Department of Civil Service

DHSES Program Administrator 2

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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.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before October 18, 2025, you must have:

Either 1. seven years of qualifying experience*, which must include one year of supervision of subordinate staff;

Or 2. an associate's degree and five years of qualifying experience*, which must include one year of supervision of subordinate staff;

Or 3. a bachelor's degree and three years of qualifying experience*; which must include one year of supervision of subordinate staff;

Or 4. a bachelor's and a master's degree and two years of qualifying experience*, which must include one year of supervision of subordinate staff;

Or 5. a bachelor's degree and a juris doctorate and two years of qualifying experience*, which must include one year of supervision of subordinate staff.

*Qualifying experience: In one or more of the following areas:

- administration of federal, state or locally funded grant programs;

- preparing and processing applications for disaster mitigation/recovery projects;

- processing requests for grant project payments and performing financial reviews required for final payment;

- damage assessment and identification of appropriate assistance funding programs;

- review of actions plans or planning, organizing and coordinating disaster recovery programs involving local, state and federal agencies.

• If you expect to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2026, 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 June 30, 2026, 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.

The Positions: These positions exist in the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and are located throughout New York State.

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Duties

As a DHSES Program Administrator 2, you would serve as primary contact for a unit within a disaster recovery section. You would discuss and identify disaster relief and resource needs with state, regional, local and not-for-profit organizations; document recovery resources and program information with established local Long Term Recovery Groups and form new groups in post-disaster impact areas, and monitor multiple grants, projects, financial information, reconciliations, and propose improvements to grant administration activities. You would conduct briefings and deploy staff to support the State Emergency Operations Center or field offices during emergency or disaster activations and ongoing events. You would supervise unit activities and prepare work plans and key deliverables, coordinate staff responsibilities and staff training; develop and deliver training courses for staff and stakeholders throughout the state; directly supervise staff involved with the delivery and administration of recovery programs; review and update staff on federal and state regulations, policies, and guidance related to various disaster assistance programs; and perform the full range of supervisory duties including assigning and reviewing work, evaluating performance, conducting interviews and making recommendations for the hiring and redeployment of staff.

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. Effectively interacting with agency staff and members of the public - These questions will test candidates' knowledge of techniques used to interact effectively with a variety of individuals and groups, to provide information 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.
2. Evaluating conclusions based on factual information - These questions test your ability to evaluate and draw conclusions from factual information presented. Each question consists of a set of factual statements and a conclusion. You will be asked to determine whether the conclusion can be proven to be true by the facts, proven to be false by the facts, or if the facts are inadequate to prove the conclusion.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Test Guide: A General Guide to Multiple-Choice Tests is available at http://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.

Your final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Your final score on the eligible list will be determined after adding any 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. 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 notification of your application status, 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

Apply Online

You will need a personal NY.gov ID to apply for this examination. If you do not have a personal NY.gov account, please create an account.

DHSES Program Administrator 2

(You must select at least one exam to continue.)

You Can Also

• Download examination application NYS-APP form; or
• Email cs.sm.examinfo@cs.ny.gov to request NYS-APP forms; or
• Obtain an NYS-APP form from a State agency or facility personnel/business office; or
• Request NYS-APP form by calling the Department of Civil Service in the Albany area at 518-457-2487 or toll free at 1-877-697-5627.

The NYS Department of Civil Service reserves the right to reject for lateness or to accept applications filed after the advertised filing period. All statements you make on your application are subject to investigation.

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/TB2 KXI-dah
Issued: 8/1/25

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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