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

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

You’ll love the Benefits of Working at OIEC: 

• 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%) 

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness program

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) – Houston West

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

• associate’s degree from an accredited college or university

• one year experience in claims management, insurance, casework, healthcare, social work, law office (paralegal/legal assistant) or workers’ compensation

Note: Relevant experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.

Or

• graduation from high school or equivalent

• two years of experience working for the Office of Injured Employee Counsel

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

If you hold a current law license, you must surrender it upon hire. 

Candidate must reside in Texas or be able to relocate to Texas by the start date.

OIEC does not sponsor or assume sponsorship of an employment visa.

How to apply: 

You may apply through CAPPS Career Center or Work in Texas (WIT). 

Your submission should include complete: 

Employment history (month and year), including job title, name of employer, manager’s name and phone number 

Duties and responsibilities 

Education 

Certifications 

Licenses 

Supplemental questions* 

If you are submitting your resume, please ensure the resume has the required information mentioned above. 

We may reject submissions that do not include all the required information mentioned above. 

*If applying 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.

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 based on race, color, national origin, sex, 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]. 

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

Employment Preferences 

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. 

Documentation must be attached before military preference can be granted, and all personal and/or sensitive information (i.e. Social Security Number, DOB) must be redacted from any attached documents. 

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 

For help translating your military work experience, including training courses on civilian job terminology, skill sets, and qualifications or requirements, click or copy this URL into your browser: www.texasskillstowork.com

Applicable Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes are included, but not limited to one of the following: 27A, 250X, LGL10, 4421, 4402, 4430, 51JX, 92J0

Additional Military Crosswalk information can be accessed by clicking or copying and pasting the following link into your browser: https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_Legal.pdf

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. The preference is valid for individuals aged 25 or younger. Tex. Gov’t Code, Section 672.002. 

Pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order GA-48, candidates having any connection or continuous connections to any governmental entity or political apparatus of a country listed in 15 C.F.R. §791.4 may be subject to a heightened security background check depending on other factors.