Park Manager 2 and 3

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.

Appointees who work in the five boroughs of New York City or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties will receive an additional $3,087 annual downstate adjustment. Appointees who work in Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam Counties will receive an additional $1,543 annual mid-Hudson adjustment.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before March 2, 2024, you must have:

For Exam No. 21-004:

Either A. seven years of experience working in a park, recreational facility, or campus* including two years of managerial experience;**

Or B. a bachelor's or higher level degree in environmental education, environmental management, environmental policy, environmental sustainability, forestry, golf course management, historic preservation, horticulture, natural resources management, park administration, park management or recreation management AND three years of experience working within a park, recreational facility, or campus* including two years of managerial experience.**

For Exam No. 21-005:

Either A. eight years of experience working in a park, recreational facility, or campus* including three years of managerial experience;**

Or B. a bachelor's or higher level degree in environmental education, environmental management, environmental policy, environmental sustainability, forestry, golf course management, historic preservation, horticulture, natural resources management, park administration, park management or recreation management AND four years of experience working within a park, recreational facility, or campus* including three years of managerial experience.**

*For the purposes of this examination, a park, recreational facility, or campus is defined as a location that offers at least three of the following elements: athletic facilities, skating rink, campgrounds, golf courses, hiking trails, historic structures, marinas, picnic areas, playgrounds, recreation programs, swimming facilities or education, environmental or interpretive programming. You must clearly list this information on your application.

**Managerial experience is defined as directing or administering at least three of the following functional areas within a park, recreational facility, or campus: administration (business, personnel, finance); environmental education/interpretation; maintenance; planning; programming; or public relations/visitor services. Your application must clearly describe your managerial experience in three functional areas.

Examples of non-qualifying experience include but are not limited to: working at a gym, ski area/resort, and sport stadiums.

Examples of non-qualifying degrees for the purposes of these examinations include but are not limited to: accounting, anthropology, archaeology, biology (all majors), business, history, hospitality, physical education, recreation therapy and sports management.

• If you expect to meet the educational requirements by September 30, 2024, you can take the multiple-choice test. You MUST submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirements to the appointing authority at the time of the employment interview or you will not be considered for appointment. Failure to meet the educational requirements by September 30, 2024, may result in your removal from the eligible list.
• Your required educational credentials must have been awarded by an educational institution accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the United States (U.S.) Department of Education/Secretary of Education. If awarded by an institution outside of the U.S. and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of companies that provide these services (fees must be paid to the company you choose) can be found at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm.
• If verifiable, we will accept and prorate appropriate part-time and volunteer experience.
• New York State residency is not required.

Additional Requirements for Appointment: Some Park Manager positions have, as a condition of employment, the requirement that the incumbent live in a residence provided by the Agency. In such cases, the Park Manager is required to be available at all times to handle emergencies and other duties as required. When the Agency is filling a position where such requirement exists, such condition will be noted on the canvass letter. It will also be discussed at the interview. If you have any questions, you may ask them at that time. Failure to accept this condition of employment may result in a job offer being withdrawn.

The Positions: These positions exist in the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and are located throughout New York State.

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Duties

As a Park Manager 2 or 3, you would have responsibility for planning, directing, and coordinating the operation, programming, and maintenance of all facilities in a park or group of parks within a geographical region. You would supervise, direct, manage, and coordinate various levels of staff in recreation, security, operation, and maintenance areas. The distinguishing factor between Park Manager 2 and 3 positions would be an increasing amount of responsibility in a larger park or group of parks.

Note: A promotion examination will also be 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. Although promotion examinations are being held, it is expected that appointments will be made as a result of the open competitive exam.

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Subject of Examination

To be considered for appointment to this title, you must pass the multiple-choice test. The multiple-choice test evaluates your knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in the following areas:

1. 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 their 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.
2. 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.
3. Operation of park facilities - These questions test for knowledge of the practices and procedures involved in operating park facilities and may include such typical areas as job safety, grounds and equipment maintenance, prioritizing work schedules, inspection and repair of park playgrounds, picnic areas, swimming pools, public restrooms, hiking trails, and other park facilities, water and wastewater line repair, proper use of hand and power tools, revenue collection, customer and employee relations, and proper handling of emergency situations.
4. Park business management - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices of planning, organizing and controlling the activities of a park business in support of park facilities. Typical activities may include such areas as revenue management, budgeting, purchasing, payroll, and related internal controls. The questions cover such topics as expenditures, supplies and equipment, inventory, cash receipts, purchases, and worker compensation.
5. 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.
6. Work planning and scheduling - These questions test for knowledge of the principles used in developing and implementing work plans and for the ability to arrange work assignments in a manner that will achieve work goals while staying within scheduling criteria. This may include setting up vacation or work schedules, taking into consideration such factors as seniority, work skills, duty hours, and shift coverage.

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

Admission To The Test: If approved for a multiple-choice 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

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 multiple-choice 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 Accommodation Unit of the Department of Civil Service at Testaccommodation@cs.ny.gov.

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 multiple-choice 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 multiple-choice 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 multiple-choice test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this multiple-choice 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

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.

S2/TC3 KXM-klr
Issued: 12/15/23

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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