State of Maryland

A Personnel Associate IV is a level of paraprofessional work involving the operation, implementation and monitoring of the personnel system in Maryland State government.  Employees in this classification perform a variety of tasks covering a broad range of general personnel activities involving the application and explanation of principles and practices of the personnel system in the State of Maryland.  Employees in this classification, in some cases, may be required to supervise, train and guide lower-level paraprofessional and clerical employees.

Employees in this classification receive moderate or general supervision, depending on specific job functions, from a higher-level paraprofessional or a professional Personnel Specialist, Personnel Analyst, Personnel Officer or Personnel Administrator.

The Personnel Associate I-IV classifications differ from other specialized paraprofessional classes (Personnel Technicians) on the basis of the range of activities performed.  Personnel Associate work is diverse, covering a multitude of personnel-related functions, whereas Personnel Technician work is specialized covering a specific area of personnel-related functions.

Positions in the Personnel Associate classifications are evaluated based on the total points accrued by the application of the Paraprofessional Personnel Management Positions Point Factor Job Evaluation Method.  The job evaluation factors are: nature and variety of work, nature and purpose of contacts, nature and extent of supervisory accountability and nature and extent of control exercised over the position.  The point range requirement for the Personnel Associate IV is 800-1000.

Responds to inquiries received from the public and employees concerning employee services such as, recruitment activities, promotional opportunities, status of actions, test schedules and information concerning current and former employees;

Uses computer applications for personnel-related duties;

Establishes and maintains personnel files;

Maintains current copies of personnel policies, procedures, rules, regulations, salary schedules etc.;

Receives, interprets and distributes personnel administrative memoranda, bulletins and directives;

Answers questions concerning the application of personnel-related rules, regulations, policies and procedures and advises employees and supervisors of alternative courses of action;

Maintains confidentiality for all personnel-related activities;

Receives, completes and audits personnel transaction forms;

Requests and reviews eligible lists for vacancies;

Reviews eligible list clearances and verifies selections;

Completes employment forms and conducts orientation for new employees;

Advises new employees of job requirements, rights, privileges and obligations;

Discusses employment problems with employees;

Prepares and submits periodic reports such as, vacancy reports, turnover statistics, and EEO statistics;

Prepares bi-weekly time reports and maintains leave records;

Prepares and reviews requests for sick leave extensions and accident and injury reports;

Coordinates charity campaigns, blood drives and other employee activities;

Completes and reviews transaction documents;

Assigns record and action codes for computer applications;

Contacts agency personnel representatives to ascertain or clarify information;

Ascertains the status of positions by referring to various records including relevant databases;

Calculates salaries;

Determines increment and entry-on-duty dates;

Reviews appointment documents to insure completeness and accuracy;

Receives and answers personnel-related questions and complaints from employees, personnel officers and the general public;

May counsel employees regarding health and retirement benefits and options;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of basic business English, spelling, punctuation and grammar;

Knowledge of basic mathematics;

Knowledge of standard office practices, procedures, systems and equipment;

Knowledge of State of Maryland personnel system laws, rules, policies and regulations;

Knowledge of relevant personnel salary guidelines;

Knowledge of the transactions system and procedures associated with the employment of State workers;

Knowledge of personnel records and documents and their use and requirements associated with them;

Knowledge of timekeeping and general payroll procedures;

Ability to understand, interpret and apply personnel-related laws, rules, regulations and policies;

Ability to maintain confidentiality for all personnel-related activities;

Ability to deal with a variety of situations and problems under specified time constraints;

Ability to plan, organize and develop work procedures;

Ability to provide assistance, guidance and technical direction to others;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, supervisors, public officials, and the general public;

Ability to communicate effectively with employees, supervisors, and the general public.

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

Experience: Two years of general clerical or administrative support experience, at least one year of which must have been paraprofessional personnel experience involving the application of personnel procedures, policies, rules, and regulations to specific employment actions. Appropriate paraprofessional personnel experience should have included responsibility for activities such as, preparing and maintaining employment records, calculating salaries, applying and interpreting rules and policies, preparing personnel-related reports, counseling employees regarding benefits and obligations, and responding to inquiries concerning employment actions.

Note: Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in human resources assistance classification or human resources assistance specialty codes in the human resources management 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 these classifications are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit B, Administrative, Technical and Clerical classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article 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.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.