Appeals Officer (Promotional)

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 10/16/2020 8/24/2020*. A regular appointment does not include provisional, TAP (Temporary Assignment Pool), or STEP-UP appointments.

 

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.

Applications will only be accepted on-line.

THE AGENCY

The Alameda County Social Services Agency (SSA) is comprised of 2,200 men and women working collectively and in partnership with community-based organizations to serve the needs of the community. Services are provided through four departments: Administration and Finance, Adult and Aging Services, Children and Family Services, and Workforce and Benefits Administration. To learn more about the Alameda County Social Services Agency, please visit the website at https://www.alamedasocialservices.org/.

THE POSITION

Under supervision, Appeals Officers analyze welfare case records when clients or applicants have appealed an action of the Social Services Agency. They conduct extensive research into applicable Federal, State and County eligibility regulations or policies and make a determination on whether the action under appeal is correct. They report the findings to the appropriate managers and assist in resolving the issue. When necessary, Appeals Officers prepare the Agency's written position statement and presents it orally before a hearing officer and/or State Administrative Law Judge.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications stated below, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a track record of success in the following areas:

• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with culturally diverse employees and clients 
• Negotiation and problem resolution 
• Interpreting and/or explaining State and Federal regulations and procedures to legal representatives, employees and clients 
• Working effectively and efficiently under pressure and time sensitive constraints 
• Maintaining confidentiality and sensitivity regarding client concerns and issues

Either I
Experience:

The equivalent of two years full-time experience in the class of Supervising Eligibility Technician in the Social Services Agency.

Or II
Experience:

The equivalent of three years full-time and recent (within the last five years) experience in the classes of Quality Assurance Technician, Employment Counselor or Eligibility Services Technician III or in a comparable or higher eligibility classification in the Social Services Agency.

Or III
Education:

Possession of a Bachelor's Degree in a social science from an accredited college or university AND

Experience:

The equivalent of two years recent (within the last five years) full time experience representing or advocating for applicants or recipients of public assistance programs in a County Health and Human Services or Social Services Agency. (Additional experience may be substituted for the education requirement on a year for year basis.)

License or Certificates:

Some positions in this class require a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license.


NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge:

• Federal and State welfare regulations and County policies and procedures.
• Social Services Agency staff and their functions and those of other relevant agencies.
• Social Services Agency programs and other relevant programs.

Ability to:

• Read and interpret complex State and Federal regulations and Agency procedures.
• Synthesize large amounts of information.
• Work with legal information.
• Use correct English grammar and composition in speaking and writing.
• Interview claimants, witnesses and others.
• Represent the Agency and speak effectively before Administrative Law Judges, Hearing Officers and others.
• Use analytical judgment
• Organize work and keep adequate records
• Negotiate and resolve conflicts.
• Make sound decisions and execute them.
• Use computer programs to research information.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF the following steps: 1) A review of candidates' applications 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) Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to take a written examination. Those candidates that pass the written examination will be invited to next step of the examination. 3) An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

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.

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

Deadline for Filing:	Monday, August 24, 2020 *Friday, October 16, 2020
Review of Minimum Qualifications:	Tuesday, September 15, 2020  **Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Written Examination:	Week of September 28, 2020 ***February 3-11, 2021
Panel Interviews:	Week of October 19, 2020  **** Week of March 29, 2021

*Updated: 8/24/2020 (MG)

** Updated 11/3/2020 (MG)

**** Updated 2/26/2021 (MG)

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

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
• 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
• 1^st 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.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, @acgov.org and Noreply@jobaps.com 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 Noreply@jopaps.com 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 bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Montrice Goodman, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services Division, County of Alameda
510-208-3954; Email: Montrice.Goodman2@acgov.org

www.acgov.org/hrs

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.