Child Support Specialist III - Promotional

Job 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 Department of Child Support Services has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Child Support Specialist III position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary Child Support Services 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. The Civil Service title of this position is Child Support Officer III.

About the Position
As a Child Support Specialist III, you will serve in a lead capacity, training and mentoring Child Support Specialist I and II staff while managing complex child support cases and performing specialized functions. You will collaborate with supervisors, attorneys, and other staff to support case resolution and departmental initiatives. Additional responsibilities will include:

• Processing payments and preparing legal documents, court orders, forms, and case correspondence
• Preparing case files for attorneys and attending court proceedings
• Interviewing case participants and providing customer service to resolve inquiries and concerns
• Utilizing child support case management systems to document case activities and coordinate court events
• Participating in performance improvement initiatives and community outreach events

The ideal candidate will possess sound judgment, strong interpersonal skills, and a commitment to public service. They will also possess many of the following:

• Multiple years of experience with child support case management practices and procedures
  
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
  
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal
  
• Strong interviewing, problem-solving, and customer service skills
  
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications and computerized case management systems
  
• The ability to remain calm, empathetic, and professional when assisting individuals in difficult or stressful situations
  

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Experience which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, one year of full-time experience as a Child Support Officer II with Sonoma County or equivalent position in another county would provide such opportunity.

Education: Academic course work which relates to the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, this includes courses in investigation, interviewing, paralegal or legal assistant and social and behavioral sciences.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level, including necessary endorsements as required by the State of California to perform the essential job functions of the position. The position advertised on this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Special Qualifications: The ability to speak, read and write Spanish fluently may be required for certain job assignments.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Considerable knowledge of: government codes and established policies, procedures and regulations which pertain to the collection and enforcement of child support payments; child support collection procedures and methods of collecting and adjusting delinquent accounts; legal terminology; legal forms and documents used to enforce support; methods and techniques used to effectively locate non-custodial parents, relatives and related persons; interviewing principles and techniques used for obtaining factual information; financial record keeping procedures; modern office practices and procedures; information systems used in the establishment and enforcement of child support laws.

Working knowledge of: procedures, laws, and methods related specialized child support programs, activities and collection methods such as establishing and enforcing interstate and international child support cases, filing, negotiating and releasing liens; tax intercepts; driver=s license suspension, and related programs; community services and resources of use to case participants.

Ability to: apply federal, state or local laws, ordinances, codes, procedures and rules in order to secure current and delinquent child support payments and establish paternity; effectively interview individuals in order to secure information required to collect support payments; explain legal rights, alternatives, and implications of chosen action to affected parties; be sensitive to the needs, attitudes and problems of clients from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds; understand and use a variety of specialized child support collection methods; resolve formal and informal complaints and problems including credit reporting disputes, problems with tax intercepts, driver's license suspensions, and other issues; effectively use computer and other resources to prepare and manage cases; effectively locate individuals, assets and court orders for support; investigate formal complaints; research information on the whereabouts of non-custodial parents; make logical determinations from financial statements on the amount of child support payments; monitor child support payment records to ensure compliance with court orders; evaluate case records and prepare cases for civil or criminal action; prepare appropriate legal documents; recognize and report suspected child abuse and possible welfare fraud; conduct Orders of Examination; prepare correspondence and convey facts and information; provide information and referral to case participants about appropriate community services and resources; establish and maintain effective working relationships with case participants, co-workers, and public and private agency personnel; develop and implement procedures for new and existing program activities; make presentations to staff and the public verbally and in writing to explain policies, procedures and case management techniques; train, mentor and advise other staff in the processes and procedures used to perform child support case work; extract pertinent information from records and memoranda; deal with stressful situations and hostile clients; perform arithmetic calculations; effectively use electronic information systems equipment; analyze and interpret electronic information system data.

Some case assignments require the ability to: learn and apply specialized federal child support laws and procedures, such as UIFSA, URESA, FFCCSOA, and PRWORA, as they apply to interstate and international cases; the child support laws, ordinances, codes, procedures and rules from other states and countries; and the more complex accounting processes as they deal with diverse interest issues of other states and countries.

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 to be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions maybe 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 and 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. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate’s personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant’s name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

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 and 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 and 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

A background investigation is required prior to employment. 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 candidates.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. 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. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . Paper applications may be submitted in person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job announcement 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: CA

HR Technician: NM

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 accrual and sick leave accruals; additional management leave annually; 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 generous County 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 Labor Agreements & Salary Resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits, including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts, go to Human Resources or contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonomacounty.gov or (707) 565-2900.

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

Closing Date/Time: 10/27/2026 11:59 PM Pacific