Technical Support 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.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.

 Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires will only be accepted on-line.

THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

The Information Technology Department (ITD) is the central technology support for the County’s agencies and departments who serve our communities. Our more than 1.5 million residents and countless customers around the world depend on the services the County provides. ITD powers those services in ways that our tech savvy constituents have come to expect; giving them access to services when and where they need them. We are a team of technology professionals and evangelists with a wide-range of technological skills and diverse experiences. We provide great customer service and high quality products.   We are passionate about our work and we are proud of the numerous awards we have won. We are very excited about the cultural change in our department. We are transforming the perceptions of government technology and redefining ourselves. We are “staying ahead of the wave” by fostering innovation, pushing the envelope, and taking risks. We have embraced the entrepreneurial spirit of our start-up neighbors in Silicon Valley. We are more than just technologists though. We are also passionate about our communities. We are volunteers, food drive donors, activists, and humanitarians who love the communities we work and live in. To learn more about the department please CLICK HERE.

THE POSITION

Incumbents of this class, under general supervision, provide the full range of technical assistance and support related to computer systems, hardware, and software; to ensure a high level of information systems services to all County users; to provide effective problem management including the detection, capture, resolution, and analysis of service disruptions; and to perform other related duties as required.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications the ideal candidate will demonstrate excellent technical knowledge, interpersonal communication, customer service, and problem solving.

For a detailed listing of the duties and essential competency requirements for this position, please see the job specification.

EITHER I  

Experience:  

The equivalent of six (6) months of full-time experience in the classification of Technical Support Specialist I in the Alameda County classified service.  

OR II  

Experience:  

The equivalent of three (3) years of recent, full- time experience in the operation of complex multi-platform computer environments including a minimum of six months serving in a journey level help desk function.  

AND

Education:  

Successful completion of a minimum of nine semester (or equivalent quarter) units in information technology at an accredited college, university, or technical institution.  

License Requirement:  

Possession of, or the ability to obtain, a valid class C California driver’s license may be required for some positions.  

Special Requirement:  

The Information Technology Department operates on a 24 hour-per-day, 7 day-per-week, 365 day-per-year basis.  In order to provide these services, all Information Technology Department employees may be required to work grave, swing and day shifts, as well as weekends and holidays as necessary.  

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

NOTE: The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of: 

• Alameda County applications and systems.
• Computer system and endpoint trouble-shooting procedures and policies.
• Operating Systems, Alameda County software packages, procedure language and other computer systems used throughout the County.
• Operation of large-scale computer systems, including the console, its components and peripheral equipment.
• Systems documentation and procedure standards.
• Customer Service best practices.  

Ability to:

• Resolve basic procedure problems.
• Operate medium to large-scale computer systems and peripheral equipment.
• Troubleshoot network hardware problems.
• Recover from system and application malfunctions.
• Read, interpret, and follow flow charts, procedural manuals, and other written instructions.
• Work with software aids in order to perform duties in help desk teleprocessing functions.         
• Write clear and concise reports or job procedures.
• Function effectively under general supervision.
• Ability to follow oral instructions.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Effectively elicit information from customers regarding systems problems.
• Maintain the highest level of service to internal customers and the public.
• Achieve target performance goals.
• Communicate technical details to users, programmers, vendors, and others in an effective and understandable manner in order to achieve timely problem resolution.
• Write clear and concise reports or job procedures.
• Operate and respond professionally under pressure.

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 may 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   

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. 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 & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees) 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• 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.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and Noreply@jobaps.com 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 ensure 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.

Sandy Kim, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
Sandy.Kim@acgov.org
(510) 272-6470
www.acgov.org/hrs

DISASTER SERVICE WORKER
All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law.  Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect.  Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.