State of Maryland

An Office Services Clerk is the full performance level of work performing diverse clerical duties which support agency operations and require the review, verification and interpretation of information in order to make determinations and resolve problems in accordance with policies, regulations and laws applicable to agency programs. Employees in this classification do not supervise.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from an Office Supervisor or other clerical or administrative supervisor.

Positions in this classification are evaluated 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 a class specification.

The Office Services Clerk is differentiated from the Office Clerk II in that the Office Services Clerk performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision while the Office Clerk II performs clear-cut clerical duties which adhere to standard office procedures typically found in office settings. The Office Services Clerk is differentiated from the Office Services Clerk, Lead in that the Office Services Clerk, Lead assigns, reviews, approves the work of and trains lower-level Office Services Clerks.

Reviews, verifies and interprets information in records, applications and other documents by using knowledge of agency policies and procedures to determine if appropriate procedures have been followed and to resolve problems;

Processes and issues permits, licenses, vouchers, exemptions, invoices or other documents pertinent to agency programs and based on application of regulations and procedures to factual information;

Responds to inquiries, makes determinations and resolves problems relative to inaccurate or incomplete information and discrepancies in various records and documents being processed;

Explains basis of determinations to workers in other offices and agencies, clients or their representatives and the general public;

Collects fees, makes corrections to payments owed or due, posts fees and payments to accounts and keeps financial records not requiring knowledge of bookkeeping or accounting;

Assembles and verifies data and compiles information in order to prepare routine statistical and status reports;

Updates and maintains files, logs, schedules, rosters and records;

Composes routine correspondence to provide or request essential information, explain the status of requests and the procedures to be followed;

Recommends changes in office procedures as necessary to improve office efficiency;

Uses computer software applications to enter, edit, validate, search, retrieve and update information and may design, edit or format reports, graphs and charts;

May type correspondence, reports, schedules and other material using a keyboard of a personal computer;

Performs other related duties

Knowledge of English, spelling, punctuation, grammar and arithmetic;

Knowledge of office equipment and office procedures;

Skill in maintaining files, logs and other records;

Ability to understand, interpret and apply laws, regulations, policies and procedures in order to respond to inquiries, make determinations and resolve problems in performance of assigned clerical duties;

Ability to type correspondence, reports, and forms using a keyboard of a personal computer;

Ability to use computer software applications, such as word processing, database and spreadsheets;

Ability to perform arithmetic calculations;

Ability to compose routine correspondence;

Ability to communicate effectively with the general public, co-workers and supervisors.

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

Experience: One year of experience performing clerical duties.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute 30 credit hours of education at an accredited college or university for one year of the required experience.

2. Six months clerical training with three courses in subjects such as keyboarding, clerical math, word processing, spreadsheets, database, graphics presentation, proofreading, or office etiquette may be substituted for six months of the required experience.

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

Classification 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 these classifications are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service 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.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article 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, Annotated Code of Maryland.