Child Support Officer I

This examination is being given to fill two vacancies in the Department of Child Support Services and to establish an eligible list to fill future vacancies. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of an application. A completed application must be postmarked or received online by the final filing deadline.

The Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) serves the public by ensuring that children receive the financial support to which they are legally entitled.  DCSS also serves the taxpayers by working with families to become self-sufficient and recovering government benefits.

DCSS is committed to provide family-centered services.  The department's mission statement is "Partnering with parents to develop cooperative family relationships and shared responsibilities."

NOTE: All correspondences relating to this recruitment will be delivered via e-mail. The e-mail account used will be the one provided on your employment application during time of submittal. Please be sure to check your e-mail often for updates. If you do not have an e-mail account on file, Human Resources will send you correspondences via US Mail.

Note: Supplemental application must be submitted with employment application.

Please note: Department employees must undergo a background investigation, which includes fingerprinting, a criminal history screening, and citizenship/residency validation, as a condition of continued employment, employees must also undergo reinvestigation at least every ten years.

Experience: Three years of full time general office experience involving substantial public contact including responsibility for interviewing, document processing, and follow up.

Substitution: College coursework at an accredited college or university may be substituted for the general experience on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of two years.

General principles of casework, child support enforcement, and collection procedures; Federal and California laws and regulations pertaining to child support; principles of interviewing, and fundamental aspects of human behavior; information systems and computers; general collections procedures; basic arithmetic to perform calculations and understand financial records; customer service techniques; standard office procedures and practices.

Follow oral and written directions; read, learn, and understand laws and regulations related to child support; learn to research, gather, record and evaluate legal, financial, and other records sufficiently to obtain data needed to secure and enforce child support cases; communicate effectively in writing (including spelling, vocabulary, sentence and paragraph structure); communicate with persons from a wide variety of ethnic and social backgrounds sufficiently to explain legal processes and obligations and/or penalties for nonpayment of support; deal tactfully, courteously, and firmly with applicants and others to elicit information from hostile and/or uncooperative individuals; organize work and establish priorities according to departmental operating requirements; effectively manage time and resources to perform multiple tasks; work cooperatively with other staff, outside agencies and public to maximize support in accordance with established policies and procedures; maintain confidentiality.

Mobility-Frequent operation of computers; repetitive motion; sitting for extended periods; walking; occasional driving may be required; Lifting-Fequently 5 pounds or less; occasionally 5 to 30 pounds; Vision-Constant good overall vision and reading/close-up work; frequent color perception and use of eye/hand coordination; occasional use of depth perception and peripheral vision; Dexterity-Normal dexterity with frequent writing and repetitive motions; Hearing/Talking-Frequent hearing and talking on the telephone and in person; Emotional/Psychological-Frequent decision making, concentration and public contract; occasional exposure to grief; Special Requirements-Some assignments may require working weekends, nights, and/or occasional overtime.

Employees hired into this classification are members of a bargaining unit which is represented by SEIU Local 1021. 

Health Insurance:  San Joaquin County provides employees with a choice of three health plans:  a Kaiser Plan, a Select Plan, and a Premier Plan.  Employees pay a portion of the cost of the premium. Dependent coverage is also available. 

Dental Insurance:  The County provides employees with a choice of two dental plans:  Delta Dental and United Health Care-Select Managed Care Direct Compensation Plan.  There is no cost for employee only coverage in either plan; dependent coverage is available at the employee’s expense.

Vision Insurance:  The County provides vision coverage through Vision Service Plan (VSP).  There is no cost for employee only coverage; dependent coverage is available at the employee’s expense.

For more detailed information on the County’s benefits program, visit our website at www.sjgov.org under Human Resources/Employee Benefits. 

Life Insurance:  The County provides eligible employees with life insurance coverage as follows: 

 1 but less than 3 years of continuous service:                   $1,000
 3 but less than 5 years of continuous service:                   $3,000
 5 but less than 10 years of continuous service:                 $5,000
10 years of continuous service or more:                           $10,000 

Employee may purchase additional term life insurance at the group rate.

125 Flexible Benefits Plan:  This is a voluntary program that allows employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for health-related expenses that are not paid by a medical, dental or vision plan (Health Flexible Spending Account $2550 annual limit with a $500 carry over); and dependent care costs (Dependent Care Assistance Plan $5000 annual limit). 

Retirement Plan:  Employees of the County are covered by the County Retirement Law of 1937.  Please visit the San Joaquin County Employees’ Retirement Association (SJCERA) at www.sjcera.org for more information.  NOTE:  If you are receiving a retirement allowance from another California county covered by the County Employees’ Retirement Act of 1937 or from any governmental agency covered by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), you are advised to contact the Retirement Officer of the Retirement Plan from which you retired to determine what effect employment in San Joaquin County would have on your retirement allowance.

Deferred Compensation:  The County maintains a deferred compensation plan under Section 457 of the IRS code. You may annually contribute $18,000 or 100% of your includible compensation, whichever is less.  Individuals age 50 or older may contribute to their plan, up to $24,000. The Roth IRA (after tax) is also now available.

Vacation:  Maximum earned vacation is 10 days each year up to 3 years; 15 days after 3 years; 20 days after 10 years; and 23 days after 20 years.

