Career Development Specialist II

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. 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. Applications will only be accepted on-line. Postmarks are not accepted. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

THE AGENCY

The Alameda County Social Services Agency is comprised of 2,400 men and women working collectively and in partnership with community-based organizations to serve the needs of the community. Services are provided through five departments: Agency Administration and Finance, Adult and Aging Services, Children and Family Services, Workforce and Benefit Administration and Policy Office.

The Agency assists approximately 11.3 percent of Alameda County's residents. Benefits programs contribute over $278 million to the local economy through cash assistance and CalFresh (formerly known as Food Stamps). Every month, more than 52,000 people receive CalWORKs (assistance for families with children), CalFresh and General Assistance. Every month health insurance is made available to more than 78,000 people through the Medi-Cal program. More than 11,000 frail, elderly and disabled individuals receive in-home care, adult protection and support managing their affairs monthly and 16,000 seniors will receive services through the Area Agency on Aging throughout the year. 3,700 children are in foster care. More than 1,600 reports of child abuse or neglect are filed with SSA each month. Emergency shelter is made available to 415 people nightly.

 

THE POSITION

Under general supervision, to administer adult, youth, and/or dislocated worker workforce development programs; to supervise staff engaged in activities related to workforce development; to develop workforce development programs; and to do related work as required.

The Career Development Specialist II is expected to work with partners in the County’s Workforce System, including employers, educators, government agencies, community-based organizations, and community groups in planning and developing public and private workforce development initiatives and programs.

 

 

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications stated below, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a track record of success in the following areas:

• Strong knowledge and application of concepts related to economic development, employment and training, and/or public assistance programs with great understanding of industry needs – talent, skill sets, labor pools, and infrastructures. Continuously maintains up-to-date knowledge of labor market trends and economic forecasts.
• Building and sustaining collaborative relationships through connecting employers, service providers and the workforce to facilitate the mutual accomplishment of workforce development and community economic development goals while engaging and managing preparations necessary to avert or respond rapidly to economic transitions; representing the gateway to the Workforce System.
• Setting high goals for personal and group accomplishment and developing measurement methods to monitor progress toward goals
• Identifying & understanding complex problems and concepts, applying logical thinking and quantitative methods of gathering and analyzing information, making decisions and exercising good judgment based on available data, designing solutions to problems, formulating and articulating action plans proactively and collaboratively.
• Thinking strategically, determining long-term goals and identifying the best approach to achieve those goals.
• Leading projects and/or work groups by inspiring and advising subordinates, facilitating goal accomplishment and tracking and evaluating performance to ensure success.
• Flexibility and responsiveness to ensure high quality and maximum effectiveness with regard to managing major economic transitions and meeting the needs of businesses and workers and adjusting appropriately to work within various partnerships and networks.
• Eloquently communicating ideas and collaborating with diverse groups with competing needs and interests while inspiring confidence and building support within and outside the organization.
• Approaching and solving problems with a focus on high standards for quality and a strong commitment to workforce services.
• Combining ideas in unique ways and exploring situations from multiple perspectives while quickly calculating risks and initiating action to achieve a recognized benefit between stakeholders.
• Managing a variety complex workforce development/economic development projects while charting a course of action that effectively and efficiently assists the organization and its stakeholders in fulfilling its goals and objectives.

Either I
Education:

The equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year university (180 quarter units or 120 semesters units) with major coursework in business or public administration, counseling, planning, social or behavioral science or a closely related field. (Additional administrative experience as outlined below may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.)

AND


Experience:

The equivalent of two years of full experience as a Career Development Specialist I or higher employment services classification in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)



Or II

The equivalent of three years of full-time experience as an administrator or supervisor of workforce development programs with major responsibility for program coordination, labor market analysis, and/or project administration in a recognized public or non-profit social services agency, workforce development agency, or community-based organization.


Special Requirement:

License:

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

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:

Knowledge of:
• Applicable state, federal and local laws, regulations and funding sources related to economic development, welfare-to-work, and public employment and training programs.
• Organizational and administrative concepts pertinent to employment and training, economic development, and/or public assistance program.
• Contract negotiation and administration.
• Employee supervision and training techniques.
• Sources of public and private funding for workforce development programs.
• Remedial, career educational and training resources.
• Proven employment and training and career advancement strategies for public assistance recipients, and unemployed, underemployed adults and youth.
• Local labor market and economic forecasts.



Ability to:

• Develop working relationships with the County’s workforce system stakeholders, including employers, educators, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and community groups.
• Convene, facilitate and broker working relationships for the purposes of enhancing the County’s workforce development efforts.
• Supervise, evaluate and train subordinate staff.
• Leverage resources across key partners and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with potential partners within SSA and other County departments
• Efficiently administer workforce development programs.
• Write and speak effectively.

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 select the best qualified applicants to continue in the 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

Deadline for Filing:	Monday, November 7, 2016
Review of Minimum Qualifications:	Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Review of Supplemental Questionnaire for Best Qualified:	Week of December 12, 2016
Panel Interview	Week of January 16, 2017

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

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. 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 (Employer Credit)
• 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 Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Group Legal
• 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. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box 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 job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

 

Ione Bell, Human Resources Analyst II

Human Resource Services, County of Alameda

510-272-6456

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer