Unemployment Insurance Senior Specialist

Who We Are

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) supports Ohioans and their families through the following programs:

• Cash and Food Assistance
• Employment Services and Workforce Development
• Unemployment Insurance
• Adult Protective Services
• Child Support

Public service is an honorable way to serve the community in a hands-on dedicated way. You can make a difference in someones world!

Guiding Principles

• We will be a leader in customer satisfaction.
• We will have a reputation that attracts and retains talented diverse and dedicated employees.
• We get better at what we do every day.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39) and as outlined in the posting.

The ideal candidate at minimum must have the following:

Option 1

• 24 months experience as Unemployment Insurance Specialist 16753
• AND6 months training or 6 months experience in utilizing unemployment compensation automated systems

OR

Option 2

• 36 months experience in interpreting & applying program eligibility &/or liability (e.g. unemployment compensation; workers compensation; human services; or income tax) law
• AND12 months experience or 12 months training in developing correspondence
• AND12 months training or 12 months experience in providing technical assistance
• AND24 months training or 24 months experience in customer contact (i.e. telephone &/or face-to-face) for purposes of problem solving
• AND24 months training or 24 months experience in operation of personal computer in a MS Windows environment
• AND6 months training or 6 months experience in utilizing unemployment compensation automated systems

OR

Option 3

• Completion of undergraduate coursework in business administration public administration human services or social sciences

• AND 12 months experience in interpreting applying & making decisions for program eligibility &/or liability (e.g. unemployment insurance workers compensation income tax debt collection)

• AND 12 months training or 12 months experience in developing correspondence

• AND 12 months training or 12 months experience in providing technical assistance

• AND 24 months training or 24 months experience in customer contact (i.e. telephone face-to-face &/or electronic communication) for purposes of problem solving

• AND 24 months training or 24 months experience in operation of personal computer

• AND 6 months training or 6 months experience in utilizing unemployment insurance automated systems.

OR

Option 4

• Equivalent of minimum class qualifications for employment noted above

Tips For Your Application

When completing the different sections of this application be sure to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications outlined in this job posting. We cannot give you credit for your Work Experience and Education & Certifications if you do not provide that information in your online application. Information in attached resumes or cover letters must be entered into your application in the appropriate Work Experience or Education & Certification sections to be considered.

Pay Information

This position is in the State of Ohios OCSEA Pay Schedule Pay Range 32. Unless required by legislation or union contract starting salary will be the minimum salary of that pay range (step 1 currently $30.55per hour). These ranges provide a standardized pathway for pay increases. With continued employment new hires move to the next step in the range after 6 months and annually thereafter. Cost of Living Adjustments increase wages in these ranges each fiscal year. The current step progression wages are in the table below.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services activities programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

ADA Notice

If you require an accommodation based on a disability for any step of the selection process please contact

Selection Priority Notice OCSEA

Current employees of ODJFS in the OCSEA union have selection rights before all other applicants. Applications from all other candidates will only be considered if an internal OCSEA applicant is not selected for this position.

Background check information

The final candidate selected for this position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Some positions may require drug testing and/or fingerprinting. Criminal convictions do not necessarily disqualify candidates from consideration.

At the State of Ohio we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits visit ourTotal Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off including vacation personal sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth Adoption and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds Public Service Loan Forgiveness and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS STRS SERS and HPRS)&Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

Office of Unemployment Insurance Operations

The Office of Unemployment Insurance Operations (OUIO) administers Ohios unemployment insurance program which provides short-term income to unemployed workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. It reduces the hardship felt by families during periods of temporary unemployment and bolsters the local economies by maintaining the purchasing power of the unemployed worker. Learn more about the office by visiting the ODJFS OUIO webpage at You Will Do

• Review and provide feedback/approval on general requirements.

• Test and provide recommendations on production readiness for small/medium/large efforts.

• Review all documentation related to the State of Ohio Resource for Claimants and Employers (SOURCE) in relation to testing defects and data systems in both the User Acceptance Test (UAT) environment and the production environment.

• Review all documentation related to UI Benefits Transformation project to prepare for conversation with the new system vendor as it relates to Buckeye UI/SOURCE benefit interfaces.

• Attend new system information and planning sessions to provide business perspective on UI laws and required outcomes of system other words what must happen in the system to meet unemployment regulations.

• Review all documents user stories from these sessions and provide feedback and approval recommendations.

• Respond as necessary to vendor project team questions on process and documentation.

• Write test cases/scripts for project/system requirements. This consists of step-by-step instructions for claimant/staff/employer/agent perspectives. This would also include the expected result.

• Create test data in non-production systems that will be used in executing test cases.

• Executing test cases documenting results and writing defects as needed. This would also include re-testing when defects are resolved.

• Work on other system support responsibilities if not engaged in the new system project such as:

  • Remedy tickets/SharePoint tickets submitted by users for the items like problem resolution on unexpected system outcomes.

  • Data fixes.

  • Rotating responsibility for the group email account.

  • Provide assistance as needed to users responding to legislative inquiries or leadership escalations.

  • Provide business expertise on fields/processes needed for statistics and reporting.

Recommended Skills

• Knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications to include: Word Excel SharePoint PowerPoint OneNote and Teams.

• Vendor relationship skills.

• Efficient time management and multi-tasking skills.

• Persistence thoroughness attention to detail and strong organization skills.

• Independently manage multiple tasks with overlapping due dates.

• Willingness to proactively pursue the knowledge you need by reaching out to peers for assistance and learning.

• Ability and willingness to learn technical skills including:

  • SQL (structured query language) writing. This gives the ability to query the OJI database. On the job training and guidance will be provided. (This process is not included in SOURCE).

  • Learning the OJI database tables and relationships between tables so that you understand how to pull accurate results. (This process is not included in SOURCE).

  • Developing the capability to read/understand technical design documentation from OIS.

Challenges

• Adjusting to a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and timelines.

• Adapting to the technical requirements of the position.

• Navigating the learning curve through on-the-job and peer based training.

Schedule: Full time. Standard workdays are Monday through Friday. Hours are between 7:00am and 6:00pm.

Location: This position will be headquartered in an ODJFS Facility in one of the following cities - Columbus Akron or Dayton. This determination will take into account the proximity to the applicants home address.

Rhodes State Officer Tower - 30 E. Broad Street Columbus OH 43215
Akron - 172 S. Broadway Street Akron OH 44308
Dayton - 6680 Poe Avenue Dayton OH 45414

Travel: Occasional travel within the state of Ohio.

PN(s): 202550