Transit Disability Services Specialist

Applying equity and social justiceprinciples is a daily responsibility and foundational expectation for all King County this role you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values behaviors and practices to all aspects of this work. As the Disability Services Specialist you will:

• Work with employees supervisors managers and Department and Division leadership to facilitate the reasonable accommodation and interactive process including researching identifying and recommending reasonable accommodations.
• Perform case management duties in a high volume fast-paced environment for employees who need assistance and have been diagnosed with a medical condition that impacts their ability to work.
• Review and analyze confidential medical information essential job functions and employee records and prepare written correspondence and communicate with health care providers to identify and clarify medical and work restrictions.
• Provide direct support to identify and facilitate resources for employees who may be facing a medical crisis; provide information about benefits FMLA/KCFML Washington state leave laws and other assistance as appropriate.
• Provide advice and consultation to management and leadership on the administration of leaves in accordance with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act King County Family and Medical Leave ordinance and other federal state and local leave laws and statutes.
• Advise management on options for employees who are unable to meet contractual requirements to work on a regular basis and/or who may be misusing sick leave.
• Provide technical expertise and consulting services in analyzing comparing and contrasting the various Federal State and local disability and leave statutes regulations and case law to determine appropriate actions/solutions.
• Coordinate job modification evaluations and appropriate actions prompted by requests for reasonable accommodation transitional return-to-work and stay-at-work needs of Metro employees.
• Facilitate medical separations medical resignations and forward referrals for Career Center Reassignment Program and Transitional Duty placement services.
• Track disability services accommodation and leaves of absence within Metro Transit to ensure consistency and compliance with regulatory requirements workers compensation guidelines county personnel rules and collective bargaining agreements.
• Provide education and training and communicate legal updates in reasonable accommodation disability and leave laws and policies to Metro supervisors managers and leadership.
• Maintain comprehensive and complete case notes for assigned cases preserve the confidentiality of case information and ensure the accommodations that are provided to employees are documented.
• Other duties as assigned in support of Metros Leave and Disability Services team.

Wed love to hear from those who have:

• Experience interpreting and applying WLAD ADA FLSA FMLA Title VII and applicable WAC RCWs and court rulings related to disability and industrial insurance.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to translate technical information to non-technical audiences and the ability to adapt own communication style to suit situations that include advising leadership and ES staff suggesting workable solutions and providing end-user support and training.
• Demonstrated commitment to and understanding of best practices in delivering quality customer service including effective interpersonal skills conflict resolution and the ability to promote collaboration.
• Ability to communicate policies and legal/medical terminology to clients and staff.
• Ability to adapt communication style to suit situations that will include meetings with senior managers correspondence with medical personnel and facilitating medical separation meetings with upset employees.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective cooperative respectful and equitable working relationships with centralized disability services staff Metro leaders and a diverse workforce in order to effectively implement King Countys Reasonable Accommodation in Employment for Individuals with Disabilities policy.
• Knowledge of (and ability to read and understand) medical terminology interpret technical reports and understand disabilities.
• Skill in effective time-management planning prioritizing and coordinating multiple projects with critical timelines.
• Ability to interpret and evaluate events/issues and use analytical skills to successfully anticipate recognize and resolve problems.
• Ability to operate without well-defined policy and recognize precedent-setting situations.
• Proficiency in the following: MSWord Teams OneDrive Excel Outlook SharePoint
• Experience in the design and implementation of disability and leave training to various levels of employees within an organization.
• A bachelors degree in human resource management Business Administration Counseling or related field and at least two (2) years of increasingly responsible experience in coordinating and providing medical leave reasonable accommodation and/or disability services or equivalent work with people with disabilities. ORANY equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the skills knowledge and abilities required to perform the work duties and responsibilities of the Disability Services Specialist position.

Highly competitive candidates will also have:

• Relevant national certification(s) such as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) Professional Human Resource designation (SPHR PHR SHRM- SCP SHRM-CP or IPMA-HR) Certified Disability Management Specialist (CDMS) or Registered Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC).
• Knowledge of benefits programs related to people with disabilities.
• Experience working in the public sector and/or unionized environments.
• Experience in designing and/or providing ongoing training for management and staff regarding their roles responsibilities and legal obligations on issues such as federal state leave benefits medical absence and accommodation issues and disability discrimination or harassment.
• Demonstrated ability in conducting or providing support for internal investigations regarding disability discrimination.
• Experience interpreting bargaining agreement and contractual language into HR processes.

Required Application Materials

• A completed Job Application (employment history should go back at least 10 years if you have 10 years of employment (or more to include all relevant experience). Resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed job application.
• Cover Letter detailing your background and describing how you meet or exceed the requirements.
• Complete the supplemental questions

NOTE: Applications that do not include the required materials may be rejected as incomplete and will not advance in the process.

Selection Process

All the application materials will be screened for qualifications competitiveness completeness attention to detail and written communications kills. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more interviews. Final offers are contingent on successful completion of reference checks.

Work Schedule

This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and overtime eligible. Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule every other Thursday. Work hours are comprised of a 40-hour work week within core hours of workday normally 6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Union Representation/Job Code/GradeThis position is not represented by a union.

Work Location

The work performed in this position is conducted in a hybrid office environment. The primary onsite location is the King Street Center located at 201 South Jackson Street Seattle WA.

Teleworking Requirement

The work associated with this position will be performed predominantly in a hybrid work environment working in the office and at home. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within areas on able distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Who May Apply

This position is open to the public and all King County employees.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact: Manal Tirhi

Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington States best employers. Together with leadership and our employees were changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a differenceCome join the teamdedicated to serving one of the nations best places to live work and play.

Guided by our True North we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting support and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply including Native American and people of color immigrants refugees women LGBTQ people living with disabilities and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)Employer.

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race color religion national origin sex (including gender identity sexual orientation and pregnancy) age genetic information disability veteran status or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions including but not limited to recruitment hiring selection for training promotion transfer demotion layoff termination rates of pay or other forms of compensation.