Office Specialist I

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The mission of Yakima County Government is to provide accessible, responsive and responsible public service through leadership and teamwork committed to understanding and meeting public needs.

Our Values:

• Integrity

• Common Sense

• Innovation

• Accountability

Position Data:

Office Specialist I-J23-U00-H

Regular

Non-Exempt (eligible for overtime)

Overview:

Pay Range:$20.27 - $25.70 per hour (Non-Bargaining Pay Plan, B21 Step 1-13)

Hiring Range: $20.27 - $21.51 per hour (Non-Bargaining Pay Plan, B21 Step 1-4 DOQ)

Job Closing Date: October 3 , 2024

There is one Office Specialist I opening with the Yakima County District Court Probation Department. This position is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the organization's daily operations. Primarily the office specialist is responsible for data entry procedures, client check-in, creating client files, assigning clients to a probation officer, scheduling appointments, answer incoming calls, updating information in case management system, receipting payments for probation and program fees, registering clients for classes, and responding to customers' inquiries through phone calls, e-mails or in person, filing and sorting documents. Performs specialized accounting support activities involving purchasing, receiving, processing, monitoring, and auditing of a variety of documents, deposits, payments, or collections.

Benefits included in position:

• Health Care Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Basic Life and Basic LTD)

• Retirement Benefits

• Paid Vacation

• Paid Holidays

• Paid Sick Leave

Note: This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.

This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies that occur within 90 days of the closing of this position. (This excludes Yakima County Sheriff's Office and Department of Corrections)

Responsibilities:

Essential Duties:

Assists the public by phone and in person. Greets visitors at counter, answers questions and/or directs them to appropriate parties. Enters new client data, reviews court orders, and enters appropriate information into the case management system. Creates physical case files and assigns case to appropriate Probation Officer based on existing defined rotation procedure. Downloads all incoming orders from all court municipalities, enters appropriate information into the case management system and routes orders to appropriate probation officer or senior program representative for processing. Uploads petitions to appropriate court municipalities via BOX daily. Schedules appointments for clients to see the appropriate probation officer and/or senior program representative and sends out correspondence, when necessary, to clients. Closes cases files in the case management system and archives closed file accordingly. Registers clients for classes.

Creates accounts receivable for each client placed on probation, receipts cash and check payments and utilizes the credit card application for credit card payments. Prepares cash out report and ten-key for financial specialist to complete deposit. Creates cash batches during the receipting process. For cases that are closed, identifies whether there is an outstanding accounts receivable balance and prepares the case for the collection process.

Prepares the daily deposit, tracks, and monitors Probation daily revenue. Processes, manages and audit credit card payments. Reconcile cash drawers, balance and audit hand receipts with payments receipted into system. Reviews accounts receivables from closed probation cases, makes adjustments to accounts, checks the electronic account file for completeness, documents actions taken to an account in the AR note section of the case management system, updates the status of cases, sends accounts to collections, and makes requests for refunds. Works with former probation clients and creates payment plans.

Processes and distributes daily mail. Responds to telephone, mail and in-person inquiries from clients. Performs reception duties by acknowledging and announcing clients as they arrive for appointments with their probation officer and/or senior program representative.

Other duties required.

Education and Experience:

High School Diploma or GED AND (3) three years of specialized clerical / administrative or technical training beyond high school; OR any combination of experience or training which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job.

Required:

• Computer experience and proficiency with Word and Excel are required.

• Employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal / financial background investigation and general employment verification.

Preferred:

• Bilingual in Spanish

• Customer service experience

• Multi-line phone experience

Equipment Used: Computer, calculator, printers, copier, fax machine, multi-line telephone, date stamp, scanner, and other common office equipment.

Working Conditions: This position is rated as Sedentary Work, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Environment: This position requires daily interaction with adult offenders who may be hostile and/or angry and who sometimes present themselves at appointments under the influence of alcohol and/or mind/mood altering drugs; exposure to bodily fluids obtained in standard drug testing

Physical Demands: bending, handling, lifting, pulling, reaching, sitting, standing, walking, fingering, kneeling, hearing, talking, and visual acuity.

Intellectual Demands: ability to multitask, confidentiality, ability to work under pressure, ability to articulate and communicate in conversations, ability to follow written and verbal instruction.

Knowledge:

• Overall general understanding of the legal system, including legal terminology.

• Office practices and procedures.

• Grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

• Data entry.

• Customer service techniques.

• File maintenance techniques.

• General computer knowledge, including the use of word processing software.

• Basic mathematics.

• Phone etiquette.

Skills and abilities:

• Creating and maintaining file systems.

• Applying customer service techniques.

• Maintain confidentiality.

• Writing business correspondence and drafting documents.

• Communication of complex and/or sensitive information to a widely diverse population.

• Making responsible decisions in accordance with office policies and procedures.

• Organization, prioritization, and time management.

• Performing basic mathematical calculations.

• Use of office equipment and computer equipment and software.

• Establishing effective working relationships with co-workers, other agencies, and the general public.

• Working effectively with constant interruptions

"AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER"

Minorities, Females, Protected Veterans and the Disabled are encouraged to apply.

Yakima County ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of a person's age, color, creed, sensory, mental or physical disability, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political belief, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and military status, or any other protected status under federal or state statute.

PAY TRANSPARENCY NONDISCRIMINATION PROVISION

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish the information.

Disabled applicants may request accommodation to participate in the job application and/or selection process for employment. Please contact Human Resources for further information.

Yakima County is a qualified Public Service entity for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information, go to https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service or contact your federal loan servicer.

In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Yakima County will hire only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States.

Yakima County is an E-Verify Employer.