What are the responsibilities and job description for the Office Support Specialist - Social Services position at Douglas County, MN?
Job Description
JOB TITLE: Office Support Specialist
DEPARTMENT: Social Services Department
STATUS: Full Time-37.5 hours per week. Generally, Monday through Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.
STARTING SALARY: $20.86 hourly; $40,677. annually, receive anniversary step increases for earning potential of $51,831. annually. ($26.58hr). In addition, receive annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) per the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Mark your calendars! Interviewswill be held for selected candidates on Friday, February 28, 2025!
- Future opportunities for growth and advancement!
JOB OBJECTIVES:
The Office Support Specialist is responsible for the completion of the front desk, phone and walk-in receptionist duties, data entry into various State computer systems, and scanning and indexing of client documentation into an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS). Maintain and troubleshoot office equipment; provide information for repairs as needed and other work as assigned while providing office support services to agency staff and reception/switchboard services to Douglas County Social Services and Horizon Public Health.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The duties listed are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of those specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.
- Asks questions in person and by phone to determine clients' needs and directs the clients to the appropriate staff member.
- Assists clients in the proper completion of program forms.
- Provides clients with information on other community resources.
- Responds orally and in writing to general inquiries based on knowledge of previous situations and knowledge of agency programs, policies, and procedures.
- Responds to requests for information or questions from other employees by personal contact, phone, or e-mail.
- Types and edits materials using knowledge of procedures to determine the correct format, and questions the author if something is missing or incorrect.
- Composes form letters or other routine correspondence.
- Types and/or prepares special reports using knowledge of specialized software programs.
- Assembles and sends application materials, attachments, and other forms based on knowledge of standard agency procedures.
- Codes, records, matches, posts, tallies, verifies, and/or corrects data in order to maintain accurate records and mailing lists.
- Maintains administrative or fiscal data and assists in preparing reports.
- Sorts and distributes incoming mail and collects and prepares outgoing mail.
- Process outgoing Douglas County mail (USPS and UPS).
- Accept payments and prepare receipts for payments made at the front desk.
- Maintains adequate inventory of office supplies and forms required for agency operation.
- Copy information for agency staff and send faxes as requested.
- Enters information into and retrieves information from databases.
- Assists in the training of new office support staff.
- Complies with all rules and policies in order to maintain a safe work environment.
- Reliable, predictable attendance and punctuality.
- Other duties, as assigned or apparent.
The incumbent may encounter not public data in the course of these duties. Any access to not public data should be strictly limited to accessing the data that are necessary to fulfill the employment responsibility. While data are being accessed, incumbent should take reasonable measures to ensure the not public data are not accessed by individuals without a work reason. Once the work reason to access the data is reasonably finished, incumbent must properly store the not public data according to the provisions Ch. 13.
If a new work assignment requires access to not public data, the incumbent is permitted to access not public data for the work assignment purposes only. Any access to not public data must be strictly limited to the data necessary to complete the work assignment and after the assignment is completed, the employee's work assignment no longer requires access.
REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AT HIRE:
Education
High School diploma or equivalent.
Experience
The position requires computer and typing skills.
Licenses and Other Requirements:
Possess a valid Minnesota Drivers License.
REQUIRED MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES, & QUALITIES AT HIRE:
Knowledge of business English, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Knowledge of basic math.
Knowledge of general office practices and equipment.
Ability to operate a variety of office machines.
Ability to understand and apply oral and written instructions.
Ability to organize and prioritize one's own work.
Ability to use human relations skills to positively interact with and to work constructively with clients and other employees.
Ability to do sustained typing accurately at a satisfactory rate of speed (for some positions).
Ability to maintain the confidentiality of non-public information according to laws, rules, and policies.
Ability to organize information into written documents and reports.
PREFERRED / DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education
See required minimum qualifications at hire.
Experience
See required minimum qualifications at hire.
PREFERRED / DESIRABLE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES, & QUALITIES:
- Knowledge of agency programs, procedures, and policies.
- Knowledge of special computer software (for some positions).
- Knowledge of record-keeping systems to maintain administrative and fiscal data and to prepare reports.
- Knowledge of legal or other technical terminology (for some positions).
