Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Employee Benefits Specialist (Promotional)

Recruitment #18-0263-01

Introduction

YOU MUST BE AN ALAMEDA COUNTY EMPLOYEE TO APPLY

THIS IS A NEW PROMOTIONAL ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended. 

Qualified applicants must be current county employees and have completed the equivalent of six months of continuous service following a regular appointment in the Alameda County classified service (non-classified includes the District Attorney’s Office, the Medical Center, and the Superior Court) by Friday, March 1, 2019.  A regular appointment does not include provisional, TAP (Temporary Assignment Pool), or STEP-UP appointments

DESCRIPTION

THE POSITION

Under general supervision, to oversee and lead a team of employees who will provide employee benefits information; handle the more complex benefits administration assignments and/or projects; assist the Supervisor with administering the County's benefits program; and perform other related duties as assigned.

Alameda County's Human Resources Services Department-Employee Benefits Center, is seeking qualified individuals to serve in the position of Employee Benefits Technician I. Employee Benefits Technician I's work in a fast paced call center environment providing information to County Employees in the following areas but are not limited to the following:

  • Provides customer service and explanation of comprehensive benefit plans to employees. Benefits include but are not limited to Medical, Dental, Vision, Basic & Supplemental Life & AD& D Insurance plans, FMLA and other related leave plans, Disability Insurance Plans, Health and Dependent Flexible Spending Accounts, Critical Illness, Accident, Hospital Indemnity, Group Legal, Group Auto & Home and Vacation Purchase/Sellback.
  • Conducts New Employee Orientations. Discusses and provides forms to employees and follows-up within established timeframes to ensure that payroll deductions begin.
  • Processes enrollment forms for various benefit programs by checking for accuracy and completeness, verifying employee eligibility, and transmitting forms to appropriate departments, agencies, or plan administrators.
  • Inputs, verifies and retrieves employee benefit related data from the HRMS computer system and other related duties as assigned.

For information about the HRSD Employee Benefits Center, visit their website at: www.acgov.org/hrs/divisions/ebc/

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either I
Experience:
The equivalent of two-years full-time experience in the class of Employee Benefits Technician II in the Alameda County Classified Service.

Or II
Experience:
The equivalent of four years full-time experience processing employee benefits and handling complex employee benefit issues in an employee benefits department of a large private or public organization, one full-time year of which must have included serving as a lead to a small group of employees. 


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:
  • Basic elements of employee benefits administration.
  • Computer and software application.
  • Research and statistical applications.
Ability to:
  • Make sound and effective decisions.
  • Plan, assign, direct and review the work of others on a project or day-to-day basis.
  • Organize and prioritize work and meet deadlines.
  • Exercise sound judgement within established policies and procedures.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees and departments.
  • Read and interpret benefits guidelines.
  • Read documents for completeness, accuracy, appropriateness and compliance with procedures.
  • Write and communicate effectively.
  • Operate a personal computer.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS


The examination will consist of the following steps:

  1. A review of the 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.
  2. 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, www.acgov.org/hrs.

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:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

Last Day to File:

Screen for MQ's:

Panel Interviews:

Friday, March 1, 2019
Friday March 8, 2109
Week of March 18, 2019

*WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN*

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 State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 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 before the last date of filing. 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, www.acgov.org/hrs

BENEFITS

Alameda 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 different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  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 - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
  • Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

  • Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
  • Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

  • 11 paid holidays
  • Floating Holidays
  • Vacation and sick leave accrual
  • Vacation purchase program
  • Management Paid Leave**
  • Catastrophic Sick Leave
  • Employee Mortgage Loan Program
  • Group Auto/Home Insurance
  • Pet Insurance
  • Commuter Benefits Program
  • Guaranteed Ride Home
  • Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
  • Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
  • Child Care Resources
  • 1st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Anna Montoya, Human Resources Analyst III
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
510-272-6459

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer