Senior Office Specialist
: Job Details :

Salary : $52,304.40 - $63,579.60 Annually Location : Sacramento, CA Job Type: Permanent Full-Time Job Number: 28212-C Department: County Wide Opening Date: 09/23/2024 Closing Date: 11/25/2024 5:00 PM Pacific The PositionThis is a continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on:10/7/2024, 11/4/2024, 11/25/2024 (final) Senior Office Specialists provide a wide range of specialized technical clerical support throughout County departments. The work performed varies depending on the specific program or assignment. Some Senior Office Specialists may give direction and review the work group of workers while performing the same duties as the workers. Special Assignments: With few exceptions, Senior Office Specialists are found in one of the following special assignments: Retirement Administration, Recording Legal Documents, Personnel Actions, Payroll, Examination Scheduling/Processing, Certifications, Medical and Life Insurance Administration, and Property Tax Assessment. Some positions may be designated confidential in nature in accordance with the County Employee Relations Ordinance and are excluded from the representation unit which includes positions allocated to the regular class. Examples of Knowledge and AbilitiesKnowledge of

• Customer service techniques for dealing with customers, often in a difficult or confrontational situation
• Sacramento County and various departmental policies and procedures
• Basic data processing principles
• Clear writing: grammar, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary
• Standard methods of filing (alphabetic, numeric, chronological)
• English language to communicate
• Telephone procedures
• Arithmetic to make calculations including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
• Keyboard (computer, typewriter)
• General principles, procedures and practices of recordkeeping
• Letter and memo format

Ability to

• Communicate effectively with the public and other public agencies
• Apply and explain complex rules, codes, laws, and ordinances
• Deal tactfully with people and resolve difficult complaints
• Understand and follow basic/complex oral and written instructions
• Read English at a level necessary to understand procedure manuals, policy guidelines, software manuals, technical documents and reports
• Write English at a level necessary to compose correspondence independently from notes or verbal instruction
• Assists supervisors in writing policies, procedures and desk manuals
• Train and cross-train employees
• Give instructions and assign work to staff
• Work independently and carry out assignments with minimal supervision
• Elicit information from inside and outside sources
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with others
• Operate 10-key adding machine
• Exercise independent judgment in determining proper work methods and procedures, assembling and evaluating information
• Analyze, evaluate, and draw logical conclusions
• Learn specific codes, laws, ordinances, legal documents and technical terminology related to each program or assignment
• Calculate solutions to match problems involving addition, subtraction, division, multiplication
• Operate computer terminals, typewriter, printer, copier, microfiche, and FAX
• Prioritize work to meet deadlines
• Write English at a level necessary to prepare correspondence according to specified format and record incoming information
• Speak English at a level necessary to communicate information clearly
• Operate communication devices, telephone, and may include radios
• Deal tactfully with people
• Accurately proofread details, noting and detecting errors

Required for some positions: Types from clear copy accurately at a rate of not less than 35 words a minute. Employment QualificationsMinimum Qualifications Any combination of education, training, and experience likely to provide the required knowledge and abilities for this class as described above. Typical ways include: Two (2) years of specialized clerical experience comparable to one of the special assignments listed above. Note: If the word experience is referenced in the minimum qualifications, it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements. Note: If the minimum qualifications include an educational or certificate/license requirement, applicants must submit proof of requirements with the application. Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. For guidelines on submitting acceptable proof of educational requirements, please click or speak to someone in our office before the cut-off date listed in this notice. Special Requirements Ability to speak, read, and/or write fluently in a language other than English, or knowledge of the culture as certified by the Department of Personnel Services (formerly Department of Human Resources). Where required, these special skills may be used in performing such tasks as the following: 1. Gives information by telephone or in person, regarding department services, in a language other than English, to persons whose understanding of English is limited. 2. Translates from written English, the regulations or ordinances, to a language other than English. 3. Translates to English, requests from the public, orally or in writing in a language other than standard English. 4. As assigned, assists other department employees by giving information and advice on problems involving relationships with persons of different language or cultural backgrounds. Probationary Period The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months. Application and Testing InformationAPPLICATION Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application by 5:00 PM on the posted cut-off date. Click to apply. County of Sacramento Department of Personnel Services Employment Services Division 700 H Street, Room 4667 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone (916) ###-####; 7-1-1 California Relay Service Email Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667 www.SacCountyJobs.net

• Employment applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.
• Application information must be current, concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.
• A resume may be included with your application, however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked Supplemental Questions . Please be descriptive in your response. Note: Responses of See Resume or See Application , or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

• Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.
• Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.
• If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.
• Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.
• If you have no experience, write no experience for the appropriate question.
• For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.
• If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam, failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score. While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire, the candidate's application and/or attachments will not be reviewed, therefore, a candidate's responses to the questions should be accurate, thorough, detailed, and complete.

