LIHEAP Operations Specialist

Salary: $20.55 per hour

Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. (EST)
*Hours may vary due to work assignments, or projects.*

Work Location: 6098 Debra Road, Chattanooga, TN

FLSA Status: This is a Non-Exempt, Grant-Funded position.

Department: Community Development, Office of Family Empowerment

CLASSIFICATION SUMMARY:

Incumbents in this position are responsible for supporting program operations and service delivery to clients receiving assistance from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Responsibilities include assisting staff with technical issues related to program software, providing instruction and information to community partners about the program, processing client applications, and ensuring that program guidelines are met and upheld. Work is performed under general supervision, working from defined policies and procedures.

SERIES LEVEL: 
The LIHEAP Operations Specialist is a stand-alone position.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 
(The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.)

Assists the OFE Program Coordinator with Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) operations.

Serves as intermediary between OFE Program Coordinator and LIHEAP Data Entry Clerks, acting as the first point of contact for program guidance for staff and handling routine inquiries from internal and external customers.

Maintains up-to-date knowledge of the current LIHEAP software program(s) and assists staff with troubleshooting and escalating technical issues as needed.

Assists with presenting program information to community partners and provides support and instruction on program guidelines to community entities that may assist LIHEAP applicants.

Provides support as able/available to applicants visiting OFE’s offices who may need to use public computer workstations to submit their applications.

Maintains familiarity with available community resources and is able to make referrals to partner organizations when necessary to support applicants.

Processes both regular and crisis LIHEAP applications.

Serves as primary staff for all crisis LIHEAP applications.

Responds to inquiries about the program via email and telephone as needed.

May prepare reports generated from the software system to assist in measuring outcome metrics.

Provides excellent customer service and counsels clients in maintaining family stability and accessing available resources. 

Coordinates with other OFE programs and with community partners to support client outcomes.

Must meet regular attendance requirements.

Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers, and citizens.

Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.

Performs other duties as assigned. 

DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC DUTIES (if any): 
None

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s degree in psychology, sociology, public administration, or social work supplemented by a minimum of two (2) years of experience working with clients in similar situations; or any equivalent combination of education, experience, or training sufficient to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS:
Valid Driver’s License

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors. Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Positions in this class typically require fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Safety Sensitive: NO
Child Sensitive: NO
Dept of Transportation (CDL): NO

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
This position requires pre-employment screening(s) that include: background check.

The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.