State of Maryland

An Unemployment Insurance (UI) Claim Center Specialist Supervisor II is the supervisory and administrative level of work in a Claim Center within the Division of Unemployment Insurance involving the supervision of multiple units of staff responsible for the proper and timely adjudication of Unemployment Insurance issues and assisting the UI Claim Center Administrator with administrative support. Employees in this classification supervise lower-level UI Claim Center Specialists.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from designated supervisory personnel.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and. Examples of Work sections of the class description.

The UI Claim Center Specialist Supervisor II is differentiated from the UI Claim Center Specialist Supervisor I based on the scope of overall responsibility. The UI Claim Center Specialist Supervisor II has supervisory responsibility for UI Claim Center Specialists and assists the UI Claim Center Administrator with administrative support while the UI Claim Center Specialist Supervisor I only has supervisory responsibility for UI Claim Center Specialists.

Supervises and coordinates the efforts of units comprised of UI Claim Center Specialists to provide high quality customer service that regulates the distribution of unemployment insurance benefits in accordance with established guidelines;

Prepares and analyzes administrative reports such as Issues Established Reports, Delayed Timelapse Reports, Monthly Statistic Reports, etc. and statements for use by management and recommends corrective action plans to improve the quality of the program;

Monitors Unemployment Insurance fact-finding reports and non-monetary determinations to ensure that they are completed accurately and timely and that they conform with the information contained in the annotated Unemployment Insurance Law of Maryland, Code of Maryland Regulations and Unemployment Insurance Directives, policies, procedures and regulations;

Assists in planning, coordinating, organizing and assigning work to multiple units of Adjudication staff, in cooperation with management to achieve maximum workforce utilization;

Provides feedback, guidance and training to lower-level UI Claim Center Specialist Supervisors and UI Claim Center Specialists in current, complex departmental policies, procedures and programs to ensure a satisfactory level of efficiency;

Monitors reports to ensure that due process, to claimants and employers, is not compromised by UI Claim Center Specialist backlog;

Compiles and maintains legible, accurate records documenting the progress of individual staff and conducts and completes the evaluations of lower-level UI Claim Center Specialists, utilizing the Performance Planning and Evaluation Program (PEP) process;

Issues formal disciplinary reminders, warnings and reprimands and recommends performance based disciplinary actions;

Reviews and approves employee expense vouchers;

Informs employees of ethical responsibilities outlined in Agency policy and monitors for compliance;

Ensures that employee bi-weekly and monthly timesheets are completed accurately and submitted timely;

Investigates operational problems and proposes solutions to management;

Resolves personnel, employer, claimant and general public disputes and complaints where departmental policies and procedures are at issue;

Trains employees to attain desired levels of performance;

Coordinates the operation of the unit with that of other related units;

May perform the full range of lower-level UI Claim Center Specialist duties, as dictated by Agency backlog;

May represent the Division of Unemployment Insurance at referee, appeal board, or court hearings to present factual information;

May perform bilingual services;

May take and process claims, as necessary;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the Annotated Unemployment Insurance Law of Maryland, Title 8 and the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), Title 9, Subtitle 32;

Knowledge of the information contained in policies, precedents, directives and instructions pertaining to specific areas of adjudication;

Knowledge of English usage and grammar;

Skill in the use of standard office equipment, such as personal computer, printer, telephone, photocopier, fax machine and calculator;

Ability to assign, review, train and approve the work of a designated unit of UI Claim Center Specialist Supervisors and UI Claim Center Specialists, ensuring compliance with Unemployment Insurance laws, policies and directives;

Ability to supervise the activities of a designated unit of personnel;

Ability to coordinate the work of the unit with other units in the office and in the Department;

Ability to compile, conduct and complete the performance evaluations (PEPs) of lower level UI Claim Center Specialist Supervisors;

Ability to issue performance based disciplinary reminders, warnings and reprimands and make disciplinary recommendations;

Ability to use tact and discretion when communicating verbally and in writing with internal and external customers;

Ability to elicit sufficient and pertinent information concerning the facts of a situation and to record this information in a clear, concise and logical form;

Ability to apply the reasoning contained in Unemployment Insurance laws, precedents, policies, directives and instructions to arrive at valid conclusions;

Ability to exercise sound and impartial judgment in analyzing information and making decisions;

Ability to organize daily work plans to minimize backlog;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Unemployment Insurance Claim Center Associates, Unemployment Insurance Claim Center Specialists, Unemployment Insurance Claim Center Supervisors and Administrators.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: One year of experience supervising staff responsible for the review of unemployment insurance separation and non-separation issues or one year of experience supervising staff responsible for gathering information used to render determinations related to unemployment insurance contributions.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute four years of general clerical experience on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in Human Resources Management classifications or Human Resources Management specialty codes in the unemployment insurance claims or contributions field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.