs, and other documents; obtains and compiles fiscal, statistical, and administrative data and information from multiple sources; tracks and maintains data and prepares summaries and reports for management; notes trends and areas of concern; provides comments and/or recommendations regarding policy, procedure, staffing, program, or organizational changes Initiates and submits required documentation to purchase equipment, supplies, and other items within an established budget Participates in departmental meetings; participates on committees and task forces to share information with other agencies or departments; contributes information and suggestions regarding how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of assigned responsibilities Reviews, verifies, and processes documents related to department activities including budgets, contracts, grants, claims, legislation, purchasing, and other specialized documents based on area of assignment Participates in conducting surveys and studies; performs research to track administrative, fiscal, personnel, and operational performance Maintains routine and complex administrative, accounting, personnel, payroll, and/or fiscal records Answers questions and provides information to the public, contractors, and vendors; assists in the investigation of complaints and recommends corrective action as necessary to resolve complaints Prepares presentations, general and technical correspondence, and promotional materials; develops forms, tracking systems, databases, and spreadsheets Tracks progress of projects, payments, expenditures, and reimbursements Assists in the administration and coordination of special events, training, programs, or projects; assists in coordinating municipal activities among County departments and/or other organizations Interprets general or program specific policies, procedures, rules, regulations, contracts, and/or labor agreements Provides liaison and staff support to committees, commissions, and department management May supervise the work of subordinate clerical or para-professional support staff, with responsibility for assigning, reviewing and evaluating their work, and initiating appropriate corrective action when needed Distributes assignments to co-workers, subordinates, contractors, and others; functions as a program or project coordinator with delegated authority to direct the work of staff in a non-supervisory capacity Prepares and distributes written procedures and other informational materials pertaining to area of assignment; may provide training to groups and individuals regarding procedures and information Performs or coordinates technical administrative activities and projects For Support Services Option (in addition to the general duties): Coordinates technical administrative activities involving facility/fleet maintenance, office moves/setups (including telecommunications and information technology changes), safety and incident reporting, and storekeeping/records management Receives and prioritizes information on safety and maintenance issues from various sources such as incident reports, hazard reports, service complaints, and/or maintenance requests Coordinates services and repairs with maintenance staff and/or vendors; conducts inspections, investigations, or interviews as needed to identify problems Locates and obtains required resources to resolve problems and ensures that proposed solutions comply with established laws, regulations, polices, procedures, and guidelines Responds to facility-related emergencies Obtains and evaluates cost estimates/bids from vendors and makes recommendations to management Drafts and/or designs proposed space configurations (e.g., electrical outlet and network drop placements, furniture placement and configuration, equipment placement) Plans and facilitates the relocation of individual personnel and/or department locations; coordinates needed assistance for staff or office moves, including information technology, communications, and professional movers Creates, maintains, and monitors facility related agreements and contracts with outside vendors and contractors; monitors vendor/contractor/landlord performance, ensuring discrepancies or problems are resolved and work is done in accordance with contractual requirements Acts as the departmental or agency-wide safety representative/coordinator; issues safety tips to staff, reviews and prepares safety policies, provides training to site safety coordinators, and ensures that safety-related reports and documentation are correct and timely For Program Services Option (in addition to the general duties): Researches and develops public information and educational materials; participates in community outreach efforts to publicize department programs Develops and compiles training materials; trains extra-help staff and volunteers Collects, compiles, and tracks data, including caseload data, and provides data summaries, reports, and/or recommendations for program improvement EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS Knowledge of: Technical principles and methods of investigating and resolving administrative problems Fundamental governmental functions and organizations Principles of effective customer service Fundamental arithmetic principles and methods including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages, and fractions Principles of effective business communication, including the development of correspondence, reports, and presentations Basic principles and practices of fiscal, statistical, and administrative research Principles and practices of effective record keeping Computer equipment and general office software, including word processing, spreadsheet, electronic mail, and database English usage, including correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation Fundamental statistical methods Basic techniques of project management For Program Services Option (in addition to the general KSAs): Laws, regulations, and terminology related to program(s) in area of assignment. Community outreach and public relations practices and techniques Programs available to client population served by the department Ability to: Make administrative decisions and take actions based on the interpretation of laws and regulations as well as operating policies and procedures Prioritize assignments based on broad criteria Gather, tabulate, validate, summarize, and present data in a meaningful way Prepare reports and cost projections using readily available information Read, understand, interpret,and explain complex policies, regulations, legislation, and operating procedures Operate a personal computer utilizing