Occ. Code 1909500

INSTITUTION STEWARD, GRADE 23

New York State Department of Civil Service

Classification Standard

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CLASS

Institution Stewards serve as the chief fiscal officer for a State facility, planning and directing the business management functions of such facility, and functioning as chief financial advisor to the executive team of that facility.  

Positions are classified at the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the School for the Deaf, and the School for the Blind.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Institution Stewards are responsible for budgeting, inmate/patient accounts, cash accounting, purchasing and vouchering, storehouse, commissary, laundry, payroll operations, and for supervising personnel performing these functions.  Institution Stewards work closely with Central Office Budgeting Analysts to ensure that expenditures of State funds are made in accordance with agency guidelines and State laws and regulations. 

In the Department of Corrections and Community Supervisions facilities, Institution Stewards are financial advisors to the executive team. They generally concentrate on financial functions, with less administrative control over other program activities. At these facilities, the Superintendent and executive team members control inmate work assignments in these subsidiary activities and consequently exercise considerable policy control over the work for security, programming and other related objectives. 

ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES

Supervises activities of sub-units which include the Business Office, Payroll, Storehouse, Laundry, State Shop, Commissary, Inventory and Internal Control Departments.

• Directs and coordinates activities of sub-units.

• Establishes job duties and procedures.

• Plans, monitors, reviews and evaluates activities and delivery of services.

• May supervise, train, and/or schedule employees and/or inmate workers, including preparing evaluations and/or counseling employees and/or inmate workers.

• Identifies and resolves operational problems.

Assists in the preparation of the facility budget.

• Prepares estimates and projections of budgetary expenses.

Oversees the expenditure and accounting of funds appropriated in the annual budget.

• Prepares reports of budgetary activity and expenditures.

• Monitors agency spending patterns. 

Reviews, approves, disapproves, and schedules expenditures in conformance with facility needs and budgetary segregations.

• Reviews all purchase requests submitted by facility staff to determine availability of funding or alternate funding and approves or disapproves request.

• Determines the source of purchase based on established guidelines and regulations.

Establishes purchasing criteria and confers with the purchasing staff on procedures which promote the most economical procurement.

• Assists in determining specifications and reviews all formal bids for supplies and services purchased by the facility.

• Negotiates the terms, secures approvals, monitors performance and resolves problems with vendors for contracts prepared and issued by the facility.

Oversees the fiscal and accounting activities of the facility.

• Establishes, coordinates and monitors procedures for the control and accounting of State funds in accordance with State Finance Law, Office of the State Comptroller rules and regulations, and Departmental policies.

• Prepares and approves reports and activities.

Oversees cash collection and transaction activities, and completion of all financial records and reports pertaining to cash collections of the facility.

• Establishes, coordinates, and monitors procedures for the recording, control, and accountability of cash transaction activities in accordance with State Finance Law, and Office of the State Comptroller rules and regulations.

• Assures the accurate and timely completion of all required reports.

Provides assistance to the Deputy Superintendent for Administrative Services, Superintendent, Executive and Departmental staff in special projects or assignments.

• Provides verbal and written data on specific facility activities.

• May participate in the update and review of facility procedures and internal controls for purpose of maintaining facility accreditation.

• Assists with the preparation of Capital and Rehabilitation Budget requests.

• Reviews equipment needs and prepares recommendations for replacement.

• Supervises control of facility equipment.

• Schedules, conducts, and attends Departmental meetings on budget activities, internal controls, and facility problems.

• In the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, provides coverage for the Deputy Superintendent for Administrative Services as needed.

• In the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, may assist with, conduct and/or make determinations on inmate disciplinary hearings; and/or serve on good behavior time allowance committees as outlined in Title 7, Chapter 5: Procedures for Standards of Inmate Behavior and for Granting Good Behavior Time Allowances.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Promotion:  one year of permanent competitive service as a Payroll Examiner 3, Head Account Clerk, Senior Accountant, Senior Budgeting Analyst, Purchasing Agent, or Senior Internal Auditor; or two years of permanent competitive service as an Office Assistant 3 (Calculations), Assistant Purchasing Agent, or Payroll Examiner 2. 

Open Competitive:  Bachelor's degree in public administration, accounting, marketing, economics, business administration, or business management, and three years of experience in the administration of a business office or a program with primary responsibility for all of the following areas: budgeting, personnel, and purchasing.  Masters degree in one of the above fields may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

Revised:  7/18

NOTE:  Classification Standards illustrate the nature, extent and scope of duties and responsibilities of the classes they describe.  Standards cannot and do not include all of the work that might be appropriately performed by a class.  The minimum qualifications above are those which were required for appointment at the time the Classification Standard was written.  Please contact the Division of Staffing Services for current information on minimum qualification requirements for appointment or examination.