Office Operations Consultant I

Requisition No: 809982

Agency: Military Affairs

Working Title: Office Operations Consultant I

Position Number: 62000083

Salary: $37,987.65

Posting Closing Date: 11/01/2023

Department of Military Affairs

*** OPEN COMPETITIVE***

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 11:59 p.m. on closing date

VACANCY # 62000083

Educational Dollars for Duty Specialist I

LOCATION: Saint Augustine, FL

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS (DMA)

The mission of the Florida Department of Military Affairs is to provide management oversight of the Florida National Guard and provide units and personnel ready to support national security objectives; to protect the public safety of citizens and to contribute to the national, state and community programs that add value to the United States of America and to the State of Florida.

OUR BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Dental, vision and supplemental insurance
• Retirement benefits
• Vacation and sick leave
• Paid holidays
• Opportunities for career advancement
• Tuition waiver for public college courses
• Training opportunities
• For benefit information available to State of Florida employees, go to http://www.mybenefits.myflorida.com

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

1. New employees of the Department of Military Affairs will be required to pass a pre-employment drug screening.
2. New employees of the Department of Military Affairs are required to participate in a direct deposit/electronic transfer program.
3. The Department of Military Affairs is paid on a monthly basis.
4. As a CANDIDATE, you may be required to provide documentation (i.e. High School Diploma or Equivalency, College Transcripts, ETC.) to verify meeting these Minimum Qualifications.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited College or University in Business Administration, Accounting, or related field AND One (1) year of professional experience in Accounting, Business, Administrative Services, or related field; OR
• An Associate’s Degree from an accredited College or University with major coursework in Business Administration, Accounting, or related field AND Three (3) years of professional experience in Accounting, Business, Administrative Services, or related field; OR
• A High School Diploma or equivalent AND Five (5) years of professional experience in Accounting, Business, Administrative Services, or related field.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Professional experience in Customer Service, Relationship Management, and Accounting
• Professional experience in understanding, interpreting, and applying State and Federal laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to occasionally lift up to 50 pounds

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Customer Service and Educational Benefits Advocate

• Provide call-center-level customer service to students, educational institutions, and technical/occupational schools. (Average 30 incoming phone requests/issues per day).
• Monitor, research, and respond to 50-75 email requests/issues received through the EDD group email account (in addition to individual email account volume).
• In conjunction with EDD Program Specialists and Manager, educate individuals and groups on matters regarding the EDD program, as well as other educational benefits (VA Benefits, ArmyIgnitED, etc.) available to service members.
• Provide broad-based educational assistance, knowledge, and program navigational advice to maximize service member benefits, i.e. evangelization of “order of pay”: Tuition-specific Scholarships, Federal Tuition Assistance (ArmyIgnitED), EDD, VA Benefits, FAFSA.
• Serve as initial EDD point of contact for DMA service members, supported educational institutions, and other applicable agencies for the purposes of reviewing, evaluating, decisioning, and informing on EDD program eligibility requirements.
• Assist with marketing and promotion of the Education Dollars for Duty program. Accompany EDD Program Specialists and/or Manager at regular events and conferences (i.e. First Formation, NGAFL Conference, FL-ACME Workshop, etc.)

EDD Program Operational Expertise

• Know, understand, and comply with all current laws, administrative codes, regulations, policies, procedures, and guidance associated with the Educational Dollars for Duty (EDD) program.
• Monitor, maintain, and utilize required automation systems (i.e. Virtual Education Center/Education Management Portal, Florida Accounting Information Resource (FLAIR), EDD Access Database, Share Drive Files, Integrated Personnel & Pay System (IPPS-A), AX, etc. to ensure accurate and efficient program management.
• Maintain operational and functional integrity of the Virtual Education Center and its relationship with the Educational Dollars for Duty program. Coordinate with EDD Program Specialists and Manager to identify and document required system modifications and upgrades.
• Review, validate, and process required EDD program qualification documentation and related information (i.e. Educational Goals, Memorandum of Agreement, SSN Request, etc.).
• Review, process, validate, evaluate, and decision DMA service member applications and related documentation. Ensure timely action and notification on EDD applications received.
• Monitor and process the timely receipt and recording of student grades submitted by service members, and educational institutions. Over 7,000 courses per year.
• Source and maintain accurate contact information for all unit points of contact, and all approved educational institutions. Ensure timely application processing at the unit level.

Reporting, Controls, and Process Improvement

• Develop and produce system generated reports from Access database or Virtual Education Center that outline program utilization and demographics.
• Compile statistical, financial, functional, and operational report information for tracking and trending.
• Review EDD financial entries, postings, documents, and reports for accurate data entry, mathematical calculation, and documentation.
• Participate in the identification of opportunities to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and overall functionality of the EDD process.
• Evaluate upstream and downstream processes of stakeholders (i.e. educational institutions, vendors, and students). Generate/escalate ideas regarding how stakeholders could modify processes & behavior to achieve increased efficiency and effectiveness of the overall EDD process and timeline.
• Code documentation and information according to designated DMA and office procedures. Record, track, and maintain records and information according to designated DMA and office procedures. Sort, file, retain, and destroy records according to designated DMA and office procedures.
• Ensure appropriate controls are exercised over all financial instruments (checks, money orders, credit card documentation, and vouchers) associated with the EDD program.

Compliance and Confidentiality

• Maintain absolute confidentiality over DMA student Personal Identifiable Information (SSN’s) and other sensitive data (grades, addresses, etc.).
• Provide steadfast guidance to parents, military units, and significant others about the strict guidelines that must be followed to maintain confidentiality over sensitive information.
• Adhere to all requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• Provide feedback and guidance to educational institutions to ensure adherence to FERPA and other regulations protecting the privacy of DMA student education records.
• Adhere to all components of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to interpret and apply applicable federal and state regulations, statutes, and educational institution policies.
• Customer Service: Advanced knowledge, principles & processes for providing customer service, including customer needs assessment and meeting quality standards for services.

• Problem Resolution: Ability to compile and evaluate data to make information-based decisions and to solve problems. Use data to reason, guide prioritization of workload, and to select optimal solutions based on the relative importance of the situation.
• Deductive Reasoning: Ability to apply general rules to specific issues to provide problem resolution, corrective action, and provide appropriate verbal and written responses to address the issues.
• Critical Thinking: Using logic & reasoning to identify the strengths & weakness of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Report Development: Ability to prepare correspondence and administrative reports relating to program functions.
• Ability to determine work priority and ensure proper completion of work assignments.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to efficiently make decisions and solve problems.
• Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Effective Communication: Advanced knowledge of the structure & content of the English language, including the meaning & spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Oral Expression: Ability to articulate & communicate information & ideas in person or on the phone so others will understand.
• Speech Recognition: Advanced ability to identify & understand the speech of another person.
• Oral Comprehension: Advanced ability to listen to & understand information & ideas presented through spoken words & sentences.
• Written Comprehension: Ability to read & understand information & ideas presented in writing.
• Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
• Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

SPECIAL REMINDERS:

The State of Florida and The Department of Military Affairs participate in the E-Verify program. Federal law requires that all employers verify the identity and employment eligibility of any person hired to work in the United States.

Male applicants born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion unless they are registered with the Selective Services System (SSS) before their 26th birthday, or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS. For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov

All members of the Florida Retirement System are required to contribute 3% of their salary on a pre-tax basis.

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended, or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

The Department of Military Affairs values and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here. All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.