OIEC - Early Assistance Advocate for Injured Employees (Ombudsman I) - Dallas

Do you have a passion for public service and enjoy making a difference?  Don’t miss out on this opportunity. Office of Injured Employee Counsel is hiring! Apply now if you’re looking for a rewarding career in public service.

You’ll love the Benefits of Working at OIEC:

• Hybrid work schedule, if applicable
• 96 hours of accrued vacation a year                                                         
• 96 hours of accrued sick leave a year
• 20+ holidays every year
• Career advancement opportunities
• Free parking
• Free comprehensive medical insurance for full-time employees and 50% off premium costs for dependents (state pays other 50%) 

The Office of Injured Employee Counsel (OIEC) is the state agency that helps injured employees with their Texas workers’ compensation claims. The agency assists, educates, and advocates on their behalf.  OIEC provides services in 20 offices across the state.  Agency services include advocacy, customer service, and dispute assistance through OIEC’s Ombudsman Program. 

Early Assistance Advocate for Injured Employees (Ombudsman I) – Dallas

An Early Assistance Advocate (Ombudsman I) works with senior Ombudsmen who advocate, assist, and educate injured employees of Texas. The Early Assistance Advocate will utilize early intervention strategies to assist injured employees prior to hearings. Being an Early Assistance Advocate involves: assisting the injured employee one-on-one; answering questions from the injured employee; reviewing claims for medical and income benefits; studying and analyzing the case background on each claim; gathering and evaluating information (including medical records and letters from doctors); preparing and responding to requests for Designated Doctor examinations; evaluating and implementing strategies to resolve a claim early; reporting and referring complaints; and tracking and providing information and claim status. The Early Assistance Advocate works under moderate supervision, with limited latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgement. 

This position:

• educates the injured employee about the workers’ compensation dispute process and workers’ compensation law/rules
• advocates for expedient resolution of a claim by assembling evidence (e.g., medical records, causation letters, etc.) needed for insurance carrier determinations and/or in anticipation of benefit proceedings
• contacts insurance carriers and medical providers to identify and resolve disputes
• assists with referrals to social services with other state agencies
• provides assistance in filing claims; assists with obtaining supporting claim documentation from doctors
• routinely contacts injured employees to provide status updates and discuss upcoming events
• documents customer contact in computer system
• answers general customer service questions
• performs other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications:

• graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.
• one year experience in claims management, insurance, casework, healthcare, social work, law office (paralegal/legal assistant) or workers’ compensation.  Education and relevant experience may be substituted for one another on a year-for-year basis. 

This position requires knowledge of:

• Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook 

This position requires demonstrated skill in:

• assisting the public
• conflict resolution
• handling and solving problems
• report writing and records maintenance principles and practices
• interpreting and explaining laws and regulations
• data entry and retrieval
• customer service
• use of correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling 

This position requires the demonstrated ability to:

• manage multiple, competing priorities
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals and groups including injured employees and fellow staff members
• communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with all levels of employees and the public

Please note: Unless specifically and expressly stated otherwise, regular attendance is an essential function of every OIEC job.

How to apply

Before you apply, please click, or copy and paste the following link into your browser for more information about working for the Office of Injured Employee Counsel (OIEC):  https://www.oiec.texas.gov/contact/jobs.html

All applications must contain complete job histories, including job title, dates of employment, name of employer, manager’s name and phone number, and a description of duties performed. We may reject applications that do not include all the required information. Resumes do not take the place of this required information. 

Submitted through Work in Texas

Work in Texas (WIT) applicants must complete the supplemental questions to be considered for the posting. To complete the supplemental questions, please go to CAPPS Career Center to register or log in and access your profile. Click on the following link or copy and paste it into your browser: CAPPS TALEO Career Section 

Criminal background checks will be conducted on all final candidates. An applicant who has been convicted of a criminal offense relevant to the position may be disqualified from employment. 

Equal employment opportunity: OIEC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability in employment or in the provision of services. Any request for reasonable accommodation needed during the application process should be directed to [email protected]. 

Employment Preferences 

Former Foster Youth Preference

An individual who was under the permanent managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services on the day preceding the individual’s 18th birthday is entitled to a preference in employment with a state agency over other applicants for the same position who do not have a greater qualification. Tex. Gov’t Code, Section 672.002.

Military employment preference

Senate Bill 1376, 88th Legislature, Regular Session, Section 657.002 requires State agencies to give military employment preference in employment and retention.  Please see more details on our job page.

In order to receive a military employment preference for any position, the following documents are required to be submitted with your application, as applicable:

Veteran: DD Form 214

• Surviving spouse of a veteran who has not remarried: Marriage Certificate and DD Form 1300 or appropriate documentation
• Orphan of a veteran killed while on active duty: Birth Certificate and DD Form 1300 or appropriate documentation
• Spouse of a member of the US Armed Forces/Texas National Guard serving on Active Duty: Marriage Certificate and copy of spouse's active duty military orders
• Spouse of a veteran with disability and is the primary income for household: Marriage Certificate, Veterans DD Form 214, and VA Benefits Summary Letter showing disability rating

Documentation must be attached before military preference can be granted.

All attachments containing personal and/or sensitive information must be redacted. 

Click or copy and paste this link into your browser: www.texasskillstowork.com for help translating your military work experience and training courses into civilian job terms, qualifications/requirements, and skill sets. 

Applicable Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes are included, but not limited to one of the following:

27A, 250X, LGL10, 4421, 4402, 4430, 51JX, 92J0 

Click or copy and paste the following link into your browser to access Military Crosswalk information:

https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_Legal.pdf