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%) All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination. This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job. All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSClick for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) For information regarding County jobs: Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, abilities, and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency, courage, innovation, and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change. We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process, please contact our Disability Compliance Office at or 916-###-####, CA Relay 711 EMPLOYEE BENEFITS As an employee of the County of Sacramento, there will be a variety of benefits available to you. These benefits currently include: health, dental and life insurance; flexible spending account options for dependent care and unreimbursed dental and/or medical cost; and an employee assistance program (EAP). GENERAL BENEFITS: Most employee benefits are similar to the following for all County employees. However, some benefits differ, depending on the employee representation unit to which the employee's job classification is assigned. Information about the exact benefits applicable to a particular job classification may be obtained from the Sacramento County Department of Benefits or by visiting www.saccountyjobs.net. TEMPORARY POSITIONS: Most benefits do not apply to temporary positions. The explanations of benefits applies to employees in regular positions. SALARY STEP INCREASES: The beginning salary and the top of the salary range are usually shown on the job announcement. Upon satisfactory service, salary increases of approximately 5% are given annually until the top of the salary range has been attained. PAY: All employees are paid bi-weekly via direct deposit into the employee's bank account. The pay period covers fourteen (14) calendar days, starting on a Sunday and ending on the second Saturday thereafter. Salaries are generally paid on the Friday following the end of the pay period. Employees can set up their direct deposit and access their pay information via Employee Self Service in MySacCounty. VACATION: Generally, vacation with pay begins at 10 days annually. With increase over a period of years, the maximum annual vacation with pay is 25 days. HOLIDAYS: 14.5 holidays per year as recognized. SICK LEAVE: Equivalent to 15 days annually, unlimited accumulation. Upon retirement, unused sick leave is converted to retirement service credit. PARENTAL LEAVE: Entitles a regular County employee, with at least one year of continuous employment, to schedule a paid parental leave of up to 160 hours upon the birth or during the process of an adoption of a minor child. Parental leave shall be approved by the employee's appointing authority, except where the granting of the parental leave request would unduly interfere with or cause severe hardship upon department operations. TUITION REIMBURSEMENT: Dependent upon union agreements, regular County employees may be eligible to receive Tuition Reimbursement. The costs for course tuition/registration fees and required books/supplies are eligible for reimbursement. Tuition reimbursement amounts may vary depending upon union agreement. RETIREMENT: Social Security and Sacramento County Employees' Retirement System coverage. HEALTH INSURANCE: The County offers a variety of health plan design options to fit individual needs. DENTAL INSURANCE: The County provides a comprehensive dental benefit program for regular full-time and part-time employees and their eligible dependents. This plan pays on a set fee schedule that varies by procedure. Any amount over the fee schedule is the employee's responsibility. The yearly maximum is $2,000 per person, not including orthodontia. The orthodontic benefit is 50% of covered charges with a lifetime maximum of $1,000 per person. LIFE INSURANCE: The County of Sacramento provides a basic life insurance benefit of $15,000 to all eligible employees at no cost. Additional coverage may be purchased through payroll deduction. DEFERRED COMPENSATION: The County offers a Deferred Compensation Program which enables employees to save in a systematic way without paying income tax on either the payroll deduction or the earned interest, prior to withdrawal. EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: The County of Sacramento provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and their eligible dependents. The EAP offers confidential, professional counseling services in areas such as:

• Legal Advice/Difficult Decisions
• Marriage or Family Relationships
• Financial or Credit Worries/Elder Care
• Alcohol and Drug Abuse

WELLNESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM: The County will recognize and award time off to eligible employees who maintain an excellent attendance record. FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT: The County offers regular employees two separate Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA's). These accounts allow employees to set money aside, on a pre-tax basis via payroll deduction, to pay for medical, dental or dependent care expenses.

