New York State of Opportunity

Senior & Chief Security Officer

Written Test To Be Held
March 4, 2023
You may be assigned to either Saturday or Sunday to take your test.
You cannot request or change your scheduled day.
Applications Must Be Submitted or Postmarked By
January 18, 2023

 

Exams Included on This Announcement
Exam Number Exam Title Open to Employees of Salary Salary Grade Non−Refundable Processing Fee (Waivers available)
38-862 Senior Security Officer Multiple Agencies * SG-11 $10
38-863 Chief Security Officer Multiple Agencies $56,734 SG-14 $15
*Salary
$47,805
$39,432 (Thruway)

Due to the size of the candidate population for this test date, you may be assigned to either Saturday, March 4; Sunday, March 5; Saturday, March 11; or Sunday, March 12 to take your test. Your admission notice will tell you where and when you are scheduled to appear. You cannot request or change your scheduled day.

You must review important information on the New York State Department of Civil Service COVID-19 policy that applies to all candidates sitting for in-person Civil Service examinations being administered at a New York State test center. You can access our full policy on the Department of Civil Service website.

Due to current testing space limitations, candidates may need to travel to a test site to take this examination. Candidates will be notified of their test site location on their admission notice.

Interdepartmental promotion examination open to all qualified employees of New York State.

For Promotion in State Departments, Facilities, and Agencies

1. Within Promotion Units 2. Within Entire Departments 3. To Other Departments

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before March 4, 2023, you must be a qualified employee of New York State and have had three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as a:

For Exam No. 38-862: Security Officer or Security Officer (Spanish Language).

For Exam No. 38-863: Senior Security Officer.

If you were permanently appointed to a qualifying title on or before December 4, 2022, and have served continuously in this title since that date, you are eligible to file for this examination.

Only the title or titles listed are qualifying.

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.

Continued Employment: To keep this position:

  1. Continued employment as a Senior Security Officer or Chief Security Officer is dependent upon maintaining a current Security Guard Photo ID issued by the New York State Department of State. Failure to maintain this ID will result in removal from employment.
  2. Some positions located in New York City require that appointees meet the requirements for deputization as a Special Patrolman, as described in Title 38, Chapter 13 of the New York City Rules.
  3. At the New York State Department of Health, you would supervise and coordinate security services at one or more of the three laboratory locations: Biggs Laboratory at the Empire State Plaza, David Axelrod Institute in Albany and Griffin Laboratory in Guilderland, at times traveling between locations during assigned shifts. You may be expected to interact with State and federal law enforcement agencies and provide security services related to receipt of specimens and testing for critical agents. These positions involve shift work, nights, weekends and holidays. At the Department of Health, these positions may be exposed to potentially hazardous substances.
  4. At the New York State Department of Labor, you would also confer with local office managers regarding the effectiveness of existing security programs. You may attend Safety and Health committee meetings and respond to their concerns in safety and protection of employees and customers.
  5. At the New York State Education Department and the Department of Labor, you would also be required to keep abreast with current fire and safety codes for your facility and attend meetings with Tenant Safety Organization, Emergency Response Team, Building Management, and Office of Fire Prevention and Control, as required to ensure fire and safety codes are being properly applied.
  6. At the New York State Workers' Compensation Board, you may attend and would be responsible to schedule officer coverage for Administrative Hearings in which you must maintain safety and decorum. You may travel and be responsible for supervision of Security at multiple sites within a district. You will be expected to be responsible for and adhere to all duties described in posting as well as the Departments Safety and Security of persons procedures and Office of Security post orders.
  7. Physical/Medical: An evaluation of your physical and medical condition will be done to ensure that you are able to perform the duties of this position with or without reasonable accommodation. The physical/medical standards include but are not limited to height and weight, speech, vision, hearing, cardiovascular, respiratory system, and neurological health requirements. A complete statement of the physical and medical standards is available at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/ehs/forms.cfm. A medical examination is required prior to appointment, and you are responsible for payment of the clinical laboratory test fee.

