Office Support Specialist II

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Springfield, MA

2d

About The Position

The Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) administers the unemployment Insurance (UI) program which provides temporary income assistance to Massachusetts workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own and who are able to work, available for work, and looking for work and looking for a job. The appeals process for unemployment issues is governed by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 151A. For claimants or employers who receive unfavorable determinations, the Hearings Department is the first level of appeal. The Hearings Department conducts hearings virtually, telephonically, and in person at various locations throughout the state.
The Office Support Specialist II provides administrative support to the Regional Hearings Manager, the Program Coordinator III, and Review Examiners, and is responsible for supervising the flow of work as well as providing direct supervision to the Office Support Specialist I and other lower-level clerical staff in each office. Duties include responding to inquiries of a routine or complex nature from various stakeholders related to the appeals process; reviewing appeals; scheduling hearings and maintaining files.

Requirements

• Applicants must have at least (A) three years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, experience in administrative work experience or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below: Substitutions: I. An Associate's or higher degree with a major in business administration, business management or public administration may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the required experience.
• II. An Associate's or higher degree with a major other than in business administration, business management or public administration may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the required experience.
• Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.
• Educational substitutions will only be permitted for a maximum of two years of the required experience.

Responsibilities

• Answers telephone inquiries of a routine or complex nature from various parties including claimants, employers, employer agents and attorneys and provides accurate information regarding all aspects of the appeals process.
• Explains statutory and regulatory requirements and policies regarding the filing and processing of an appeal to inform parties of their rights and responsibilities in the appeals process.
• Reviews all incoming appeals material to ensure completeness and accuracy.
• Ensures that all data entry properly reflects the identification of parties and issues to ensure the proper identification of statutory findings and the accurate delivery of all notices and forms.
• Adds or corrects existing data entry to ensure that due process requirements are met.
• Receives and researches all incoming correspondence from internal and external parties and initiates proper action and follow-up to ensure the accurate and prompt resolution of requests.
• Schedules hearings for Review Examiners in a timely and accurate manner to enable the department to meet established timeliness requirements.
• Notifies internal and external parties of schedules and schedule changes in a timely manner.
• Responds to special scheduling requests.
• Determines appropriate parties to be notified and selects appropriate location.
• Maintains hearing case files in an orderly fashion to safeguard the confidentiality of case contents and ensures case availability at all times during the appeals process.
• Monitors and records trends in the volume and consistency of appeals to enable the department to effectively react to workload changes.
• Does fact-finding with parties to attain all necessary information regarding scheduling changes, accommodations, and related matters.
• Develops methods, procedures, and documents to substantiate and record such activities.
• Supervises lower-level clerks assigned to filing, purging, reception-duties, and word processing functions by assigning tasks to accomplish activities in an efficient and timely fashion.
• Responds to all requests for postponements by determining the appropriateness of the requests under department policy and state regulations.
• Conducts and documents fact­ finding to support the decision.
• Ensures notification of all parties.
• Coordinates the re­scheduling of the hearing with all parties.
• Researches all responses to Notice of Dismissal and determines through case analysis and documented fact-finding if the appeal should be reinstated.
• Reinstates those determined to be valid.
• Determines appeals to be dismissed and submits to supervisor for review.

Benefits

• When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package.
• We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.
• Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree