POSITION PURPOSE / IMPORTANT APPLICATION INFORMATION

The Applications Specialist is a professional, technical position that provides high-level customer and technical support and administrative services for various computer applications specifically for the Utility Billing unit of Finance. The position is responsible for application and data management of the utility billing and cashier system software along with interfaced software systems and vendor services, including but not limited to the City's payment processing and billing printing/mailing providers. The position provides technical support and training for new and existing employees, installs and troubleshoots software, software upgrades, and hardware peripherals. Coordinates with IT in ordering software and hardware and acts as a direct liaison with software vendors for technical assistance and software improvement, including various mediums of payment acceptance via person, phone, and internet. The position requires extensive interaction with other City system applications, such as the City financial management system, the building permit/asset management system, and interaction with the City's meter reading and water resources divisions. Must possess software administration experience, strong computer skills, and extensive knowledge of specialized software applications utilized by the department or division.

In addition to the software related duties, the applicant must possess excellent customer service skills to assist co-workers in the Utility Billing unit of all aspects of accurate and timely billing for utility services provided, processing payments for these services, and handling phone, walk-in, written and electronic customer inquiries. The applicant also may assist the cashiers at City Hall to process walk-in payments for a variety of City services.

The full salary range for this position is stated above. Starting wages are negotiable and dependent on the qualifications and experience of each individual candidate. The City of Westminster offers a bonus of up to $1,500 per year depending on the employee’s fluency in Spanish, Hmong, Laotian and/or American Sign Language (ASL).

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCIES AND CULTURAL VALUES/GENERAL COMPETENCIES

The City's work culture encourages passionate, positive and enthusiastic employees who, along with our City Council and City Manager, are strong supporters of our mission: Westminster’s purpose is to provide core services and foster economic resilience to give our community the opportunity to thrive. Westminster is a city of beautiful, safe, well-maintained neighborhoods and destinations with a vibrant, diverse economy, rich and resilient environment and a strong sense of community belonging. Our core values are embodied in our SPIRIT (Service – Pride – Integrity – Responsibility – Innovation – Teamwork).

This position supports the goals of the Finance Department, which is to champion and support the City's mission by providing quality financial services and expertise necessary to support a financially sustainable City Government.

Every employee is accountable to:

• Demonstrate a high level of customer service; encourage others to focus on the customer; foster an environment where customer service is a priority
• Communicate with customers to ensure that where possible they are satisfied and that their needs are being addressed; solicit and evaluate customer feedback
• Act as an ambassador by understanding and fostering the organization's mission and vision
• Exhibit pride in self, the department, the city and the community; conduct self in a professional manner
• Demonstrate integrity and builds trust through credibility, reliability, commitment, loyalty and ethical behavior
• Address difficult or contentious issues in a constructive manner
• Support/promote change; demonstrate flexibility, and take calculated risks when appropriate
• Participate in personal growth opportunities and attend trainings designed to enhance capacity to bring new skills and ideas to the job and the organization
• Work to continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the service or product being delivered
• Demonstrate support for team efforts by accepting new roles and responsibilities, and helping others achieve objectives
• Value diversity; demonstrate an awareness of differences; demonstrate sensitivity and adapt behaviors and communication to accommodate these differences

GENERAL COMPETENCIES

Citywide - Every employee in this position is accountable to:

• Establish effective interpersonal relationships through honest, open communication and follow-through on commitments
• Recognize personal strengths and weaknesses and target areas for personal self-development
• Demonstrate initiative in performing job tasks
• Exhibit problem-solving skills leading to sound judgment and quality decisions
• Achieve goals, and handle assigned workload and new assignments effectively; demonstrate an ability to work independently
• Communicate effectively with individuals and groups using clear and concise verbal and written communications
• Demonstrate accountability for work and take ownership in job performance
• Demonstrate concern for the accuracy and quality of work; take steps to correct mistakes and improve the overall product

Job Specific - Every employee in this position must be able to:

• Possess advanced experience with software application administrations and data management and preferably with utility industry experience
• Exhibit advanced skills to develop reports from software application data
• Understand, recommend and develop internal system controls
• Evaluate complex sets of data and circumstances from an overall perspective and formulate effective plans, procedures and programs
• Demonstrate effective organizational and analytical skills, creativity, trouble shooting and problem solving skills
• Read and comprehend technical instructions to troubleshoot processing and reporting issues
• Handle multiple priorities and work while maintaining control over situations as they develop
• Make pro-active, informed decisions concerning routine operational functions with minimal supervision
• Demonstrate strong effective human relations skills
• Work with teams in technological and finance related settings
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with Department Managers, supervisors, coworkers, system users, other employees and fellow professional associates
• Respond to user requests and concerns in a prompt manner
• Have clear and effective written and verbal communication skills including the ability to make both high-level presentations and detailed technical work plans