The Positions: Senior Security Officer positions exist Statewide in the Department of Labor and the Workers' Compensation Board, in the State Education Department and the Department of Health in Albany only, and in the Thruway Authority in Tarrytown only.

Chief Security Officer positions exist Statewide in the Workers' Compensation Board, in the Department of Labor in New York and Albany only, and in the State Education Department in Albany only.

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Duties

As a Senior Security Officer, you would supervise and coordinate the activities of Security Officers or contract security staff on a shift or in a geographic area. You would schedule staff assignments to maintain coverage of facilities; provide in-service and on-the-job training for security personnel in security techniques; visit local offices to inspect the conduct and performance of security staff and review staff logbooks and incident reports; participate in local safety and health meetings; and review and resolve unusual incident reports and advise supervisor or other security managers of resolutions to issues.

As a Chief Security Officer, you would administer an agency's security program or manage a portion of a large security program. You would supervise multiple Senior Security Officers; provide technical direction and guidance in responding to security incidents and in resolving identified security risks; review staff schedules and ensure appropriate coverage; identify, develop, and conduct training programs; prepare documents detailing security plans for facilities under supervision; and train staff on the use of electronic security surveillance systems.

Note

Travel Requirements: Appointment to certain positions requires extensive travel within an area of assignment. Appointees may need to operate a motor vehicle or have other means to meet the transportation needs of the job. If the position requires that you operate a motor vehicle, you must continuously have a valid New York State driver's license to continue employment. Field work and travel expenses are reimbursed on a fixed schedule. Overnight travel may be required.

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Subject of Examination

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Subject of Examination: To be considered for appointment to this title, you must pass the written test. The written test evaluates your knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in the following areas: For Examination Nos.
38-86238-863
1. 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
2. Following directions (maps) - These questions test your ability to follow physical/geographic directions using street maps or building maps. You will have to read and understand a set of directions and then use them on a simple map.X
3. Principles and practices of safety and security - These questions test for a knowledge of the proper principles and practices in the field of safety and security. The questions will cover such areas as selecting the best course of action to take in a safety or security related situation. X
4. 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
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
6. Safety and security methods and procedures - These questions will test for knowledge of the methods and procedures utilized in safety and security. The questions will cover such areas as principles and practices of safety and security precautions in a building or grounds setting, accident prevention, proper response to safety or security related incidents, the investigation of incidents, and the inspection of buildings or grounds for potential safety and/or security problems. X
7. Administrative supervision - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices involved in directing the activities of a large subordinate staff, including subordinate supervisors. Questions relate to the personal interactions between an upper level supervisor and his/her subordinate supervisors in the accomplishment of objectives. These questions cover such areas as assigning work to and coordinating the activities of several units, establishing and guiding staff development programs, evaluating the performance of subordinate supervisors, and maintaining relationships with other organizational sections. X

Test Guide: A Guide to the Written Test for the Safety and Security Series is available on the Department website at http://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.

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

*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.

Note: The Department of Civil Service may administer tests either online or with paper booklets and answer sheets.

Admission To The Test: If approved for a written test, you will receive an admission notice which will indicate your assigned test date and the way your test will be administered. Your test may be administered with paper and pencil or online at a state test site using a state-provided Chromebook. You cannot request to change your scheduled day or request a specific type of test administration.

Applicants are required to have a Personal NY.gov account and keep their email address up to date. The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies will communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your test arrangements, 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.

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. Any past due application processing fees must be paid in full prior to submitting an application. Please email FeeUnitMail@cs.ny.gov regarding inquiries about any past due 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.

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.

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.

Eligibility for Examination

To be considered a qualified employee eligible to compete in this examination, you must be employed in, or on leave from, 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

The use of cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices at your personal testing site or in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas, except as expressly authorized by the Department of Civil Service, could result in your disqualification.

S3/TC1 SEP-rkv
Issued: 12/20/22
Material Omitted: 1/13/23

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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