New York State of Opportunity

Program Outreach Specialist 1

Written Test To Be Held
August 11, 2018
Applications Must Be Submitted or Postmarked By
June 27, 2018

 

Exams Included on This Announcement
Exam Number Exam Title Salary Salary Grade Non−Refundable Processing Fee (Waivers available)
26-366 Program Outreach Specialist 1 $56,604 G-18 $35
26-367 Program Outreach Specialist 2 $73,284 G-23 $40

IMPORTANT: Unless waived, you must pay the non-refundable processing fee. For information on fee waivers, visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/appinfo.cfm##Fee. It is important that you verify that you entered the correct examination number and title on your online or paper application prior to submitting. If you apply online, you should immediately review your email confirmation notice to verify that you applied for the correct examination. If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT received by the Department of Civil Service. No late applications will be accepted after the filing deadline has passed.

Appointees who work in the five boroughs of New York City or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties will receive an additional $3,206 annual downstate adjustment. Appointees who work in Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam Counties will receive an additional $1,513 annual mid-Hudson adjustment.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before August 11, 2018, you must have the following:

For No. 26-366: six 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.

For No. 26-367: 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 the professional experience must have been at a supervisory level.

You must clearly and sufficiently provide detailed experience or your application will not be approved. Do not send a resume.

Substitution:

  1. A bachelor���s degree may be substituted for up to four years of the above experience.
  2. An associate���s degree may be substituted for up to two years of the above experience.

Qualifying professional experience includes, but is not limited to 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 have included creating, scheduling, organizing, and promoting outreach activities*, including conferences, workshops, training sessions and other public events, to promote agency programs to target populations.

*For the purpose of this examination 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.

Examples of Non-Qualifying Experience: Experience primarily in or restricted to administrative assistance, art/graphic design or copywriting, recruitment and placement services, provision of program information and other direct contact with clients or potential clients of program services and direct customer sales.

  1. Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to the Examination Information Desk of the NYS Department of Civil Service for a list of acceptable companies who provide this service. This information can also be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee. If you are applying on the Internet, you must mail the independent verification of equivalency to the NYS Department of Civil Service, Albany, New York 12239. Attention: S1JFG
  2. Travel Requirements: Appointment to certain positions requires extensive travel within a designated area of assignment. Appointees to these positions may be required to operate a motor vehicle or otherwise demonstrate their capacity to meet the transportation needs of the job. If the position requires that you operate a motor vehicle, you must possess a driver's license valid in New York State at the time of appointment and continuously thereafter. Field work and travel expenses are reimbursed on a fixed schedule.
  3. Background Investigation/Justice Center Review: In some agencies, the names of all prospective employees will be:

    • Checked against the Staff Exclusion List (SEL) maintained by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Prospective employees whose names appear on the SEL as having been found responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse or neglect will be barred from appointment and may have their names removed from the eligible list(s) for the title(s);
    • Investigated through a Criminal Background Check (CBC). All convictions must be reported. Conviction of a felony or misdemeanor or any falsified or omitted information may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case will be determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of state and federal laws;

    and may be:

    • Screened against the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Prospective employees whose names appear on the SCR may be barred from appointment.

    You will be responsible for payment of all required fees.

  4. Appropriate part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
  5. New York State residence is not required.

These positions exist in the Office of Victim Services; the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance; Workers Compensation Board and Department of Financial Services. Depending on the agency, locations of the positions may be in Albany and/or New York City.

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Duties

As a Program Outreach Specialist 1, you may report to a Program Outreach Specialist 2 or to higher-level program or agency administrative staff, perform various professional duties in implementing, developing, and evaluating outreach and public relations efforts relating to State programs. Duties may include maintaining ongoing communications with business and community associations and groups to publicize agency programs; provide on-site training and technical assistance to local districts and providers in advertising outreach methodologies and programs; assist 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; evaluate ongoing advertising campaigns to determine that project standards are being met or may be met; assist in the design, development, and implementation of evaluation devices to determine the effectiveness of outreach activities; perform other duties as required.

