Associate Radiological Health Specialist

You may be assigned to either Saturday or Sunday to take your test. The Department of Civil Service reserves the right to administer tests either online or with paper booklets and answer sheets. Your admission notice will tell you whether your test will be administered online. You cannot request a day in advance or change your scheduled day.

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 $3,026 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 January 11, 2020, you must have:

Either 1. a bachelor's degree or higher in health physics, engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, geology, or hydrology, AND three years in radiation protection which includes experience dealing with radioactive materials or radiation producing equipment. Experience limited to imaging patients is NOT qualifying.

Or 2. a bachelor's degree or higher in any area including or supplemented by 30 college semester credit hours in one or more of the following subject areas: health physics, engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, geology, or hydrology, AND three years in radiation protection which includes experience dealing with radioactive materials or radiation producing equipment. Experience limited to imaging patients is NOT qualifying.

Substitution: An advanced degree in health physics, engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, geology, or hydrology, may be substituted for the required work experience as follows:

• master's degree: one year
• doctoral degree: two years

You must clearly indicate how you meet the remaining year(s) of required experience.

If your bachelor's degree or higher is not in one of the areas listed above in the minimum qualifications, but you qualify by having 30 semester credit hours in any combination of those subject areas, you MUST submit a copy of your transcript(s) or a course list which includes the name of the college or university, course title, date received (or expected), and number of semester credits received per course.

If you expect to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2020, you can be admitted to the written test, but you cannot be considered for appointment until you submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirement to the Appointing Authority at the time of the employment interview. Failure to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2020, may result in your removal from the eligible list.

Notes

1. Your degree or college credit 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 or college credit 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 New York State Department of Civil Service, Albany, New York 12239. Attention: S1BMK.
2. A promotion examination is also being held for these positions. If you are eligible for appointment from a promotion list, you may not be appointed in your own agency from the list resulting from this examination open to the public.
3. Appropriate part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
4. New York State residence is not required.

The Positions

These positions exist in the New York State Department of Health.

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Duties

As an Associate Radiological Health Specialist, you would serve as a specialist in charge of the radiological health inspection program for one or more regions of the State. You may investigate accidents and emergencies, recommend appropriate action, and provide consultation and technical assistance to local health departments; develop standards for radiation-producing equipment installations; develop licensing and inspection guidance documents; personally conduct more difficult inspections; review and make recommendations on radiological decontamination and decommissioning plans; and may supervise Senior Radiological Health Specialists performing radiological health inspection functions.

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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:

1. Administrative techniques and practices - These questions test for a knowledge of management techniques and practices used in directing or assisting in directing a program component or an organizational segment. Questions cover such areas as interpreting policies, making decisions based on the context of the position in the organization, coordinating programs or projects, communicating with employees or the public, planning employee training, and researching and evaluating areas of concern.
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.
3. Principles of regulation and enforcement in the field of radiological health - These questions test for knowledge of licensing standards and federal and New York State regulations and enforcement procedures controlling the proper use and handling of radioactive materials to ensure the health and safety of workers and the general public.
4. Radiological instruments and measuring devices, including control and monitoring devices - These questions test for knowledge of the proper calibration, uses, and operating characteristics of survey instruments and laboratory equipment involved in the detection, measurement, and control of radiation levels.
5. Principles and practices of radiological health - These questions test for knowledge of radiological health as related to X-rays and accelerators, radioactive materials, quality assurance in nuclear medicine and medical X-rays and other sources of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation; and as related to environmental and facilities surveillance, indoor radon and low-level radioactive waste management.
6. 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.

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

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/TC3 BMK-rkv
Issued: 10/25/2019

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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