Program Outreach Specialist 2, SG-23 (Albany)

Duties Description The New York State Department of Financial Services seeks to build an equitable, transparent, and resilient financial system that benefits individuals and supports business. Through engagement, data-driven regulation and policy, and operational excellence, the Department and its employees are responsible for empowering consumers and protecting them from financial harm; ensuring the health of the entities we regulate; driving economic growth in New York through responsible innovation; and preserving the stability of the global financial system.

The Department of Financial Services is seeking candidates for the position of Program Outreach Specialist 2 in the Consumer Examinations Unit. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Creates, schedules, organizes, promotes and attends outreach activities, including conferences, workshops, training sessions and other public events, to promote agency programs to target populations;
• Assists in the development of course content and conducts outreach, training programs, and/or workshops for students and their families regarding student-related financial products and services, including, but not limited to, financial aid and student loan repayment;
• Assists higher level Program Outreach Specialists or other higher-level staff in the development of various public relations efforts to raise interest and encourage participation in the various programs;
• Mediates consumer complaints regarding topics including, but not limited to, student loans and loan advertisements, repayment issues, finance rates/charges, credit cards, health insurance issues, and student debt relief companies;
• Prepares educational and outreach materials, and information for posting on the Department’s website;
• Responds to complaints and/or written requests for information;
• Works with the Department’s External Affairs Office to prepare press releases regarding the Student Protection Unit and in other external documents/communications as appropriate;
• Assists in investigations of financial products and services as appropriate, including researching laws, rules and regulations, reviewing pertinent documents, summarizing complaints and issues, and preparing reports;
• Travels throughout New York State up to 40% of the time; and
• Other duties as assigned.
  

Minimum Qualifications Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with student loan products a plus.
• Demonstrates high organization, and strong communication with both verbal and written skills.
• Experience coordinating senior and executive level interactions.
  

Appointment Method:

Transfer: Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive service in a title eligible for transfer via Sections 70.1 or 52.6 of the Civil Service Law. Information regarding transfer eligibility may be available on the Civil Service Career Mobility Office website.

Please note that under Civil Service Law, an employee cannot have two consecutive upward 70.1 or 52.6 transfers without an intervening eligible list appointment if such transfers would exceed two salary grades.

Minimum Qualifications: Seven years of professional experience in a position where the primary (50% or more of the time) responsibility was the extensive promotion and representation of programs and services for public and/or private organizations for the purpose of increasing participation in, or utilization of, these programs and services. One year of professional experience must have been at a supervisory level. A bachelor’s degree may be substituted for up to 4 years and an associate degree may be substituted for up to 2 years of experience.

Professional experience in corporate, not for profit, private organizations and governmental agency public relations; advertising; marketing, or promotion of public programs and services. Duties must include creating, scheduling, organizing, and promoting outreach activities, including conferences, workshops, training sessions and other public events, to promote agency programs to target populations.

An outreach activity is any activity which promotes and educates or informs the public about existing or new programs and services to populations who might not otherwise have access to those programs and services of an agency or organization.

NY HELPS: This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply (see minimum qualifications above). At this time, agencies may recruit and hire employees by making permanent non-competitive appointments. At a future date (within one year of appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.