Employment Development Specialist Series

California State Personnel Board Specification

Series established February 7, 1979

Scope

This series specification describes classes used in the Employment Development Department to perform a wide variety of technical Unemployment Insurance and Job Services Program development and evaluation work as staff support to departmental line programs. Positions exist in administrative offices of the field operations program and in central office to provide area and statewide planning, program and systems analysis, procedure development and evaluation for a variety of programs and program components, including: Job Services, Client Job Search Assistance, Special Programs for Youth, Older Workers and the Disadvantaged, Alien Certification, Benefit Payment Controls, Unemployment Insurance Claims, Adjudication, Appeals Processes, and others. Many of these jobs include responsibility for policy formulation, interpretation, and dissemination of a full range of Unemployment Insurance and Job Services related issues. Some positions exist for administrative support in the areas of program budgeting, personnel management and staffing, and training design.

Entrance into the series is from the Employment Program Representative class.

Some assignments may require travel.

Positions in these classes are not designated as management or supervisory, although incumbents may occasionally act as "leadpersons" performing such functions as training new staff or reviewing the assignments of other staff. Such "leadpersons" have duties substantially similar to those of their co-workers and they do not have the authority in the interest of management to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, discipline, or responsibly direct other employees, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively recommend such actions.

Definition of Series

Employment Development Specialist I

This is the recruitment, training, and first working level in the series. Under close supervision, incumbents develop analytical skills, participate in policy and procedure formulation; gather and analyze data; consult with field and other departmental personnel in disseminating and securing necessary information; prepare reports and correspondence on technical Unemployment Insurance or Job Services issues, problems, and concerns. Work on the development of guidelines, training courses and other tools and materials to assist Field Office Management in the administration of the Department's Unemployment Insurance and Job Services Programs. This classification may be used in the field offices to act in a lead capacity and train, monitor and direct staff and office operations; may serve as a technical specialist in a major program or technical area, such as, determinations, appeals, overpayments, or call processing (regional center).

Employment Development Specialist II

This is the full journey level in the series. Incumbents perform the more difficult and complex technical work with a minimum of supervision. May be assigned total responsibility for a specific project having area or statewide impact. Formulate policies and procedures and make recommendations to management on the full range of Unemployment Insurance and Job Services' issues, problems and concerns and prepare reports and correspondence in these same areas. As a technical expert in a particular program area, may act in a consulting capacity to the field and other departmental staff by providing problem-solving advice and program information. May have area or statewide responsibility for coordinating activities in a particular program or program area ensuring consistent application of policies, procedures and standards. Conduct Field Office evaluations analyzing Field Office effectiveness in terms of production and overall accomplishments in meeting program and administrative goals and objectives.

As a full journey level specialist may provide assistance to lower level specialists by responding to technical questions, providing feedback on assignments, and instructing them on data collection, information gathering and dissemination, report and correspondence preparation and other aspects of program support work. These responsibilities are always performed in conjunction with a working assignment and should not constitute a major part of an employee's time.

Employment Development Specialist III

A limited number of positions at this level exist statewide. Incumbents: (a) function as ongoing interbranch, branch specific, or interdivisional project leaders, coordinating the work of others through task force type organizations. This leadership role must be accompanied by a role as a highly skilled, independent consultant with the ability to act authoritatively in a functional specialty; or (b) function as a recognized technical authority in a Job Services or Unemployment Insurance program area of extreme sensitivity. May have ongoing coordinating responsibility over other analysts and/or evaluative responsibility over projects which may have statewide impact. They may be responsible for writing project charters, establishing resource needs, determining the staff skills necessary, deciding the project duration and delineating the roles and responsibilities of the project participants; or (c) are responsible for the effective resolution of a broad range of governmental problems. They may conduct and/or review analytical studies and surveys; formulate procedures, policies and program alternatives; make recommendations on a broad spectrum of administrative and program-related problems; review and analyze proposed legislation and advise management on its impact or potential impact; and do other related work.

Minimum Qualifications

Employment Development Specialist I

Either I

Two years of experience in the California state service performing the duties of an Employment Program Representative or Employment Program Counselor.

(Candidates who are within six months of the required experience will be admitted to the examination, however, they must complete all of the required experience before being considered eligible for appointment.)

Or II

Education: Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units of college course work including 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in at least three of the following subjects: English, business administration, information technology, economics, public administration, sociology, psychology, ethnic studies. and

Experience: Two years of public contact experience providing services or information.

(Experience in the California state service applied toward this pattern must include at least two years of experience performing the duties of an Employment Program Representative.)

Employment Development Specialist II

Either I

One year of experience in the California state service performing the duties of an Employment Development Specialist I, Range B, or Employment Program Supervisor�II.

(Candidates who are within six months of the required experience will be admitted to the examination, however, they must complete all of the required experience before being considered eligible for appointment.)

Or II

Education: Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units of college course work including 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in at least three of the following subjects: English, business administration, information technology, economics, public administration, sociology, psychology, ethnic studies. and

Experience: Three years of public contact experience providing services or information.

(Experience in the California state service applied toward this pattern must include at least one year of experience performing the duties of an Employment Development Specialist I, Range B.)

Employment Development Specialist III

Either I

One year of experience in the California state service performing the duties of an Employment Development Specialist II, or Employment Program Manager I in the Unemployment Insurance or Job Services programs. (Candidates who are within six months of completing the required experience will be admitted to the examination, however, they must complete all of the required experience before they can be considered eligible for appointment.)

Or II

One year of increasingly responsible management, planning, policy development, program evaluation, or related analytical experience in Operations Branch (either one of the Central Office Divisions or Area Offices) at a class with a level of responsibility not less than that of Employment Development Specialist

Ii.

Or III

Five years of broad public policy experience in the fields of employability, economic development or social programs. Four years of the required experience must have been in an analytical staff capacity.

(Experience in the California state service applied toward this pattern must include at least one year of experience performing the duties of a class with a level of responsibility equivalent to that of Employment Development Specialist

Ii. )

Knowledge and Abilities

All Levels:

Knowledge of: Provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Code; Department of Labor and State rules, regulations, policies, and procedures of the Job Services and Unemployment Insurance programs; and principles and practices of program administration and support services.

Ability to: Gather and analyze data; communicate effectively, prepare and make presentations; reason logically and think creatively; develop and maintain cooperative relationships with Field Office management and staff as well as other contacts both inside and outside the Department; and think analytically.

Employment Development Specialist II

Knowledge of: Budgets, personnel, systems analysis, planning and program evaluation, procedure development and project work.

Ability to: Work independently.

Employment Development Specialist III

Knowledge of: Basic understanding of State and Federal funding mechanisms; automated systems and their applications as they relate to Unemployment Insurance, Job Services, and other Operations Branch programs; the broad spectrum of Employment Development Department programs, services and support systems including business services, fiscal, personnel, legislative liaison, marketing, and labor market information; and Total Quality Management procedures and applications.

Ability to: Foster and maintain effective working relationships with both internal and external customers; gather and analyze data; formulate, implement, and evaluate programs and reason logically in measuring and improving Employment Development Department services; use computer software programs; employ project management techniques; prepare reports and present recommendations to management; and plan, organize and direct the work of others.

Class History