CONSUMER AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS REPRESENTATIVE I

Job Description:

CONSUMER AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS REPRESENTATIVE I

Description

Position/Program Information

EXAM NUMBER
CA1662J

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT
OPEN COMPETITIVE

FIRST DAY OF FILING:

Friday, July 26, 2024, at 8:00 A.M. (PT)

Closing Date: Continuous

THE FILING PERIOD MAY BE SUSPENDED AT ANY TIME WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. THIS EXAMINATION MAY REOPEN AS THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICE REQUIRE.

WHO WE ARE:

The County of Los Angeles (County) is the largest employer in Southern California with more than 112,000 employees across 37 departments and an operating budget of $38 billion. The County serves the needs of over 10 million residents and 88 municipalities that lie within our boundaries by providing vital public services such as diverse as law enforcement, property assessment, public health protection, water conservation, cultural activities and many more.

WHAT WE DO:

At the Los Angeles County (County) Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA), we are committed to fostering a fair and dynamic marketplace and enhancing the economic wellbeing of our communities. DCBA is the only local freestanding consumer protection agency in the State, and since its establishment in 1975, our resources and areas of assistance have significantly expanded. We strive to improve the lives of all consumers, tenants, homeowners, immigrants, and workers. Today, we provide a diverse range of services to the residents of the County, including investigating and assisting with consumer complaints, real estate fraud, identity theft, and elder financial abuse. We also strive to keep people housed and in mitigating displacements through our rent stabilization, tenant protections programs and our foreclosure prevention services. DCBA works to expand access to justice and ensures that residents understand their rights, protect those rights, and obtain a fair outcome through our consumer protection programs, including Small Claims Advisor, dispute resolution and mediation programs, immigration legal services, eviction prevention program, and through our Self- Help Legal Access Centers (SHLAC). DCBA also oversees the County’s cannabis regulatory framework and is committed to ensuring an equitable, sustainable, and safe marketplace. Additionally, we drive initiatives that protect workers from exploitation, human trafficking, and provide access to services for vulnerable communities including low to moderate income families, foster youth, and immigrants.

DCBA prides itself on providing extraordinary customer service and ensuring equitable access to our programs and resources for all residents of the County.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs is seeking well-qualified individuals to fill both permanent and temporary Consumer and Business Affairs Representative I vacancies throughout the department.

DEFINITION:
Assists in the investigation, mediation and resolution of consumer complaints and disputes, and provides information and counseling to the public on consumer complaints or small claims court procedures.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:
Positions allocable to this entry level class receive close supervision from higher level staff in the performance of tasks on a variety of consumer matters, including real estate, small claims court, mediation, dispute resolution, and other programs. Incumbents learn to develop increasing skill in preparation for handling routine tasks and must demonstrate the ability to deal effectively with the public. Positions assigned to small claims advisory functions receive supervision from higher level staff in responding to inquires from the public concerning the small claims process, make appropriate referrals to other agencies, and may provide information about the statutes underlying small claims disputes. Incumbents develop a working knowledge of small claims court statutes, procedures and court rules; develop a working knowledge of consumer protection statutes underlying small claims disputes; and learn how to make appropriate referrals.

Essential Job Functions

As the Consumer and Business Affairs Representative I, your responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following:

Assists in providing resources and information to consumers, workers, immigrants, tenants, property owners/landlords, litigants, disputants, business representatives and others on consumer laws, labor laws, real estate matters, small claims court procedures, dispute resolution, housing and tenant protection, immigration, cannabis regulations, and other department programs.

Gathers pertinent information to determine if the complaint is warranted and makes referrals if needed.

Assists in the review of allegations of misrepresentation of consumer products and services, unfair, unethical, or deceptive business practices, and violations of County ordinances, consumer protection laws and regulations by researching and applying appropriate laws/rules/regulations, etc. in order to counsel or determine the validity and accuracy of the allegations.

Assists in the investigation and resolution of complaints involving disputes between consumers, tenants, landlords, businesses and others by researching and applying appropriate laws/rules/regulations in order to resolve or mediate a complaint.

