Utilities Technician I

Minimum Qualifications SUMMARY: Under direction, is responsible for administrative and managerial work of average difficulty assisting in the direction of a large sub-section of one of the major divisions of the Department of Employment Security; and performs related work as required.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: An employee in this class assists in planning, directing, and coordinating a variety of employment security programs. Work involves assisting in directing the work of subordinate professional and clerical staff in a large sub-section of one of the major departmental divisions, such as unemployment employer accounts enforcement, unemployment field operations and employment service field operations. This class differs from that of Emp Security Div Asst Dir 1 in that incumbents of the latter are responsible for assisting in the direction of a moderate sized sub- section of one of the major divisions of the department.

Other Requirements

• Assists in planning, organizing and directing a sub-section of one of the major divisions of the Department of Employment Security including enforcement of unemployment insurance laws relating to employer liability, unemployment office field operations and employment service field operations; work involves assisting in the direction of activities including unemployment premium audit and collection, fraud investigation, local office claims-taking and local office job interviewing and placement.
• Assists in directing and participates in the study of relevant policy and procedure, and reviews and makes decisions on recommendations for change; assists in directing the enforcement of policy and procedure for operations and functions within sub-sectional areas of authority.
• Through subordinate administrative and supervisory personnel, assists in directing the assignment, training, supervision, and evaluation of subordinate staff and their work; reviews and makes decisions on employment, retention, promotion, demotion, and other human resources actions.
• Assists in directing the study of organization, operation, and services within sub-sectional areas of authority and makes decisions on merit of recommendations intended to effect improvements in economy, efficiency, and quality of organization, operations, and services.
• Supervises and participates in the development and maintenance of a large volume of both routine and complex Employment Security records and reports; supervises and participates in the development of sub-sectional operating budget, and reviews and approves all sub sectional expenditures.
• Performs important and difficult personal contact and liaison work with subordinate staff, private and public agency representatives, unemployment insurance claimants, job applicants, and employers in interpreting pertinent laws, rules, and regulations and explaining divisional services and programs.

Job Overview Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree and experience equivalent to substantial (five or more years of) increasingly responsible full-time professional employment security work or professional business management, personnel, unemployment insurance, social services, educational, legal, or labor or industrial relations managerial or administrative work including, at least, three years of supervisory or administrative work; qualifying full-time professional experience may be substituted for the required education, on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of four years; additional qualifying graduate coursework in public administration or other related acceptable field may be substituted for the required experience, on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of two years, there being no substitution for the three years of required supervisory or administrative experience; OR substantial (five or more years of) full-time increasingly responsible professional employment security experience with the State of Tennessee including, at least, three years of supervisory or administrative experience.

Competencies (KSA's)

NECESSARY SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS: None.

EXAMINATION METHOD: Education and experience rating, 100%.

State Employee Benefits

• Insurance There are a variety of insurance options available to state employees including:

• Health Insurance

• Dental Insurance

• Vision Insurance

• Life Insurance

• Annual Leave Full-time employees earn annual leave each month at a rated based on years of service as follows:

Years of Service

• 0 up to 5
• 5 up to 10
• 10 up to 20
• 20 or more

Annual Leave Earned per Month

• 1 day
• 1 and ½ days
• 1 and ¾ days
• 2 days

Maximum Allowable days

• 30 days

• 36 days

• 39 days

• 42 days

• Leave earned in excess of the maximum allowable days will be transferred to the employee's sick leave account annually on the employee's anniversary hire date.

• Sick Leave All full-time employees accrue 1 day (7.5 hours) of sick leave per month, provided they work the major portion of that month.

• Bereavement Leave Leave with pay is granted for three days in the event of the death of an employee's spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild, parents, grandparents, siblings, stepparents, foster parents, or parents-in-law without charge to the employee's leave time. Two additional days of sick leave may be granted to provide a total of five days absence for this purpose.

• Family Medical Leave Allows up to twelve work weeks of leave* each year to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons. Continued health insurance coverage is provided during the leave period, and the employee is reinstated to the same or an equivalent position once the leave period has ended.

• Leave may or may not be paid leave, depending on individual employee's leave balances for earned leave.

• Parental Leave Parental leave is an absence from work granted any employee who has been employed in state service for at least 12 consecutive months as a full-time employee. Parental leave is a combination of sick, annual, or special leave without pay for a period not to exceed four months following the birth of a child.

• Military Leave Granted in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations.

• Holidays Each year, full-time state employees receive 11 holidays off with pay.

• Retirement State employees are automatically members of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System . (TCRS) Employees must accrue 5 years of creditable state service to be vested (guaranteed retirement benefits when age requirements are met). Vested members of TCRS become eligible for service retirement upon completion of 30 years of creditable service or upon attainment of age 60.

• Deferred Compensation Employees may choose to make pre-tax contributions to a variety of investment options through the 401(k) plan or the 457 plan. A minimum $20 monthly contribution is required to participate in the plans. For the 401(k) plan, the state will match the $50 per month minimum contribution. The $50 match policy is evaluated on an annual basis.

• Flexible Benefits Plan Under this program certain specific expenses (e.g.,medical and dental insurance premiums, medical expenses, dependent day care expenses) can be deducted from an employee's paycheck prior to taxes, resulting in a lower taxable income level.

• Higher Education Fee Discounts and Waivers A 25% discount on undergraduate tuition at any state operated institution of higher learning in Tennessee is available to children 23 years of age or under of full time state employees. In addition, full-time state employees with six months of continuous service are eligible to have tuition fees waived for one course per semester at a state institution. For further information on higher education discounts, click on Chapter 1540 on the Secretary of State Rules and Regulations web page.

• Baccalaureate Education System Trust (BEST) Program (BEST) The Baccalaureate Education System Trust (BEST) was created by the Tennessee General Assembly for the purpose of providing Tennessee families with a means to save for their children's future college education costs.

• Wellness Program The State Employee Wellness Program works to increase employees´ knowledge of options for healthier lifestyles through information and events that focus on improving behaviors affecting your health. Some specific benefits offered through the program include health risk assessments, fitness events, smoking cessation programs, and various other benefits.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) EAP is a confidential counseling and referral service for all employees and their dependents. All services are strictly confidential and can be accessed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.