As a Program Outreach Specialist 2, you would be reporting to higher-level program or agency administrative staff, perform higher-level professional and supervisory duties in developing, evaluating, and implementing outreach and public relations efforts relating to State programs. Supervise subordinates who also are engaged in such efforts. You would also perform duties associated with Program Outreach Specialists 1, but at a higher level of independence and responsibility. Responsibilities would also include participation in the development and dissemination of training curricula, informational materials, and publicity materials, for various audiences, to publicize programs and induce participation; assist other staff in the development of contracts with advertising agencies to conduct specialized publicity activities; design reporting and data collection instruments for reporting on business community outreach activities; monitor business community outreach activities at the State and local level; design and develop special conferences and workshops to explain and publicize programs and to secure participation from the business community and supervise subordinates, including setting priorities, assigning work, and evaluating performance.

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Subject of Examination

There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as: For Examination Nos.
26-36626-367
1. Principles, practices and techniques of public relations in the promotion of agency programs -These questions will test for knowledge and application of the principles, practices and techniques of public relations in promoting agency programs to clients, employers, and the general public.XX
2. Preparing written material - These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.XX
3. Understanding and interpreting written material - These questions test for the ability to understand and interpret written material. You will be presented with brief reading passages and will be asked questions about the passages. You should base your answers to the questions only on what is presented in the passages and not on what you may happen to know about the topic.XX
4. Educating and interacting with the public - These questions test for knowledge of techniques used to interact effectively with individuals and/or community groups, to educate or inform them about topics of concern, to publicize or clarify agency programs or policies, to negotiate conflicts or resolve complaints, and to represent one's agency or program in a manner in keeping with good public relations practices. Questions may also cover interacting with others in cooperative efforts of public outreach or service.X X
5. Supervision - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of a work unit toward predetermined objectives. The concepts covered, usually in a situational question format, include such topics as assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; maintaining work standards; motivating and developing subordinates; implementing procedural change; increasing efficiency; and dealing with problems of absenteeism, morale, and discipline.X

Your final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits to your final passing score.

Important: The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies may communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your examination results and canvassing you for interest in appointment. It will be important for you to keep your email address, phone number and mailing address current by logging into https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount.

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How To Apply

This announcement is for viewing purposes only.

If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT processed.

Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, arrest and/or criminal conviction record, or any other category protected by law, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Appointment to many positions in State government require candidates to undergo an investigative screening. This may include a thorough character investigation, a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Record History Check, a Child Abuse Registry clearance, or other similar procedures. Candidates may be fingerprinted and may be required to pay any necessary fees for that procedure. Depending on the nature of the job, the criminal convictions discovered, or any falsified or omitted information revealed, the investigative findings may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment.

Eligibility for Employment

You must be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of appointment and throughout your employment with New York State. If appointed, you must produce documents that establish your identity and eligibility to work in the United States, as required by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Religious Accommodation

Most written tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation.” We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

It is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to provide equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application. Further information is available from the Test Administration Unit of the Department of Civil Service. In the Albany area, call 518-457-2487. Outside of the Albany area, call toll free at 1-877-697-5627. For TDD services, call NY Relay at 711 (requires a fee) or 1-800-662-1220.

Admission to Examination

Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the written test three days before the date of the test, email us at AdmissionNotices@cs.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number, and we will provide you with the information you need to attend your written test. If you have an issue other than not receiving your admission notice, please contact our office at (518) 474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627. Please leave a clear concise message and provide your first and last name, last four digits of your social security number and a daytime phone number.

Taking State and Local Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the state examination center. For your convenience, contact information for all local civil service agencies is available on our website at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm.

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

Do not bring cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices to the test site. The use of such devices at the test site in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas could result in your disqualification.

S1/TC1 JFG-vla
Issued: 05/25/2018

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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