Fish Culturist 4

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.

THE LIST RESULTING FROM THIS EXAMINATION WILL BE USED FOR VACANCIES IN THE OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN THE LONG ISLAND AREA ONLY.

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.

Back To Top

Minimum Qualifications

On or before December 1, 2018, you must have:

Either A. a bachelor���s or higher-lever degree including or supplemented by 30 semester credit hours in the biological sciences, which includes 12 semester credit hours in fisheries science, fish biology, aquatic ecology, fisheries techniques, aquaculture, fishery management, fishery statistics or biology of aquatic invertebrates AND two years of fish culture experience, including at least one year of experience as a hatchery manager or assistant hatchery manager, which must have included responsibility for preparing budgets, planning and directing hatchery operations, and supervising personnel;

Or B. an associate���s degree including or supplemented by 12 semester credit hours in fisheries science, fish biology, aquatic ecology, fisheries techniques, aquaculture, fishery management, fishery statistics or biology of aquatic invertebrates AND four years of fish culture experience, including at least one year of experience as a hatchery manager or assistant hatchery manager, which must have included responsibility for preparing budgets, planning and directing hatchery operations, and supervising personnel;

Or C. six years of fish culture experience, including at least two years of experience as a hatchery manager or assistant hatchery manager, which must have included responsibility for preparing budgets, planning and directing hatchery operations, and supervising personnel.

If you expect to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2019, 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, 2019 may result in your removal from the eligible list.

Notes:

1. Your degree or high school diploma or equivalency diploma must have been awarded by a college, university, high school or educational institution 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 high school diploma 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: S2KXM.
2. Per federal government requirements, if you are appointed to this position, you may be required to undergo fingerprinting and a state and federal criminal background check.
3. You must possess a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State at the time of appointment and continuously thereafter.
4. You may be required to obtain a valid Class B CDL within 6 months of appointment with appropriate endorsements. If a CDL is required you will be subject to the Federal Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act (OTETA) of 1991, which requires employee testing for drug and alcohol abuse.
5. Qualifying part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
6. New York State residence is not required.

The Positions:

These positions exist in the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in Long Island.

Back To Top

Duties

As a Fish Culturist 4, you would supervise Fish Culturists levels 1 through 3 and support staff; serve as manager at a large facility; plan and direct the annual work program for the hatchery; plan and supervise maintenance schedules for the facility and grounds; compile and prepare hatchery budget requests; plan and schedule programs and costs for upcoming fiscal year; coordinate public outreach (such as visitor tours and/or Trout in the Classroom); organize and evaluate the health and safety program; plan and oversee implementation of the hatchery fish cultural program; coordinate fish health management plans; handle administrative matters including the recruitment, selection and evaluation of employees; prepare statistical and narrative reports; and attend professional agency meetings. Work with Regional fisheries managers and biologists to determine stocking dates and locations. Coordinate volunteer stocking efforts with sportsman organizations and the general public. Provides on-site oversite for hatchery rehabilitation and improvement projects. As a Fish Culturist 4, you may be required to live on-site in state owned housing.

Back To Top

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. 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.
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. Educating and interacting with the public - These questions test for knowledge of techniques used to interact effectively with individual citizens 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.
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. Fish Culture - These questions will be designed to test for, but will not necessarily be limited to, knowledge of the principles and practices involved in fish culture, including spawn-taking; egg incubation; fish care at various stages of development; fish feeding requirements; water quality parameters including hatchery influent and effluent, sampling and measurement techniques; fish marking; fish stocking; equipment, including operation and maintenance; employee health and safety issues; and the natural history of the fish species involved.
6. Fish health management - These questions will test for knowledge of the signs and causes of fish diseases and methods used in the prevention and control of diseases.
7. Fish hatchery management - These questions will consist of hypothetical case histories of specific situations involving fish culture and New York State hatchery operations. Candidates will be asked to identify issues and/or manipulate conditions to solve the problems presented.

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.

Back To Top

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.

S2/TC3 KXM-dah
Issued: 09/14/2018

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.

Back To Top