Promotion Examination Open To All Qualified Employees of the New York State Thruway Authority and Canal Corporation

Senior Building Maintenance Assistant

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before October 20, 2012, you must be a qualified employee of the New York State Thruway Authority or Canal Corporation and have had three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as a Building Maintenance Supervisor 2, Assistant Architect, Code Compliance Specialist 1, or Plant Superintendent C.

If you were permanently appointed to a qualifying title on or before July 20, 2012, and have served continuously in this title since that date, you are eligible to file for this examination.

Qualifying Experience for Appointment from the Eligible List

After one year of the service described in the Minimum Qualifications, successful candidates will be qualified for appointment from the eligible list.

Order of Certification

The Thruway Authority and Canal Corporation are separate promotion units. When filling positions at the Thruway Authority, Thruway Authority employees will be certified before Canal Corporation employees. The Order of List Certification is as follows:

1. Promotion Unit eligibles
2. "All" eligibles

Important: As the processing fee is non-refundable, 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.

NOTE: You must possess a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State at the time of appointment and continuously thereafter.

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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. Review and interpretation of plans and specifications, the preparation of estimates, and oversight of contract compliance - These questions test for the ability to read and understand typical building plans, layouts, and technical specifications; the ability to calculate accurate estimates of material and labor costs, to oversee construction contracts, and to manage contract compliance.
3. Operation, construction, alteration, and maintenance of physical plants, including mechanical and electrical equipment - These questions test for knowledge of the methods and materials used in the construction, alteration, maintenance and repair of physical plant facilities including such areas as building foundation and framing, building hardware, insulation, and roofing; and building plumbing, electrical, sanitary, and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems.
4. Review and interpretation of contracts and codes - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices involved in reviewing and interpreting typical contract documents; and the ability to read and interpret standard building code reading selections.
5. Budgeting - These questions test for a knowledge of the principles and practices used by administrators when participating in the budget process. They cover such areas as the terminology associated with the budget process and budget cycle; program and capital budgeting; estimating the costs of budget items; assigning relative priorities to budget items; determining the consequences of funding at lower levels than requested; writing budget proposals and justifications; controlling expenditures; and implementing the budget.
6. 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.
7. Understanding and interpreting tabular material - These questions test your ability to understand, analyze, and use the internal logic of data presented in tabular form. You may be asked to perform tasks such as completing tables, drawing conclusions from them, analyzing data trends or interrelationships, and revising or combining data sets. The concepts of rate, ratio, and proportion are tested. Mathematical operations are simple, and computational speed is not a major factor in the test. You should bring with you a hand held battery or solar powered calculator for use on this test. You will not be permitted to use the calculator function of your cell phone or any other electronic device.

If you pass, your seniority credit(s), if any, will be included in the computation of your final score. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime veterans' credits to your final passing score.

Credit for Seniority

Seniority is credited at the rate of one credit for each five-year period (or fraction thereof), excluding the first year of service.

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Duties

As a Senior Building Maintenance Assistant, you would provide administrative and technical assistance in planning, organizing, reviewing, and evaluating building maintenance programs. You would assist in developing standards and procedures for the maintenance and operation of buildings and building equipment; assist in the preparation of purchase specifications for building maintenance materials and equipment; initiate purchase requisitions and ensure conformance to budgetary allocations. You would use automated computer systems in the performance of your duties.

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How To Apply

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 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, or arrest and/or criminal conviction record unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

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 [press 2, then press 2]. Outside of the Albany area, call toll free at 1-877-697-5627 [press 2, then press 2]. 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, call 518-474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627 [press 2, then press 1].

Multiple 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: http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm

Eligibility for Examination

To be eligible to compete in this examination, you must be employed in the specified department or agency on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class, or in the non-competitive class or labor class if specifically noted on this announcement (or be on an appropriate preferred list), and have the specified time in the specified title or salary grade. You may not compete in a test for a title if you are permanently employed in that title (unless you are still on probation) or in a higher direct line of promotion.

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.

S2/TC3 DMS-vla
Issued: 8/3/12

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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