• DEPENDENT CARE REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT: Employees may set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified childcare or dependent care expenses that are necessary for the employee and/or spouse to continue working.
• MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT: The Medical Reimbursement Account allows pre-tax dollars to be set aside to pay for out-of-pocket expenses that are not paid by insurance or reimbursed by any other benefit plan.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION: In case of injury while on the job, each employee is protected under the Workers' Compensation laws of California. SACRAMENTO CREDIT UNION: The credit union offers loan facilities and systematic saving plans through payroll deduction. SELECTION AND PLACEMENT Sacramento County encourages applications from all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, religious creed, national origin, gender, disability, political affiliation, or age. Certain age limits may be required by law, ordinance, or Civil Service direction for specific classifications such as those identified with hazardous occupations. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Please read carefully the Minimum Qualifications section of your announcement. You must meet those qualifications by the application deadline date unless otherwise specified. Your application must clearly show you meet the minimum qualifications by the application deadline date, or it will not be accepted. All statements are subject to verification. Experience means full-time paid experience unless the announcement states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements. PROMOTIONAL EXAMINATIONS: If the announcement indicates the examination is given on a promotional basis, candidates must hold permanent status in Sacramento County Civil Service by the application deadline date and must meet the minimum qualifications. OPEN EXAMINATIONS: Any person who meets the minimum qualifications may apply. CONTINUOUS FILING EXAMINATIONS: Applicants are eligible to reapply to and retake a continuous filing exam after 6 months from the date the previous exam results was received. ELIGIBLE LISTS: Names of qualified persons who made a passing score on an examination are entered, in order of their final grades, on an eligible list. To fill each vacancy, the hiring department will make a selection from among the top three ranks on the employment lists. EXAMINATION RATINGS: Unless otherwise stated on the announcement: To be successful, candidates must obtain a rating of at least 70% on each part of the examination. This may be an adjusted score or an arithmetic 70% of the total possible score as determined by the Director. APPEAL PROCESS: Persons who believe their applications have been improperly rejected may request the Employment Services Division to review its decision to reject the application. If the applicant desires to submit additional proof of qualifications, such proof must be received by Personnel Services not less than two (2) calendar days prior to the scheduled date for the examination. Persons who are disqualified in any phase of the examination may appeal such adverse action, in writing, to the Civil Service Commission, 700 H Street, Room 2640, Sacramento, CA 95814, telephone: (916) ###-####. Such appeals must be filed within thirty (30) calendar days after notice of the adverse action was mailed to the candidate. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs):OTHER INFORMATIONVETERAN'S PREFERENCE: Military veterans who have served during wartime shall be given preference in initial appointment to County service. Such preference shall apply, provided the veteran has first achieved a minimum passing score in the examination. The passing score of a veteran shall be annotated to indicate the veteran's score shall be regarded as 5 points or higher, OR 10 points higher for disabled veterans, only for the purpose of determining the three ranks along with which the veteran's name shall be certified. No score shall actually be changed and no new rank shall be created as a result of application of veteran's preference for certification purposes. Disabled Veteran means any veteran who has served during wartime and, who, as of the final filing date for an examination is declared by the United States Veterans Administration or military service department to be 10% or more disabled as a result of his/her military service. Persons claiming eligibility for disabled veteran's preference must submit to the employment office, on or before the application deadline date, a certification from the United States Veterans Administration or a military service department, dated within 1 year, which certifies the present existence of a service related disability of 10% or more, or other acceptable proof of such disability as a result of his/her military service. Persons claiming eligibility for veterans preference must submit a copy of Form DD 214 or other acceptable proof of veteran's status on or before the final filing date for the examination. For purpose of this rule reserve status does not constitute active duty. CITIZENSHIP OR AUTHORIZED ALIEN REQUIREMENT: As required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act, all County employees must be United States citizens or aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States. Proof of citizenship or authorized status will be required prior to appointment. CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE: Some County Civil Service positions are covered by financial disclosure requirements intended to identify potential conflicts of interest. CONCURRENT EMPLOYMENT: No employee may concurrently occupy more than one County position. SPECIAL SKILL QUALIFICATIONS (WHEN SPECIFIED ON THE APPLICATION): Persons who have special skills required by some (but not all) positions in a class may be certified ahead of others provided that: Such special skills are based on the duties and requirements of the positions and are in conformance with merit system and equal opportunity principles, and The certification of eligibles who possess special skills have been approved by the Civil Service Commission. PRE-EMPLOYMENT MEDICAL EXAMINATION & DRUG TESTING: The County of Sacramento is committed to maintaining a drug and alcohol free workplace. All persons selected for appointment to positions must pass a medical examination and a drug test, administered by the County at no cost to the applicant. DRIVER LICENSE: Possession of a valid California Driver License may be required for some positions. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Regular positions are subject to a probationary period which is an extension of the selection process. Unless otherwise indicated on the announcement, the probationary period is six (6) months. AGENCY SHOP/FAIR SHARE FEE: Some positions require, as a condition of continued employment, that the person either: 1. Become a union member; 2. Pay a fair share fee to the union; or, 3. Meet specific requirements under which an equivalent amount must be paid to a charity. FINGERPRINTING AND CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKS: Fingerprinting and criminal record checks are required for some positions. 01 The following Supplemental Questionnaire is the Civil Service Exam for this position and will be used to determine your exam score. Note: The Supplemental Questionnaire and the Application are administered as two separate documents. The Application is used only to determine if the minimum qualifications are met; and the Supplemental Questionnaire will be used only to determine your exam score. In order to receive every consideration in the selection process, you must complete all questions with concise but detailed answers and provide all requested information. Each answer will be scored separately. References such as 'See Resume' as a response will not be scored. By continuing in the exam process, you are certifying that all information provided in the Supplemental Questionnaire is true to the best of your knowledge.

