State of Maryland

An Information Technology (IT) Production Control Specialist Trainee is the entry level of work in scheduling, controlling input and output or maintaining a tape library to process data on multipurpose, multi-tasking computer systems.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from an IT Production Control Specialist Supervisor or other data processing administrator.  Employees in this classification may be required to work evenings weekends and holidays.  The work may be performed in a computer room and may involve exposure to moderate levels of noise and to a climate controlled environment necessary to keep the computer from overheating.  The work requires careful observance of safety procedures related to fire extinguishing systems for computers.  The work may require operating high speed equipment such as bursters, decollators or binders and may require moving boxes of paper and tapes weighing up to forty pounds.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the classification specification.

The IT Production Control Specialist Trainee, IT Production Control Specialist I and IT Production Control Specialist II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The IT Production Control Specialist Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The IT Production Control Specialist I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The IT Production Control Specialist II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Learns to receive and register incoming job requests and related production media as submitted by users;

Learns to locate procedures and job control language documentation to set up and verify production job requests for submission to computer operators;

Learns to set up jobs for processing by computer operators by placing applications in the correct sequence and by inserting data control codes according to established job control procedures;

Learns to release jobs for processing by computer operators;

Learns to review shift turnover sheets, printouts and trouble logs to discover job status and to identify jobs that have not processed correctly;

Learns to rerun, return to users or refer to programmers jobs that have not processed correctly;

Learns to verify production output totals as detailed in job requests and job control procedure documentation and to distribute output to users;

Learns to operate equipment such as bursters, decollators or binders to break down production output;

Learns to review new production jobs submitted by users for compliance with standard job control language and procedures;

Learns to document, file and maintain accepted job control procedures;

May learn to use symbolic language to override established job control language for temporary changes to production jobs;

May learn to use a remote computer terminal or microcomputer to set up and activate jobs to be processed by computer operators;

May learn to schedule production jobs using job control procedures, programmer documentation and user job requests;

May learn to initialize and label tapes with identification numbers and codes, client name and purpose of tape;

May learn to maintain a tape library by retrieving and storing tapes for production jobs;

May learn to send tape expiration notices to users and purge expired tapes or update expiration listings as directed;

May learn to operate a printer at a remote location;

Performs other related duties.

Ability to learn operating characteristics and capabilities of multipurpose, multi-tasking computers and peripheral equipment;

Ability to learn scheduling, input and output control or tape library management practices and procedures required to process data on multipurpose, multi-tasking computer systems;

Ability to learn to follow directions in technical documents detailing scheduling, input and output control or tape library management procedures;

Ability to learn to apply job control language to set up, verify, break down and distribute mainframe computer production and to create and maintain job control procedure documentation;

Ability to learn to convey technical information to users and technical staff;

Ability to learn to operate equipment such as bursters, decollators and to prepare computer output for distribution;

Ability to learn to use a computer terminal keyboard and software for scheduling, input and output control or tape library management;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with users, vendors, computer operators, IT Programmers and technical support staff.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: None.

Note: Candidates may substitute experience operating computer equipment for the purpose of data entry, word processing or maintaining information or performing clerical work involving reconciliation of data on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit B, Administrative, Technical and Clerical classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series. NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.