Holidays:  Effective July 1, 2017, all civil service status employees earn 14 paid holidays each year.  Please see the appopriate MOU for details regarding holidays, accruals, use, and cashability of accrued time.

Sick Leave:  12 working days of sick leave annually with unlimited accumulation.  Sick leave incentive:  An employee is eligible to receive eight hours administrative leave if the leave balance equals at least one- half of the cumulative amount that the employee is eligible to accrue.  The employee must also be on payroll during the entire calendar year.

Bereavement Leave:  3 days of paid leave for the death of an immediate family member, 2 additional days of accrued leave for death of employee’s spouse, domestic partner, parent or child.

Merit Salary Increase:  New employees will receive the starting salary, which is the first step of the salary range.  After employees serve 52 weeks (2080 hours) on each step of the range, they are eligible for a merit increase to the next step.

Job Sharing:  Employees may agree to job-share a position, subject to approval by a Department Head and the Director of Human Resources.

Educational Reimbursement Program:  Eligible employees may be reimbursed for career-related course work up to a maximum of $850 per fiscal year.  Eligible employees enrolled in an approved four (4) year College or University academic program may be reimbursed up to $800 per semester for a maximum of $1600 per fiscal year.

Parking Supplemental Downtown Stockton:  The County contributes up to $17 per pay period for employees who pay for parking and are assigned to work in the Downtown Core Area.

School Activities:  Employees may take up to 40 hours per year, but not more than eight (8) hours per month, to participate in their children’s school activities.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will go through the following examination process:

• Written Exam: The civil service written exam is a multiple choice format.  If the written exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list.
   
• Oral Exam:   The oral exam is a structured interview process that will assess the candidate’s education, training, and experience and may include a practical exercise.   The oral exam selection process is not a hiring interview.   A panel of up to four people will determine the candidate’s score and rank for placement on the eligible list.  Top candidates from the eligible list are referred for hiring interviews.  If the oral exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list. 
   
• Written & Oral Exam:  If both a written exam and an oral exam is administered, the written exam is weighted at 60% and the oral exam is weighted at 40% unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% on each examination in order to be placed on the eligible list.
   
• Rate-out:  A rate-out is an examination that involves a paper rating of the candidate’s application using the following criteria: education, training, and experience. Candidates will not be scheduled for the rate-out process. 

 Note:  The rating of 70 referred to may be the same or other than an arithmetic 70% of the total possible points.

Testing Accommodation:  Candidates who require testing accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must call Human Resources Division at (209) 468-3370 prior to the examination date.   

Veteran’s Points:  Eligible veterans, unmarried widows and widowers of veterans of the United States Armed Forces who have been honorably discharged and who have served during wartime shall be given veteran’s points in initial appointment to County service.  Veteran’s points do not apply to entrance examinations for POST positions.  Eligible veterans receive 5 points and eligible disabled veterans receive 10 points. Disabled veterans must submit a recent award letter stating a 10% service connected disability issued by the United States Veterans Administration.  Note:  A copy of your DD214 showing the discharge type must be received in the Human Resources by the date of the examination.

Apply Online:               www.sjgov.org/hr

By mail or in person:  Canlis Administration Building 
                                      San Joaquin County Human Resources 
                                      24 S. Hunter Street Room 106

                                      Stockton, Ca 95202     

Office hours:                Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm; excluding holidays.
                                      Phone:  (209) 468-3370 

Job Line:                      For current about employment opportunities please call our 24-hour  job line at (209) 468-3377. 

When a final filing date is indicated, applications must be filed with the Human Resources Division before 5:00 p.m. or postmarked by the final filing date. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of an application. Applications sent through county inter-office mail, which are not received by the final filing date, will not be accepted. (The County assumes no responsibility for mailed applications which are not received by the Human Resources Division).  

San Joaquin County Substance Abuse Policy: San Joaquin County has adopted a Substance Abuse Policy in compliance with the Federal Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988. This policy is enforced by all San Joaquin County Departments and applies to all San Joaquin County employees.

Equal Opportunity Employer:  San Joaquin County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer and is committed to providing equal employment to all without regard to age, ancestry, color, creed, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation or belief, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.  For more information go to www.sjgov.org/eeo.

Apply Online:       

www.sjgov.org/department/hr

By mail or in person:  

San Joaquin County Human Resources

44 N. San Joaquin Street Suite 330

Stockton, CA 95202                                  

Office hours:               
Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm; excluding holidays.

Phone:  (209) 468-3370 

Job Line:

For current employment opportunities please call our 24-hour job line at (209) 468-3377. 

When a final filing date is indicated, applications must be filed with the Human Resources Division before 5:00 p.m. or postmarked by the final filing date. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of an application. Applications sent through county inter-office mail, which are not received by the final filing date, will not be accepted. (The County assumes no responsibility for mailed applications which are not received by the Human Resources Division).  

San Joaquin County Substance Abuse Policy: San Joaquin County has adopted a Substance Abuse Policy in compliance with the Federal Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988. This policy is enforced by all San Joaquin County Departments and applies to all San Joaquin County employees.

Equal Opportunity Employer:  San Joaquin County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer and is committed to providing equal employment to all without regard to age, ancestry, color, creed, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation or belief, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.  For more information go to www.sjgov.org/department/hr/eeo.