State of Maryland

An Information Technology (IT) Production Control Specialist Lead is the lead 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 assign, review and approve the work of and train lower-level IT Production Control Specialists.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from an IT Production Control Specialist Supervisor or other information technology 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 Lead is differentiated from the IT Production Control Specialist II in that the IT Production Control Specialist Lead assigns, reviews and approves the work of and trains lower-level IT Production Control Specialists while the IT Production Control Specialist II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  The IT Production Control Specialist Lead is differentiated from the IT Production Control Specialist Supervisor in that the IT Production Control Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level IT Production Control Specialists.

Assigns, reviews and approves the work of lower-level IT Production Control Specialists;

Trains lower-level IT Production Control Specialists;

Receives and registers incoming job requests and related production media as submitted by users;

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

Sets 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;

Releases jobs for processing by computer operators;

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

Reruns, returns to users or refers to programmers jobs that have not processed correctly;

Verifies production output totals as detailed in job requests and job control procedure documentation and distributes output to users;

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

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

Documents, files and maintains accepted job control procedures;

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

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

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

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

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

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

May operate a printer at a remote location;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the operating characteristics and capabilities of multipurpose, multi-tasking computers and peripheral equipment;

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

Skill in following directions in technical documents detailing scheduling, input and output control or tape library management procedures;

Skill in applying job control language to set-up, verify, break down and distribute mainframe computer production and to create and maintain job control procedure documentation;

Skill in conveying technical information to users and technical staff;

Skill in operating equipment such as bursters, decollators and binders used to prepare computer output for distribution;

Ability to use a computer terminal keyboard and software applications 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;

Ability to assign, review and approve the work of lower-level IT Production Control Specialists;

Ability to train lower-level IT Production Control Specialists.

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

Experience: Three years of experience scheduling or setting up information technology jobs for production, controlling data input and output or maintaining a tape library for multipurpose, multi-tasking computers.

Notes:

1. 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.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in Computer Clerk and Assistant classifications or Computer Clerk and Assistant specialty codes in the General, Administrative, Clerical, and Office Services field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

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 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 State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.