Restitution Specialist - Office of the District Attorney - Promotional

Job Description:

Restitution Specialist - Office of the District Attorney - Promotional

Description

Position Information

THIS RECRUITMENT IS PROMOTIONAL ONLY. YOU MUST PRESENTLY BE A FULL- OR PART-TIME REGULAR OR PROBATIONARY COUNTY OF SONOMA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, SONOMA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, OR SONOMA COUNTY WATER AGENCY EMPLOYEE IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION.

The Office of the District Attorney has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Restitution Specialist position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary District Attorney's Office employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised position. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list.Reporting to the Victim Services Director, the Restitution Specialist position is responsible for victim outreach, analyzing and reviewing restitution requests prior to preparing for court, following up to ensure necessary and adequate documentation has been provided, analyzing and reviewing court minutes to ensure restitution order has been properly imposed, assisting with clarification or corrections of restitution orders, documenting communication with Deputy District Attorneys, defense counsel, and other partner agencies (Community Accountability Division, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation , Probation, etc.). The position will interact daily with members of the Victim Services Advocate team, Deputy District Attorney’s, court staff and other legal partners.

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented self-starter and team-player who actively engages with other members of the office. In addition, the most qualified candidates will possess many of the following:

• Knowledge of legal processes
• Proven legal research skills and considerable knowledge of court rules as well as criminal and/or civil procedures
• An aptitude for legal analysis
• Familiarity with reviewing various types of documents (medical bills, tax forms, civil settlements and pay stubs, etc).
• The ability to perform routine mathematical calculations
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• The ability to organize voluminous and complex materials
• The ability to multi-task, handling large workload and pivoting on short notice
• Experience working with individuals who have been victimized or experiencing trauma (preferred but not required)
• The ability to work with limited supervision and a willingness to propose and undertake challenging situations
• Proficiency in basic computer programs, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and LexisNexis
• Bilingual skills (English/Spanish) are desirable but not required

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Restitution Specialist position in the District Attorney's Office. The employment list established from this recruitment may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help positions as they occur during the active status of this list. District Attorney's Office e mpl oyees who wish to be considered for future vacancies should consider applying to this recruitment. The Civil Service title for this classification is Legal Assistant.

*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Memorandum Of Understanding (SEIU MOU) and our Employee Benefits Directory .

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Any combination of training and experience which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally three years experience preparing a variety of legal documents in a public or private law office would provide such opportunity.

Extensive experience using Westlaw and the Shared Legal Resource System is desirable for some assignments.

Education: Education or course work which directly relates to the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally these courses would include paralegal, legal secretarial, legal documents, legal office practices, legal procedure or other law related courses.

Successful completion of the courses required for a certificate of completion as a paralegal from an accredited program or college is desirable.

Special Requirement: Ability to type accurately at the rate of 65 words per minute.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Considerable knowledge of: the legal documents and their use; filing procedures and legal terminology; the principles and practices of the law pertaining to their office of assignment.

Working knowledge of: methods of legal and factual research; discovery techniques, drafting of legal memoranda, county government functions and legal responsibility; use of legal research computer system and word processor; legal office practices and procedures.

Ability to: conduct legal research; draft legal instruments, resolutions memoranda, pleadings and contracts; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; follow written and verbal instructions; develop and maintain effective working relationships with attorneys, support staff and the public; coordinate document processing; arrange support services for attorneys; identify and resolve problems; handle a large and varied assignment to meet fixed or fluctuating deadlines and to achieve work objectives.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Responses to supplemental questions may be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

It is the policy of law enforcement and legal offices and departments, in the County of Sonoma, that candidates complete a thorough background investigation process prior to employment. This policy is imperative in order to keep the department’s employees and the public safe and to maintain high standards in the law enforcement community. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

The background investigation will include a thorough assessment of a candidate’s personal, employment, educational, criminal, and credit history. The investigation may include but is not necessarily limited to: use of prescription and/or other drugs, reports from former employers, friends, family members, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, credit reports, court reports, public records search, and/or other relevant sources. Candidates must be honest and forthcoming about information that may arise during the background process. Deception during any portion of this process is grounds for disqualification, even after employment.

Depending on the assignment, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment medical examination and may be required to take a polygraph examination. All candidates for law enforcement positions are required to undergo drug testing as part of the selection process. Additionally, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment psychological and physical abilities examination. The results of these examinations and the background investigation shall be confidential and shall not be available to the candidate for review. Failure to pass the background investigation will eliminate a candidate from the employment process. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

Issues that arise during the investigation process will be assessed and judgment and discretion will be used to determine the employability of the candidate. Where there is evidence of a candidate’s past use of controlled substances, many factors shall be used to determine the employability of the individual such as a pattern of use, kind of drug used, circumstances of the start of the drug use, treatment, behavior and attitude since discontinuance, etc. Please note that a history of using controlled substances does not result in automatic disqualification from the selection process. Prior to disqualifying any candidate whose profile falls within the provisions of the policy, the candidate shall be given the opportunity to present any and all evidence of mitigating facts that the candidate feels should be considered by the hiring authority. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: DP
HR Technician: EV

IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: GENERAL*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

Paid Time Off :Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.

Health Plan : Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generousCounty contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.

Retirement :Fully integrated with Social Security.For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired .

IRS 457 Plan : Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical :County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Student Loan Debt Relief :County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

Plus excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331.Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources/divisions-and-units/employee-relations/labor-agreements-and-salary-resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources or, contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-2900.

*IMPORTANT NOTES: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 1/27/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$70,231.59 - $85,384.08 Annually