Administrative Specialist I

State of North Carolina; Wake Forest (NC); Hybrid; USD 39,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

State retirement plan

Flexible spending accounts

WeSave employee discounts

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Job summary

The North Carolina Department of Commerce is seeking an Administrative Specialist I (S) to support the Appeals section of the Division of Employment Security. This full-time role processes unemployment insurance appeals, schedules hearings, and maintains case records with attention to deadlines and laws.

The position is hybrid, combining remote and in-office hours, with a 40-hour work week and state benefits including health insurance and retirement. Recruitment range is $39,244 to $46,219.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of office or work unit procedures, methods and practices.
• Demonstrated experience explaining and interpreting information to clients/customers and staff.
• Demonstrated experience performing a high volume of detailed oriented and repetitive work under strict time guidelines.
• Strong oral and written communication skills in order to interact with the public.

Responsibilities

• Review and validate appeals to determine compliance before scheduling.
• Process and schedule hearings and provide notice to all parties.
• Manage case timelines and ensure federally mandated case-aging requirements are met.
• Route correspondence and documents to appropriate sections within the Division of Employment Security (DES).
• Prepare appeal case files by locating, organizing, reviewing, and assigning necessary documents for Appeals Referees.
• Use electronic document systems to retrieve and manage case records.
• Review documents independently, including determining which documents should be included, excluded, or redacted.
• Research electronic records to ensure the appeal file contains a complete and accurate record.
• Communicate and distribute case documents to Appeals Referees, managers, hearing parties, attorneys, and authorized representatives by email or fax.
• Process unidentified or improperly submitted appeal documents and assist other staff with delegated assignments.
• Work with the Board of Review and DES Legal Services when cases involve higher-level appeals from Appeals Referee decisions.
• Handle special projects and other UI-related assignments as directed by management.
• Maintain professional communication with Appeals Referees, managers, DES employees, claimants, employers, attorneys, and other parties.

Skills

Office procedures

Customer service

Oral and written comms

Detail orientation

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Agency

Dept of Commerce

Division

Employment Security

Job Classification Title

Administrative Specialist I (S)

Position Number

60078020

Grade

NC08

About Us

The North Carolina Department of Commerce is the state’s lead agency for economic, community and workforce development. The department works with local, regional, national and international organizations to fulfill its mission to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for all North Carolinians.

The Department connects businesses with the site locations, workforce and infrastructure they need to succeed in one of the nation’s top states for business. We also connect local communities with the grants and funding they need to attract new business and ensure future prosperity.

Description of Work

Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management Preferences

The posting will close and stop accepting applications at 11:59 pm on the night prior to the closing date posted above.

Recruitment range is $39,244.00- $46,219.00

This is a full-time position (40 hours per week) with State Benefits, including health insurance, as well as retirement.

This position is designated as a hybrid position. This will be a combination of remote and in-office hours. The hybrid work arrangement is based on business needs and is subject to the discretion of the manager

Description of Work

This position serves as a key administrative and case-processing support role for the Appeals section. The employee ensures appeals are properly reviewed, scheduled, documented, and prepared for hearings, while exercising independent judgment and maintaining compliance with applicable laws, procedures, and deadlines.

This individual is responsible for processing, validating, and scheduling unemployment insurance (UI) appeals so Appeals Referees can conduct hearings. The position handles appeals received electronically through the system as well as those submitted by email, fax, and mail.

Key responsibilities include:

• Reviewing and validating appeals to determine whether they meet applicable laws, rules, and procedures before scheduling.
• Processing and scheduling hearings, including continuance requests, while ensuring proper notice is provided to all parties.
• Managing case timelines and ensuring federally mandated case-aging requirements are met.
• Routing correspondence and documents to the appropriate sections within the Division of Employment Security (DES).
• Preparing appeal case files by locating, organizing, reviewing, and assigning necessary documents for Appeals Referees.
• Using electronic document systems, such as DocViewer and NCUI Benefits, to retrieve and manage case records.
• Reviewing documents independently, including determining which documents should be included, excluded, or redacted.
• Researching electronic records to ensure the appeal file contains a complete and accurate record.
• Communicating and distributing case documents to Appeals Referees, managers, hearing parties, attorneys, and authorized representatives by email or fax.
• Processing unidentified or improperly submitted appeal documents and assisting other staff with delegated assignments.
• Working with the Board of Review and DES Legal Services when cases involve higher-level appeals from Appeals Referee decisions.
• Handling special projects and other UI-related assignments as directed by management.
• Maintaining professional communication with Appeals Referees, managers, DES employees, claimants, employers, attorneys, and other parties.

About the Division:

The Division of Employment Security is responsible for the administration of the unemployment insurance program in the state of North Carolina. This program is a federal-state partnership, funded by federal and state unemployment taxes, which employers pay on the wages of their employees. Benefits are paid to eligible workers who lose their job through no fault of their own and are able, available, and actively seeking work.