• I have read and understood the above instructions as well as those outlined in the job announcement.

02 Select the one box that best describes your highest level of education from an accredited college or university.

• None
• At least 3 but less than 15 semester/quarter equivalent units
• 15 but less than 30 semester/quarter equivalent units
• 30 but less than 45 semester/quarter equivalent units
• 45 but less than 60 semester/quarter equivalent units
• 60 or more semester/quarter equivalent units Or Associate Degree or higher

03 Select all the boxes that best describe your experience performing specialized clerical duties related to one or more of the special assignments listed below.

• None
• Retirement Administration - Reviews applications for miscellaneous and safety, regular and disability retirement; computes complex benefits and options; interviews and explains options to members contemplating retirement; researches and corrects service history; establishes and maintains database systems for report purposes; and reconciles and maintains financial ledgers.
• Recording Legal Documents - Performs specialized and complex customer service work for the Clerk Recorder's office: examines, records, and indexes legal documents; authorizes recordings of legal documents; explains and applies laws, ordinances, regulations, procedures; and searches for legal documents using records or computer files.
• Personnel Actions - Initiates, verifies and processes a variety of personnel and payroll transactions in hardcopy form, and directly on-line to the personnel and payroll computer system. Maintains records of employees and position control; requests certification of eligible lists; explains to customers the requirements and effects of personnel ordinance provisions and Civil Service Rules; reviews payroll documents.
• Payroll - Reviews computer printout of payroll records; keeps time and attendance records; prepares form(s) for processing special payroll.
• Examination Scheduling/Processing - Explains application filing requirements; accepts applications for employment; schedules applicants and raters for examinations; scores examinations and averages and converts raw scores to eligible list scores.
• Certifications - Maintains control records on duration of eligible lists, provisional, and temporary appointments; verifies that appointments from eligible lists comply with provisions of the County Charter, personnel ordinance, salary ordinance, and Civil Service Rules.
• Medical and Life Insurance Administration - Performs specialized and complex customer service work for Medical and Life Insurance Benefits; applies knowledge of eligibility requirements, benefit levels and contract language; enrolls employees and dependents in health plans; answers questions and processes updates to insurance benefits; reviews, verifies, reconciles and maintains payroll and financial ledgers and reports; maintains employee and retiree files.
• Property Tax Assessment - Performs specialized and complex customer service work for the Assessor's Office; applies provisions of the California Constitution Article XIII and Revenue and Taxation code; reviews property records, exemption claims and other assessment records; searches source documents to resolve problems and errors; explains tax laws, assessment and appraisal rules and procedures, reappraisal status determination and exemption requirements.
• Other - Performs comparable specialized technical clerical duties, but not in one of the special assignments listed above

04 Provided you are reachable on the eligible list, your responses to this Supplemental Questionnaire may be reviewed by potential employers as the initial step of the interview process. Upon interview, you may also be required to substantiate the responses you have provided.

• I have read and understood the statement above.

05 Select the one box that best describes how you meet the minimum qualifications of the Senior Office Specialist position with the County of Sacramento.

• None
• Less than 1 year of experience
• 1 year but less than 2 years of experience
• 2 years but less than 3 years of experience
• 3 years but less than 4 years of experience
• 4 years but less than 5 years of experience
• 5 or more years of experience

06 Select the one box that best describes your ability to handle multiple tasks and duties daily that have different deadlines and priorities.

• None
• Performing work based on your supervisor's established deadlines and direction while answering phone calls and/or responding to emails
• Checking in with supervisor on a daily basis to confirm priorities and work on tasks accordingly while answering phone calls and/or responding to emails
• With minimal supervision, use a task list or calendar to prioritize and complete multiple daily tasks while shifting priorities as needed to meet deadlines

07 Select the one box that best describes your recurring experience and level of responsibility explaining and interpreting rules, policies, procedures, codes, laws, ordinances, technical terminology, and/or legal documents, etc. in order to assist internal and/or external customers.

• None
• Occasionally explain routine rules, policies, procedures, codes, laws, ordinances, technical terminology, and/or legal documents, etc.
• Explain and/or interpret routine/less complex rules, policies, procedures, codes, laws, ordinances, technical terminology, and/or legal documents, etc.
• Explain and interpret policies, procedures, rules, codes, laws, ordinances, regulations, and technical terminology, but occasional research is needed to respond to customer's more complex questions
• Research, interpret and apply complex rules, policies, procedures, codes, laws, ordinances, technical terminology, and/or legal documents, etc. in order to resolve difficult/complex customer service problems

08 Select the one box that best describes two or more years of experience interacting with irate/difficult customers on a regular and recurring basis.

• None
• Sometim