spreadsheet, word processing, and database software at an intermediate to advanced level Collect, compile, analyze, and present a variety of data in a meaningful way Compose professional quality correspondence and letters; write technically detailed reports Coordinate the efforts of multiple individuals to achieve a work objective Reason logically and methodically Recommend and implement procedural changes/improvements Communicate effectively orally and express ideas clearly Communicate effectively, in writing, using proper English, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling Establish and maintain effective working relationships; act as an effective team player Effectively listen to others, identify, and resolve central problems or issues Work independently and accept responsibility for actions Provide training and guidance to co-workers, subordinates, and other department staff Supervise clerical and/or support employees, if required by the position Learn and understand the organization and operations of the assigned area and/or outside agencies Establish priorities, organize work, and meet deadlines For Support Services Option (in addition to the general KSAs): Identify and resolve complex facility issues such as building repairs/improvements, plumbing, temperature control, pests, and safety Recognize issues that pose a threat to the safety of individuals or the security of facilities For Program Support Services Option (in addition to general KSAs) Make presentations and promote programs Develop and present training materials Two (2) years of full-time experience performing journey-level clerical, secretarial, or administrative support work. Equivalent of two years (60 semester or 90 quarter units) of coursework in business administration, public administration, personnel, statistics, economics, accounting, or a closely related field from an accredited college or university. Depending on the assignment, experience involving support services, personnel services, program services, or another specific type of administrative service area may be desirable. Substitution: Additional experience performing routine or complex clerical duties may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION A valid driver's license may be required at the time of appointment and employees may also be required to drive their own car, provide proof of car insurance, and a DMV clearance. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to a disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The San Benito County Health and Human Services Agency requires pre-employment fingerprinting as a part of the background investigation for all positions. Government agencies accessing US government information, which include federal tax information must ensure that background investigation requirements for all agency employees and contractors that have access to federal tax information are consistent to the IRS background investigation requirements for access to federal tax information. Background checks are required and must be repeated every 5 years. Background requirements consist of three components which include fingerprinting, citizenship verification and local law enforcement checks. EXAMINATION TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EXAMINATION – WEIGHTED 100% The Training & Experience Examination is designed to elicit a range of specific information regarding each candidate’s knowledge, skill, abilities, and potential to effectively perform the duties relative to the classification. Responses to the questionnaire will be assessed based on pre-determined rating criteria. All applicants must complete the entire examination to receive a score. In order to obtain a position on the eligible list, candidates must receive a minimum rating of 70% on the examination. Examination administration and processing time is approximately two weeks after the closing date of the job bulletin. ELIGIBLE LIST INFORMATION A departmental open eligible list will be established for the county of San Benito. The list will be utilized for 12 months after it is established unless the needs of the service and conditions of the list warrant a change in this period. RETEST PERIOD Once you have taken the examination, you may not retest for SIX (6) MONTHS from the established eligibility date. SPECIAL TESTING ARRANGEMENTS Special testing arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants for disability, military, or religious reasons. If you require such arrangements, please contact CalHR at View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io upon notification that your application has been approved. Documentation from medical, military, school or church officials outlining the accommodation request must be received by our office a minimum of five business days prior to a scheduled examination. APPLICATION DOCUMENTS If you are using education to meet the minimum qualifications, you must attach your transcripts to your application. Applicants with foreign transcripts must provide a transcript evaluation that indicates the number of units to which the foreign course work is equivalent. Transcripts and evaluations may be unofficial; official transcripts may be required upon appointment. Please redact birthdates and social security numbers. GENERAL INFORMATION MSS reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the recruitment if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules, and all competitors will be notified. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY The Merit System Services program is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation. ABOUT SAN BENITO COUNTY San Benito County is in the Coast Range Mountains in California, only 45 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, bordering Santa Clara County and adjacent to the San Francisco Bay Area. The County enjoys a high comfort rating, with an average of 262 sunny days per year and mild temperatures year-round. Another aspect of the comfort level is the low crime rate, which falls anywhere from below to significantly below the national average in all measured categories. One of the historic California missions, San Juan Bautista is in San Benito County, as well as numerous quaint towns and communities. Within the County, there are 12 school districts, and several private, religious and charter schools, all providing students with a quality education. Residents and visitors also enjoy a myriad of outdoor activities here, at Pinnacle National Park, championship golf courses, skydiving, cycling, geological walks and is reputed to sport the best views in California. #J-18808-Ljbffr CalHR