- Knowledge of other community resources sufficient to be able to refer clients when needed.
Public building. Office setting.
HOURS
Generally, Monday through Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.
37.5 hours per week.
Physical Demands can involve, but are not limited to:
Amount Lifted:
Amount Lifted Up to 10 lbs.: Occasional: = Range: 49 min to 2 hrs., 39 min or 29 to 86 days; Amount Lifted 11 to 101 lbs.: Not Present
Amount Pushed or Pulled:
Amount Pushed or Pulled Up to 10 lbs.: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days; Amount Pushed or Pulled 11 to 101 lbs.: Not Present
Vision:
Near Vision: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days; Far Vision: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min or 2.6 to 26 days; Depth: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min or 2.6 to 26 days; Field of Vision: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days; Color: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days
Contact With Others:
Works Alone: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min or 88 to 172 days Works with Others: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days Works around Others: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days Customer/Public Contact: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days; Clients with Behavior Challenges: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min or 88 to 172 days
Communications:
Talking: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days; Hearing: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days; Reading: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days
Basic Body Positions:
Sitting: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days; Standing: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min or 2.6 to 26 days; Walking/Moving About: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min or 2.6 to 26 days; Climbing: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min or 2.6 to 26 days; Balancing, Crouching, Kneeling or Crawling: Not Present
Motor Skills:
Handling: Occasional: = Range: 49 min to 2 hrs., 39 min or 29 to 86 days; Grasping: Frequent: = Range: 2 hrs., 40 min to 5 hrs., 17 min or 88 to 172 days; Using Fingers: Constant: = Range: 5 hrs., 18 min to 8 hours or 174 days; Reaching: Occasional: = Range: 49 min to 2 hrs., 39 min or 29 to 86 days; Feeling: Rare: = Range: 5 min to 48 min or 2.6 to 26 days; Driving: Not Present
Exposures To:
Mechanical Equipment: Not Present; Electrical Equipment: Not Present; Pressurized Equipment: Not Present; Burning Material/Equip: Not Present; Explosive: Not Present; Radiant Energy: Not Present; Moving Equipment: Not Present; Moving Equipment: Not Present; Heights: Not Present; Fumes/Odors: Not Present; Dirt/Dust: Not Present; Gases: Not Present
See also Physical and Environmental Factors Form.
EXAMPLES OF EQUIPMENT USED
Personal computer, electronic fax, laptop, copy machine, phone system, mail machine, scanner, Microsoft Office Word/Excel/PowerPoint, Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), multiple state-run software programs as well as other necessary software as needed.
OTHER
All listed above are essential functions of the job.
Benefits- We also offer no-cost/low-cost health insurance plan options. Douglas County contributes to a Health Savings Account and a (PERA) pension plan. Become vested in as little as 3 years of employment for lifetime benefits upon retirement! Douglas County is also a qualified Employer for the Public Sector Loan Forgiveness Program.
Life Insurance– as a County employee you will be covered by $40,000 of life insurance at no expense. Supplemental coverage is available for you, your spouse, and your dependents.
The official holidays for this Douglas County postion are: *New Year’s Day *Martin Luther King Jr Day *Presidents’ Day *Memorial Day *Fourth of July *Veterans’ Day *Thanksgiving Day *Day after Thanksgiving (in place of Columbus Day) *When Christmas Eve falls on a work day, the County offices will close at noon *Christmas Day *Juneteenth *Labor Day *Personal Holiday.
Sick Leave/Earned Safe and Sick Time: An employee shall be credited with 1 day of sick leave for each month of service accumulative to 90 days. The first 48 hours (or up to 80 hours if any eligible time was carried over) will be counted as ESST.
Vacations:Employees will accrue vacation according to the following schedule:
0 - 5 years - 10 working days.
6 -10 years - 15 working days.
11 - 15 years - 20 working days.
16 - 20 years - 25 working days.
Over 20 years - 30 working days.
Supervision Received: Supervised by Office Services Supervisor.
Supervision Exercised: None
Labor Group: Union-AFSCME
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Grade: 4
EEO Job Category: Administrative Support Workers
Work Comp Code: 8810
This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee, and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and the requirements of the job change.
Revised:12/2024
Salary : $40,677 - $51,831