Assists in the interviewing of consumers, workers, landlords, tenants, business representatives, lenders, servicers, and disputants to ascertain factual information concerning their inquiry or complaint

Applies the procedures, statutes, regulations, ordinances, and rules governing consumer services when responding to inquiries from the public by researching laws/rules/regulations, attending seminars/trainings/conferences and utilizing resources (e.g., Civil Code, Code of Civil Procedures, Business and Professions Code, etc.) in order to communicate with the public effectively and to educate the public on their rights and responsibilities.

Assists the public in completing services forms by answering and clarifying form questions to ensure the forms are completed accurately.

Assists in reviewing and evaluating correspondence from consumers, businesses, litigants, lenders, servicers, landlord, tenants, workers, employers, and disputants to determine if their action has brought a complaint or dispute to resolution; contacts the parties to obtain additional information or verify resolution of a complaint or dispute.

Participate in field investigations of consumer complaints by visiting locations, going undercover and conducting consumer after interviews, in order to ensure that businesses are complying with laws/rules/regulations, as needed.

Assists in maintaining records of investigation, conciliation, and mediation activities by keeping up to date and accurate case notes, and consumer/business information; scanning documents in order to retain documentation.

Assist in conducting financial navigation sessions, providing consumer protection and financial empowerment presentations on a variety of topics to consumer groups.

Assist in conducting best practices and environmental scans of issues relevant to trends in financial empowerment initiatives for domestic violence survivors.

Assist in developing program flyers, social media content, e-newsletters, and providing suggestions for social media calendar formatting.

Research public records and other data sources as necessary to assist the public by attending trainings and working under the direction of higher level staff in order to effectively assist the public in understanding their rights and responsibilities and to evaluate the merit of complaints.

Disseminates printed information to the public on all matters relating to the services of the department by providing educational material letters to educate the public on their rights and responsibilities.

Attend community events and give presentations concerning consumer related service matters and department programs to the public by hosting and attending government and public agency speaking engagements in order to educate the public on their rights and responsibilities, and to create awareness of Consumer Affairs services, as needed.

Disseminates printed information to the public on all matters relating to the services of the department by providing educational material letters to educate the public on their rights and responsibilities.

Maintains records of contacts with the public and tabulates statistics as needed by administering surveys and keeping records of the number of individuals assisted in order to analyze consumer trends, and to determine where other services may be needed.

Prepares various documents (e.g., investigation reports, Board reports, letters/emails, etc.) to communicate pertinent information to the target audience.

Staffs a branch office as needed

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

OPTION 1
Six (6) months of experience assisting the public in a consumer protection agency.

OPTION 2
One (1) year of experience assisting the public in the solution of problems related to law or legal services, employment, housing, credit, loans, insurance, real estate, landlord - tenant, court procedures, dispute settlement, mediation, or similar services.

OPTION 3
An Associate's degree or higher* in Consumer Science, Business Administration, Communications, Administration of Justice, Political Science, Law, Public Administration or a closely related field from an accredited college or university.

OPTION 4
Completion of a paralegal training program** from an accredited agency, college, or university.

LICENSE:
A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

PHYSICAL CLASS:
2 - Light. This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10 pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS INFORMATION:

*In order to receive credit for an associate degree or higher, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, or official letter from the accredited institution which shows that you have completed the degree requirements attached with your application at the time of filing or send by email to ahsu@dcba.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days from application submission. Foreign studies must be evaluated by an academic credential evaluation agency and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from the United States.

**In order to receive credit for completion of a paralegal training program, you must include a legible copy of your paralegal certificate with your application at the time of filing or send by email to ahsu@dcba.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days from application submission.

Withhold Information
No withholds will be allowed for this examination. Required experience must be fully met and indicated on the application at the time of filing.

Out-of-class will not be accepted for this examination.

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT:
A Multiple Choice and/or Simulation Assessment, weighted 100%,
This examination will consist of a multiple choice and/or simulation assessment, weighted 100% covering: Customer Focus, Learning Potential, Responsibility, and Working with Information.

Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination to be added onto the eligible register.

MULTIPLE CHOICE AND/OR SIMULATION ASSESSMENTS ARE NOT REVIEWABLE BY CANDIDATES PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.19.

NOTES:
All notifications including invitation letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that you provide a valid email address.

Please add ahsu@dcba.lacounty.gov , csears@hr.lacounty.gov , info@govenmentjobs.com , talencentral@shl.com , noreply@proctoru.com and donot-reply@amcatmail.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail. Please check your email regularly for this important test notification. Los Angeles County will not consider claims of not viewing or receiving notification to be a valid reason for late test administration or rescheduling of a test component.

TEST PREPARATION
Study guides and other test preparation resources are available to help candidates prepare for employment tests. While the guides will help in preparing for the test, we advise you to review all related materials that you deem necessary.

An interactive, Online Test Preparation System for taking practice tests may be accessed on the Department of Human Resources website at http://hr.lacounty.gov/. Please click on "Find a Job" and then "Job Search Toolkit." Test Preparation Information is located under the "Employment Test Assistance" section. Additional practice tests are available at http://www.shldirect.com/practice_tests.html .

TRANSFER OF TEST COMPONENTS:
Applicants who have taken identical components recently for other exams may have their responses automatically transferred to this examination. This examination contains test components that may be used in the future for new examinations and your test responses may be transferred.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
The names of candidates receiving a passing score in the examination will be added to the Eligible Register in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of eligibility.

NO PERSON MAY COMPETE IN THIS EXAMINATION MORE THAN ONCE EVERY TWELVE (12) MONTHS .

Applications will be processed on an as-received basis and promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.

SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION
In accordance with TITLE 5 - PERSONNEL, APPENDIX 1 (Civil Service Rule 11.03) of the Los Angeles County Code, Selective Certification may be used for some positions that require special skills and/or training. The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs may establish a Selective Certification to canvass applicants to identify eligible candidates who have a fluency in a particular language.

VACANCY INFORMATION
The resulting eligible register for this examination will be used to fill both permanent and temporary vacancies in the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs.

AVAILABLE SHIFT: Any
Appointees may be required to work any shift including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays in any area of Los Angeles County and may be subject to transfer at any time.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:
APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ONLINE ONLY. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY U.S. MAIL, FAX OR IN PERSON WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Apply online by clicking on the green "Apply" button at the top right of this posting. You can also track the status of your application using this website.

This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met. Application filing may be suspended at any time with or without advance notice.

IMPORTANT NOTES :

• ALL information in the application materials is subject to VERIFICATION.
• We may reject your application at any point during the examination hiring process, including after the appointment has been made.
• Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment.
• Utilizing VERBIAGE form the Class Specifications and Selection Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION and you may be DISQUALIFIED.
• Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Minimum Requirements . Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week and description of work performed. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.

NOTE: If you are unable to attach required documents, you must email the documents to the exam analyst, Alvin Hsu, at Ahsu@dcba.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days of filing online. Please include the exam number and the exam title.

Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the deadline as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty , you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:
Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD:
All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:
For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County. For more information, please visit their website at https://lacountylibrary.org or contact the specific libraries directly.

FAIR CHANCE INITIATIVE:
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individual assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed .

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI)
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

Testing Accommodation Information and Coordinator Contact Information
If you require an accommodation to fairly compete in any part of the assessment process, you will be given the opportunity to make a request when completing your application. Please note, you may be required to submit documentation from a qualified medical provider or other qualified professional to support your request for a testing accommodation.

CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE: (800) 735-2922
ADA COORDINATOR PHONE: (213) 948-2895
TELETYPE PHONE NUMBER: (800) 899-4099
ALTERNATE TELETYPE PHONE NUMBER: (800) 897- 0077

DEPARTMENT CONTACT
Alvin Hsu, Exam Analyst
(213) 948-2895
AHsu@dcba.lacounty.gov

For detailed information, please click here

Closing Date/Time: Continuous

Salary:

$52,664.88 - $70,977.84 Annually