The Appeals Section of the Division of Employment Security provides the “hearing of record” on contested claims for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, allowing aggrieved appellants and relevant, associated appellees a quasi-judicial, neutral appellate tribunal for a decision on the facts of their case and the legal entitlement to benefits based on those facts and the associated liability for benefits paid, as required by state and federal law.

Appeals heard by the Appeals Section include qualification or eligibility for UI benefits; appeals of fraud and non-fraud overpayments; misrepresentation; federal programs including Disaster Unemployment Assistance, TRA and TAA; denials of claim withdrawals; and petitions for relief of benefit charges. The Appeals Section receives, validates and schedules appeals to first-level agency decisions, and is composed of management, Appeals Referees and administrative support staff.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

To receive credit for your work history and credentials, you must provide the information on the application form. Any information omitted from the application form, listed as general statements, or on an attachment will not be considered for qualifying credit. We will not review resumes in lieu of Experience and Education listed on the application (additional statement below under Supplemental and Contact Information).

• Knowledge of office or work unit procedures, methods and practices.
• Demonstrated experience explaining and interpreting information to clients/customers and staff.
• Demonstrated experience performing a high volume of detailed oriented and repetitive work under strict time guidelines.
• Strong oral and written communication skills in order to interact with the public

Incentives of NC State Employment:

We value our employees and offer a wide variety of competitive and family-friendly benefits. Benefits to include:

• 12 Annual Paid Holidays and monthly accrual of vacation and sick leave
• North Carolina State Health Plan administered by Aetna
• Supplemental Benefits including Flexible Spending Accounts, Accident Insurance, Cancer & Specified Disease, Critical Illness, Dental, and Vision
• NC State Retirement(TSERS), 401(k), and 457 savings plans
• WeSave Employee Discounts
• Eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Learn more about new hire resources, safety, health, and wellness information, leave options, employee discounts and more by selecting the benefits link.

Supplemental and Contact Information:
The North Carolina Department of Commerce is an Equal Opportunity Employer who embraces an Employment First philosophy which consists of complying with all federal laws, state laws, and Executive Orders. We are committed to reviewing requests for reasonable accommodation at any time during the hiring process or while on the job. Commerce does not provide employment visa sponsorship. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and throughout employment.

We are committed to reviewing requests for reasonable accommodation at any time during the hiring process and throughout employment. Applicants requesting and receiving an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are eligible to submit paper applications via mail or by fax by the vacancy closing date.

Applicants seeking Veteran’s Preference must attach a DD-214 Form (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to their applications.

Applicants seeking National Guard Preference must attach a NGB 23A (RPAS) if they are a current member of the NC National Guard in good standing. If a former member of the NC National Guard who served for at least 6 years and was discharged under honorable conditions, they must attach either a DD256 or NGB 22.

Our Agency uses the OSHR Recruiting and Posting of Vacancies Policy to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act with the most qualified individuals. All applicants must complete and submit a state application for employment using the Careers with the State of NC portal.

Re-Entry for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
Our Agency supports the Governor’s Executive Order 303 which seeks to re-employ individuals that were previously incarcerated. Formerly incarcerated individuals are invited to apply for any vacant Commerce position(s) in which they believe they are qualified.

By providing the requested information, you certify that you have given true, accurate and complete information on this attachment to the best of your knowledge. In the event confirmation is needed in connection with your work, you authorize educational institutions, associations, registration and licensing boards, and others to furnish whatever detail is available concerning your qualifications. You authorize investigation of all statements made in this application and understand that false information or documentation, or a failure to disclose relevant information may be grounds for rejection of your application, disciplinary action or dismissal if you are employed, and(or) criminal action. You further understand that dismissal upon employment shall be mandatory if fraudulent disclosures are given to meet position qualifications (Authority: GS 126-30, GS 14- 122.1).

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of your application over the phone. To check the status of your application, please log in to your account and click “Application Status.” If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted by management. If you are no longer under consideration, you will receive an email notification. It is not necessary to contact the Human Resources Office to check the status of an application or possible interview.

If applicants earned a foreign degree, foreign degrees require an official evaluation for U.S. equivalency and must be submitted to Human Resources for verification. There are several organizations that perform this specialized service, feel free to use any service of your choosing. The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) has several options on their website that can provide credential verification.

Minimum Education and Experience

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an “equivalent combination of education and experience.” If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See the Education and Experience Equivalency Guide for details.

High school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) diploma and two years of related administrative experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

EEO Statement

The State of North Carolina is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and dedicated to providing employees with a work environment free from all forms of unlawful employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. The state provides reasonable accommodation to employees and applicants with disabilities; known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices.