Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) empowers Ohioans with disabilities through employment, disability determinations, and independence. Our agency works with partners in businesses, education, and non-profit organizations to facilitate customized employment plans for Ohioans with disabilities; helps Ohio companies recruit and retain employees with disabilities; and is the sole agency determining medical and vocational Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs in Ohio. We help connect the people of Ohio who have disabilities with the resources, support, and opportunities that fit their unique needs, abilities, and interests so that they can find and retain meaningful employment. To learn more about what we do, please visit our website at ood.ohio.gov

Follow us on social media @OhioOOD!

Customer Support Specialist (CSS) Position Overview

Are you an experienced administrative professional eager to start a rewarding career in public service? Join Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) as a Customer Support Specialist, where you will support our Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) professionals. Your responsibilities may include greeting customers in the reception area, answering phones, fielding general questions, and routing calls. You may also provide information about vocational rehabilitation services, maintain office calendars for client meeting rooms, conference rooms, and state vehicles, and handle general administrative duties such as processing mail, creating packets, and maintaining office supplies. If you are ready to make a positive impact and support our mission, we would love to hear from you!

Customer Support Specialist Duties

• Provide coverage for the office phone and front desk by responding to routine inquiries from participants with disabilities and/or the public as well as maintaining the sign in/out sheets and greeting guests.
• Process, distribute, scan, and upload incoming mail as well as print and process outgoing mail.
• Support staff by composing correspondence, sending letters, requesting medical records, and assisting participants in signing documents using technology.
• Complete data entry, and schedule intake meetings for people with disabilities applying for OOD services.
• Provide ongoing case service and programmatic support through correspondence, follow-up and reminder phone calls, supporting OOD Hiring Events, running reports, and more.

A Successful Customer Support Specialist

• Delivers excellent customer service.
• Is time-efficient, organized, and quality-driven.
• Has the ability to multi-task.
• Displays excellent communication skills.
• Works well in a team environment.
• Effectively utilizes office technology and tools.

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

Classification: Administrative Professional 1

Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation Division Overview

OOD’s Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) and Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI) provide vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to eligible individuals with disabilities to assist them to attain and maintain competitive integrated employment. OOD works with adults seeking to enter the workforce or retain a job, and with youth beginning at age 14 to assist them as they transition from high school into college and/or the workplace. For more information, click here to view the OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Fact Sheet.

Pay Information

Starting salary will be step 1, subject to law or union contract requirements. New hires advance to the next step in the range after 6 months and annually thereafter. There are cost of living increases to these rates each year and additional longevity supplements begin after 5 years. The current wage progression for this position is in the table below.

Months of Employment

At Hire

6 months

18 months

30 months

42 months

54 Months

66 Months

Pay Range
OCSEA 27

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Hourly

$22.59

$23.28

$23.65

$24.27

$24.88

$25.61

$26.54

Annual

$46,982.42

$48,418.24

$49,189.71

$50,475.15

$51,760.59

$53,260.27

$55,210.06

Location Requirements

Position availability in the following locations:

• Athens BSVI/BVR - 86 Columbus Road, Athens, Ohio 45701

• Columbus BSVI/BVR- 150 East Campus View Boulevard, Suite 100. Columbus, Ohio 43235

This position is required to be in office 5 days a week. Reporting details will be provided by the supervisor before the start date. Employees must reside at a location that allows for reasonable response time to workplace reporting requirements.

Daytime travel within Ohio may be required. The selected candidate must provide own transportation or, in order to operate a state vehicle, must have a valid driver’s license.

Applications and Selections

Please ensure your online application and work experience clearly indicates how you meet minimum qualifications (MQs). Applications that fail to demonstrate how they meet minimum qualifications will not be considered. If you meet the MQs through education, transcripts are required for consideration by attaching directly on the Additional Attachments section of the application (Step 7) or via email to OOD.TalentAcquisition@ood.ohio.gov

“See resume” is not a substitution for completing work experience and/or supplemental questions. Answers to the supplemental questions must also be supported by the work experience/education sections of the application. If "See Resume" is used in place of work experience, your application may not be considered.

Applicants can check their application status and all vacancy-related email correspondence on “My Jobpage.” On the Careers.Ohio.Gov job search webpage, once signed in the link to My Jobpage is displayed under the TeamOhio logo. Applicants who require technical assistance (e.g., issues logging in or other system-related issues) should contactcareers@ohio.gov

This position shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of the OCSEA Collective Bargaining Agreement. The selection process consists of an online assessment and a remote structured interview.  All communications are sent via email. Candidates should make sure their account contains an email address that is checked regularly including checking junk and/or spam.

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

Background Check

The final candidate selected for the position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant’s prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems ( such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation ( Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

-1 year training or 1 year experience in secretarial science or business office applications.

-OR equivalent of education and/or experience per Minimum Class Qualifications noted above.

Job Skills: Administrative Support/Services, Clerical & Data Entry, Computer Literacy, Customer Service, Professional, Scheduling, Customer Focus, Listening, Attention to Detail, Teamwork, Verbal Communication

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and is amongst the top-ranked state agencies implementing inclusive and accessible planning and programming into businesses operations and services. We strive to hire, sustain, and promote a workforce that not only embraces this mission but is also reflective of the Ohioans we serve.

If you require an accommodation based on a disability for any step of the selection process, please contact OOD.OandA@ood.ohio.gov so proper arrangements can be made.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.