New York State Department of Civil Service
Division of Classification & Compensation
Occ. Code 7120145
Trades Specialist (Machinist), Grade 12
Brief Description of Class
A Trades Specialist (Machinist) performs journey-level machine shop work and may supervise others in operating and maintaining lathes, drill presses, drilling machines, and other machine tools in the construction and repair of metal parts, tools, and fixtures.
Distinguishing Characteristics
Trades Specialist (Machinist): non-competitive; plans and lays out work and determines the proper tools and materials and the sequence of cutting and finishing operations required. Incumbents set up and operate a variety of machine tools often requiring work to close tolerances, in the manufacture and repair of metal parts, mechanisms, tools or machines. Trades Specialists (Machinist) work from rough sketches, blueprints, samples or oral descriptions. The work of the Trades Specialist (Machinist) is rarely repetitive.
A Trades Specialist (Machinist) may supervise others in this work including semiskilled and unskilled workers.
A Maintenance Assistant (Machinist), as a semiskilled employee, performs the more routine and repetitive tasks which do not require difficult planning and layout to achieve required dimensions. Incumbents follow specific instructions and work under the direction, observation, and supervision of a Trades Specialist (Machinist).
Positions of Facility Operations Assistant 1 assigned to a Trades Specialist (Machinist), perform manual tasks involving elementary skills as directed while learning the practical techniques of the trade.
Illustrative Tasks
Incumbents set up and operate machine tools such as lathes, planers, milling machines, and drilling machines to make or repair a variety of metal parts and tools. A Trades Specialist (Machinist) may also perform skilled machine shop work such as line boring main bearings, coring cylinders, and grinding crankshafts and pistons in the overhaul of gas and diesel engines. In addition, incumbents may devise and make metal items for special use such as pumps, jigs, and fixtures. Illustrative activities include the following:
· From specifications or description of part to be produced, plans tools and materials required, and the sequence of operations to be performed.
· Selects proper materials for the job, and lays out stock for machining by measuring and marking dimensions and reference points.
· When operating machines, selects and installs proper cutting tools and sets machine controls which determine sequence of operations, the speed at which the tool or work moves, and the depth of the cut.
· Machines parts to specifications, and checks accuracy of the work by the use of precision measuring devices such as micrometers and gauges.
Independence of Operation
Trades Specialists (Machinist) are supervised by higher-level trades positions such as Maintenance Supervisor 1 (Motor Equipment), Maintenance Supervisor 2 or 3, or Canal Maintenance Shop Supervisor 2. Generally, work priorities are prescribed, material is furnished, the nature and extent of the work to be performed is given, and detailed plans, diagrams, and specifications are provided. In the absence of such direction, the Trades Specialist (Machinist) sets priorities, requisitions materials, determines the work that has to be done, and lays out the work.
Although the work of a Trades Specialist (Machinist) is inspected periodically by a supervisor, incumbents are expected to work with considerable independence as is typical of a skilled tradesperson.
Communication
The nature of a Trades Specialists (Machinist) activities generally restricts relationships to employees in the same organizational unit, including skilled tradespersons in other trades. However, incumbents may orally communicate with others within the agency or facility to determine the purpose and special requirements of the tools or parts to be repaired or made.
Trades Specialists (Machinist) may supervise a maintenance staff. Such relationships are characterized by frequent oral communications in assigning work and providing instructions. Written and oral communications with the general public are not typical of this class. Although incumbents may have frequent verbal relationships with others, the tasks of this class are predominantly thing-oriented and involvement with others is not a factor in determining its classification.
Supervision Exercised
A Trades Specialist (Machinist) may supervise a subordinate maintenance staff and/or individuals for whom the State has custody or responsibility by making assignments, giving instructions, observing and inspecting the work performed to ensure that instructions have been followed and that the quality of the work is satisfactory.
Minimum Qualifications
Non-competitive: four years of full-time experience in the machinist trade under a skilled tradesperson which would provide training equivalent to that given in a training, apprenticeship, or equivalent program; or an equivalent combination of experience and training gained by completion of technical courses in the machinist trade at a school, institute, or branch of the Armed Services.
When required to operate motor vehicles, candidates must possess a valid New York State driver's license appropriate for the type of vehicle to be operated.
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.
9/2020
JM