New York State of Opportunity

Public Building Managers

Written Test To Be Held
March 25, 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
February 08, 2023

 

Exams Included on This Announcement
Exam Number Exam Title Salary Salary Grade Non−Refundable Processing Fee (Waivers available)
26-904 Public Buildings Manager 1 $49,202 SG-14 $35
26-905 Public Buildings Manager 2 * SG-18 $35
Beginning Salary*
$61,270 (PEF)
$61,423 (M/C)

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.

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. Appointees who work in Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam Counties will receive an additional $1,513 annual mid-Hudson adjustment.

Back To Top

Minimum Qualifications

On or before March 25, 2023, you must have:

For Exam No. 26-904:

Either 1. four years of experience managing an occupied commercial building with a gross square footage of at least 50,000 or a complex of occupied buildings totaling at least 150,000 square feet that MUST include the direct responsibility for building maintenance (including HVAC), minor building rehabilitation AND one or more of the following three areas: grounds maintenance, security and access control, or cleaning oversight including sanitary requirements and inspection. You MUST include the square footage with your application and clearly state duties performed. Failure to do so will result in the disapproval of your application;

Or 2. 60 semester credit hours in architecture, architectural technology, construction management, construction technology, engineering, engineering technology, facilities management, business, business administration, or public administration AND two years of experience managing an occupied commercial building with a gross square footage of at least 50,000 or a complex of occupied buildings totaling at least 150,000 square feet that MUST include the direct responsibility for building maintenance (including HVAC), minor building rehabilitation AND one or more of the following three areas: grounds maintenance, security and access control, or cleaning oversight including sanitary requirements and inspection. You MUST include the square footage with your application and clearly state duties performed. Failure to do so will result in the disapproval of your application;

Or 3. 120 semester credit hours in architecture, architectural technology, construction management, construction technology, engineering, engineering technology, facilities management, business, business administration, or public administration AND one year of experience managing an occupied commercial building with a gross square footage of at least 50,000 or a complex of occupied buildings totaling at least 150,000 square feet that MUST include the direct responsibility for building maintenance (including HVAC), minor building rehabilitation AND one or more of the following three areas: grounds maintenance, security and access control, or cleaning oversight including sanitary requirements and inspection. You MUST include the square footage with your application and clearly state duties performed. Failure to do so will result in the disapproval of your application.

For Exam No. 26-905:

Either 1. five years of experience managing an occupied commercial building with a gross square footage of at least 200,000 or a complex of occupied buildings totaling at least 250,000 square feet that MUST include the direct responsibility for building maintenance (including HVAC), minor building rehabilitation AND one or more of the following three areas: grounds maintenance, security and access control, or cleaning oversight including sanitary requirements and inspection. In addition, at least one of the five years MUST include supervision of service contractors or in-house staff including plumbers, electricians, carpenters and other skilled trades persons. You MUST include the square footage with your application and clearly state duties performed. Failure to do so will result in the disapproval of your application;

Or 2. 60 semester credit hours in architecture, architectural technology, construction management, construction technology, engineering, engineering technology, facilities management, business, business administration, or public administration AND three years of experience managing an occupied commercial building with a gross square footage of at least 200,000 or a complex of occupied buildings totaling at least 250,000 square feet that MUST include the direct responsibility for building maintenance (including HVAC), minor building rehabilitation AND one or more of the following three areas: grounds maintenance, security and access control, or cleaning oversight including sanitary requirements and inspection. In addition, at least one of the three years MUST include supervision of service contractors or in-house staff including plumbers, electricians, carpenters and other skilled trades persons. You MUST include the square footage with your application and clearly state duties performed. Failure to do so will result in the disapproval of your application;

Or 3. 120 semester credit hours in architecture, architectural technology, construction management, construction technology, engineering, engineering technology, facilities management, business, business administration, or public administration AND two years of experience managing an occupied commercial building with a gross square footage of at least 200,000 or a complex of occupied buildings totaling at least 250,000 square feet that MUST include the direct responsibility for building maintenance (including HVAC), minor building rehabilitation AND one or more of the following three areas: grounds maintenance, security and access control, or cleaning oversight including sanitary requirements and inspection. In addition, at least one of the two years MUST include supervision of service contractors or in-house staff including plumbers, electricians, carpenters and other skilled trades persons. You MUST include the square footage with your application and clearly state duties performed. Failure to do so will result in the disapproval of your application.

The Positions: These positions exist in the Department of Education, Office of General Services, State Insurance Fund and Workers' Compensation Board and are located statewide.

Back To Top

Duties

As a Public Buildings Manager 1 & 2, you would supervise subordinate staff, contract workers, vendors, and consultants, in the performance of all maintenance, grounds, security, and custodial work in a medium to large governmental building or cluster of buildings. You would be the main point of contact for tenant agency representatives and visitors regarding building issues, ensuring customer satisfaction. You would be responsible for maintaining a scheduled maintenance program; supervising minor modifications to the building; inspecting office space to ensure that custodial work performed meets specifications and determining appropriateness of custodial procedures and methods; preparing budget requests; planning, prioritizing, and controlling the spending of allocations for your assigned area of responsibility; and managing building contracts. Public Buildings Manager duties vary among the levels depending upon the building size, setting, and population served.

Notes

  1. Promotion and transition examinations are also being 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.
  2. Although promotion and transition examinations are being held, it is expected that appointments will be made as the result of these examinations open to the public.
  3. Agencies have the option of making appointments from either the list resulting from this examination open to the public or the list resulting from the transition examination. If you meet the requirements for both examinations, you may wish to file for both. The processing fee must be paid for this examination unless you are eligible for a fee waiver.

Back To Top

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:

  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. Building maintenance and repair - These questions test for knowledge of the basic principles, practices and techniques essential to the proper maintenance and repair of various types of buildings, including such areas as building maintenance, preventive maintenance, and minor repair of building structures, electrical, and plumbing systems. This may include maintenance and repair of roofs, windows, walls, floors, millwork, insulation, masonry, pipes and valves, electrical wiring and switches, and painting. Questions may also include topics such as the proper tools and materials used in building maintenance and repair work as well as proper and safe practices and techniques when using these tools and materials.
  3. Review and interpretation of plans and specifications, and the preparation of estimates - These questions test for the ability to read and understand typical building plans, layouts, and technical specifications; and for the ability to calculate accurate estimates of material and labor costs.
  4. Operation and maintenance of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems - These questions test for knowledge of basic principles, practices and techniques essential to the correct operation and maintenance of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, including such areas as air supply and exhaust systems, circulating fan capacities, building ventilation requirements, steam, hot water, and hot air heating systems; boiler operation; the refrigeration cycle, types and characteristics of refrigerants, troubleshooting air conditioning system problems, and proper maintenance of air conditioning systems.

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 wartime Veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits.

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.

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.

Back To Top

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.

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

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 LAK-dah
Issued: 01/06/23

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.

Back To Top