Leadership - Every employee in this position is accountable to:

• Foster a participatory organizational climate that is open, positive, reinforcing and supportive
• Encourage employees to be accountable for their work and take ownership in what they do
• Demonstrate leadership and courage by making or supporting decisions that reflect the organizational mission and goals even when the decision may be unpopular to some
• Demonstrate collaboration and conflict resolution skills with other departments and employees

JOB SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS

Essential Job Functions, Duties, Responsibilities and Tasks

1. Exercises independent judgment in planning work details and in making technical determinations

2. Provides software administration and support to users of the City's utility billing system and related software and service providers

• Develops and maintains process documentation and user training materials for the Utility Billing system and various related applications;
• Writes complex reports:
  • for use by managers, supervisors, governmental reporting, performance measurement and various other internal information needs
  • to provide information to third parties for the purpose of conducting business through electronic file transfer of information, and to
  • supply information in exportable formats for use with other software systems citywide, and to
  • assist in the data collection and analysis for rate setting, consumption trends, and other pertinent data needed for the sustainability of the utility
• Troubleshoots individual and system problems
• Organizes information, menus, reports and other data for easy access by system users
• Maintains and troubleshoots interfaces between the system and other software systems citywide
• Collaborates on the month-end and year-end accounting close process, and annual financial audit with Accounting staff by using the system to enhance operations
• Coordinates technical troubleshooting with IT staff, consultants and external application and operational providers

3. Coordinates the application portion of upgrades and enhancements to the system

• Designs enhancements, tests, conducts pilot testing to system
• Coordinates enhancements to production environment
• Coordinates enhancements with IT or Application Analyst for easier user interface
• Acts as project team member on development, design and implementation of system changes and enhancements
• Provides training on the system
  • Trains key system users on day to day use of the system
  • Provides workshops to general users on how to use the system
  • Provides one-on-one coaching to users
• Involved with project development, assistance and management of utility related initiatives
• Researches and develops statistical information and prepares records and narrative reports
• Takes on organizational initiatives and assists with establishing project goals and objectives, establishing project steps and timelines and overseeing/carrying out steps for project completion

4. Collaborates with other departments in providing support to their initiatives which interact with the utility billing functions

5. Maintains regular and punctual attendance

Other Duties and Responsibilities

1. When necessary, assists the utility billing unit in customer inquiries, provide back-up personnel assistance/coverage and escalated customer service issues.

2. Incumbent is accountable for all duties of this job and other projects and responsibilities may be added at the City's discretion.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS/PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

Education, Experience, Skills, Formal Training, Licenses and Certifications
Required:

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with course work in Business Administration, Computer Science, Public Administration, or related field
• Minimum of two (2) years of related application experience
• Demonstrated knowledge of relational database design and structure
• Demonstrated experience in and knowledge of application and data management
• Working knowledge of modern office practices, procedures, and methods, including knowledge and proficiency of computer word processing, spreadsheets and data bases
• Excellent human relations skills, excellent analytical skills, good conflict management skills, a strong participative management orientation, and a strong detail and a results oriented style

Preferred :

• Experience administering the current utility billing software, CIS Infinity – Advanced Utility Systems
• Experience working in utility billing and government capacity

Any equivalent combination of education, training and experience, which would provide the required knowledge and skills, may be considered.
Physical Requirements
Work is sedentary in nature and requires sufficient physical stamina and strength for:

• Constant sitting to perform daily tasks; occasional walking through a multilevel facility to retrieve information; frequent standing sometimes for extended periods
• Frequent squatting, reaching above shoulder and twisting to file documents and lift supplies and material; occasional bending, kneeling, climbing, balancing and reaching below shoulder to store documents, material and supplies
• Constant light grasp, fine manipulation, and handling to perform daily duties; occasional firm grasp to safely use equipment
• Frequent lifting, carrying, push/pulling and lifting of up to ten (10) pounds to move material and supplies; occasional pushing/pulling and lifting of up to twenty-five (25) pounds with dollies and carts

WORKING CONDITIONS
Work is constantly performed indoors and is primarily sedentary office work. Must demonstrate the ability to meet the physical demands of the job including the ability to retrieve information from various locations in the office when needed. Exposure to periods of high activity and high stress under demanding conditions. The position requires a great deal of communication with City employees, the public, and outside agencies.
Required Materials and Equipment
Computer terminals, keyboard, printer, typewriter, 10-key, telephone, fax machine, photocopy machine, calculator, postage scale and meter, books, files, laminator, ID System, paper shredder, laser disc reader/printer, scanner, and other standard office equipment

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

• Background checks will include employment references and criminal history, credit check, and education verification
• Drug screen
• Must be legally entitled to work in the United States