Financial Hearing Officer

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing (Monday, September 28, 2015) - update 10/2 - Last Day for Filing extended to Monday, October 12, 2015. Postmarks are not accepted. Applications will only be accepted on-line.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing (Monday, September 28, 2015) - update 10/2 - Last Day for Filing extended to Monday, October 12, 2015. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Please see the Financial Hearing Officer job specification for a full description of duties.

Under direction, to conduct financial hearings to determine and establish financial responsibility to responsible parties for services rendered by the County in connection with Adult and/or Juvenile court proceedings, to perform collections on current and delinquent accounts; and to perform other related duties as assigned.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

Positions in this classification are located in the Central Collections Division of the Office of the Auditor-Controller and are usually outstationed to work in offices where adult and/or juvenile court proceedings are being held; positions may also be located in the Superior Courts. In the juvenile court process, incumbents interview parents and guardians of juveniles who are under commitment by the Juvenile Courts; in the adult court process, incumbents interview defendants who have been referred by the courts.

The positions of Financial Hearing Officer differ from the Collection Enforcement Deputy series in that the Financial Hearing Officers determine the ability of responsible parties to reimburse the County for services rendered and make financial assessments, and handle collections as well as lead responsibility for one or more Collection Enforcement Deputies. Collection Enforcement Deputies perform collection on current and delinquent accounts, but do not conduct financial hearings nor do they perform lead responsibilities.

Either I

The equivalent of eighteen months of experience in the class of Collection Enforcement Deputy II in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or II

Experience:

The equivalent of three years of full-time experience in collections work.

License (for both patterns):

Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license.


NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties” section of this specification.

Knowledge of:

• Adult and/or Juvenile Court Procedures.
• Collection methods and practices.
• Court procedures for civil cases.
• Interviewing techniques.
• Modern office practices and procedures.
• Basic arithmetic.
• Computer systems; PC terminal operation.

Ability to:

• Conduct an interview under sensitive and/or hostile conditions.
• Analyze, evaluate, and interpret financial information.
• Make financial determinations and make the assessment.
• Perform basic arithmetic computations to calculate liability and set up payment plans.
• Maintain accurate files and records; to communicate in writing.
• Organize work and establish priorities.
• Work cooperatively with other staff, outside agencies, other departments and the general public.
• Communicate effectively with persons from a wide variety of ethnic and social backgrounds.
• Work independently.
• Lead others in the performance of their assigned duties.
• Work effectively within a diverse community and under changing work conditions.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1) A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2) A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to determine the best qualified; only the best qualified candidates will be invited to the oral interview process.

3) An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments many be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

*WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN*

*The combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification.

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing (Monday, September 28, 2015) - update 10/2 - Deadline Extended to Monday, October 12, 2015. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Welfare Benefits

• Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
• Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
• Vision
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
• County Allowance
• Health Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Group Auto/Home
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to insure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

For any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Sabrina Amador, Decentralized Exam Coordinator, Auditor-Controller's Office directly at 510-272-6527.

Iona Childers, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
Iona.Childers@acgov.org
510-272-6463
www.acgov.org/hrs