Principal Office Specialist

City of San Jose; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

City of San José is recruiting for a full-time Principal Office Specialist in the HRIS Division. The role focuses on transactional tasks, customer service, and HR data administration to support Employee Benefits and Employment divisions.

Ideal candidates bring strong office experience, PeopleSoft and eWay HRIS familiarity, and the ability to adapt to evolving processes while ensuring accuracy and timely responses to inquiries.

Qualifications

• Completion of high school or equivalent (GED or California Proficiency Certificate) and three (3) years of varied office clerical work.
• A bachelor’s degree may substitute for the required experience.
• Demonstrates knowledge of professional/technical principles, city policies, and applicable laws.

Responsibilities

• Provide excellent customer service via phone, email, and walk-ins.
• Independently investigate and research problems and answer inquiries.
• Analyze and resolve customer issues and complaints.
• Explain policies and procedures and guide customers through online transactions in eWay.
• Process promotions, demotions, transfers, changes in benefits, and pay adjustments.
• Train staff to ensure backups for key tasks and maintain accuracy in HRIS processes.
• Create/Train staff on certified lists for Police and Fire promotions.
• Support departmental administration and data integrity within HRIS systems.

Skills

Job Expertise

Communication Skills

Computer Skills

Customer Service

Flexibility

Initiative

Multi-tasking

Problem Solving

Reliability

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or GED

Bachelor’s degree substitution

Tools

eWay HRIS

PeopleSoft

MS Excel

MS Word

MS Outlook

MS PowerPoint

MS Access

Job description

The mission of the Human Resources Department states: “Our Human Resources team recognizes that our employees power the City of San José and our success as a city is dependent on our ability to create a dynamic and engaged workforce. Our employees’ ability to provide excellent service is strengthened when we invest in attracting talent, provide opportunities for career growth, enable an environment focused on health, safety, and wellness, and retain a diverse workforce in a workplace that is equitable and inclusive.”

San Jose’s Human Resources Department offers key strategic support to the City and is responsible for the following core services:

• Employee Benefits – Provide benefit programs that best meet the needs of employees, retirees, their dependents, and the City, assist participants in effectively utilizing their plans and promote employee wellness
• Employment Services – Facilitate the City’s ability to attract and hire a diverse and talented workforce.
• Health and Safety – Provide services that promote employee health, safety, and well-being.
• Recruitment and Workforce Development – Lead Citywide recruitment strategies and oversee employee training and pipeline initiatives that drive growth, engagement, and long-term retention.
• Strategic Support – Supports Citywide Human Resources Systems Management and Records Management, Departmental Administration, Customer Service, Personnel Management, Financial Management, and Emergency Response and Recovery.

For more information about Human Resources, please visit www.sanjoseca.gov/humanresources.

The Human Resources Department is currently seeking to fill one (1) full-time Principal Office Specialist vacancy in the HRIS Division.

The salary range for this classification is: $74,627.28 - $90,679.68

This salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

This position requires a customer centric philosophy, strong attention to detail, initiative, and critical thinking. The primary responsibilities and functions of this role are transactional tasks, customer service, and administration to support Human Resources divisions including our Employee Benefits and Employment Divisions.

Key functions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide excellent customer service in responding timely to phone calls, e-mails, and walk-in customers.
• Independently investigating/researching problems and answering inquiries
• Analyzing and resolving customer issues and complaints
• Providing solutions to the customer and following up to ensure issues are resolvedin a timely manner
• Explaining policies and procedures
• Assistingcustomers with on-line transactions in eWay (Employee Self Service HRIS system) and the associated review, follow-up, and processing of eWay transactions
• Process promotions, qualifying promotions.
• Process demotions, return to former classifications.
• Process transfers, reallocations, changes in benefits, to/from classified/unclassified.
• Process pay increases: Non-Management Merit increases, and step increases.
• Processpaydecreases: manual step and rate decreases
• Process probation status changes: extension of probation, failed probation
• Process exception time reporter status - adding and removing.
• Process reduced work week- adding and removing.
• Process suspensions, and reversal of terminations (per OER).
• Train staff to ensure that there are backups to the position’s tasks.
• Check/Process/Train staff on probation and step increase hours.
• Create/Train staff on certified lists for Police and Fire promotions.

(These qualifications are typically required. An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to satisfactorily perform the duties of the job may be substituted.)

Education and Experience

Completion of high school or equivalent (General Education Development [GED] Test or California Proficiency Certificate) AND three (3) years of experience in varied office clerical work.

Acceptable Substitution

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university may be substituted for the required experience.

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations. PeopleSoft experience is highly desired.

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills and displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Computer Skills - Experience with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel. Proficiency in Excel is highly desired.

Customer Service - Demonstrates the ability to anticipate customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently using professional demeanor.

Flexibility - Makes effective decisions and achieves desired results in the midst of major changes in responsibilities, work processes, timeframes, performance expectations, organizational culture, or work environment.

Initiative - Exhibits resourceful behaviors toward meeting job objectives; anticipates problems, is proactive, and avoids difficulties by planning ahead; displays willingness to assume extra responsibility and challenges; pursues continuing education opportunities that promotes job performance.

Multi-tasking - Can handle multiple projects and responsibilities simultaneously; has handled a wide variety of assignments in past and/or current position(s).

Problem Solving - Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Reliability - Completes quality work assignments in a timely and efficient manner; fulfills responsibilities and maintains confidentiality as appropriate.

Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Selection Process:

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Irina Orozco at [e-mail]