Administrative Specialist 2

Salary Grade	*Salary
G-23	$84,156 (PEF) $84,246 (M/C) $82,086 (Thruway)

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.

Interdepartmental promotion examination open to all qualified employees of New York State.

For Promotion in State Departments, Facilities, and Agencies

1. Within Promotion Units 2. Within Entire Departments 3. To Other Departments

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before December 7, 2024, you must be a qualified employee of New York State and have had three months of permanent competitive, non-competitive NY HELPS**, or 55-b/55-c service as shown below. If you have received a permanent appointment to a qualifying title listed and served provisionally*** in that title immediately preceding your permanent appointment, such provisional service may be counted towards meeting the time in title required for this examination.

Either A. an Administrative Specialist 1, Administrative Specialist Trainee 1 or Administrative Specialist Trainee 2;

Or B. an Assistant Office Services Manager, Contract Management Specialist 1, Contract Management Specialist Trainee 1, Contract Management Specialist Trainee 2, Senior Administrative Analyst, Administrative Analyst Trainee 1, Administrative Analyst Trainee 2, Senior Budgeting Analyst, Budgeting Analyst Trainee 1, Budgeting Analyst Trainee 2, Human Resources Specialist 1, Human Resources Specialist Trainee 1, Human Resources Specialist Trainee 2.

Only the title or titles listed are qualifying.

If you were permanently appointed to a qualifying title on or before September 7, 2024, and have served continuously in this title since that date, you are eligible to file for this examination..

**If you were permanently appointed via the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide (NY HELPS) program to a qualifying title in the non-competitive class on or before September 7, 2024, and have served continuously in this title since that date, you may apply for this examination.

***If you were permanently appointed to a qualifying title and had provisional service in the same title immediately preceding the permanent appointment, such provisional service may be counted towards meeting the time in title required to apply for this examination. Your provisional appointment must have been on or before September 7, 2024, to qualify for this examination.

Qualifying Experience For Appointment From The Eligible List: After one year of service as described in the minimum qualifications, successful candidates will be qualified for appointment from the eligible list. Successful Trainees will be qualified for appointment after one year of service at the full performance level.

If you have received a permanent appointment to a qualifying title listed and served provisionally in that title immediately preceding your permanent appointment, such provisional service may be counted towards meeting the one year time in title required for appointment from the eligible list.

Employees appointed to a non-competitive position via the NY HELPS program to a qualifying title in the non-competitive class will have their names restricted from appointment from the eligible list until their position is covered-in to the competitive class by action of the New York State Civil Service Commission or otherwise obtain permanent competitive status in the position.

Eligibles who meet the ?B? qualifications, and who are subsequently appointed to an ?A? title, may request to have their name added to the ?A? list, once they have completed the time in title year(s) of service in the full performance level ?A? title. The request should be submitted in writing to the NYS Department of Civil Service, Albany, New York 12239; Attention: S3/BME.

Order of Certification: The order of certification of this eligible list will be:

1. Promotion Unit "A" eligibles     4. Department "All" eligibles

2. Promotion Unit "All" eligibles   5. Interdepartmental "A" eligibles

3. Department "A" eligibles          6. Interdepartmental "All" eligibles

The Positions: These positions exist in multiple New York State agencies and are located Statewide.

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Duties

As an Administrative Specialist 2, you would provide professional administrative and staff support to executives, program managers and staff, boards, or commissions by overseeing budget, human resources, and business services activities for an organization or program. This would include preparing and administering the annual budget and financial plan; managing purchase of goods and services, as with vendor contracts; managing human resources for your program area; and preparing and revising work methods and procedures. You may supervise lower-level administrative and professional staff.

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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. Administrative techniques and practices - These questions test for knowledge of management techniques and practices used in directing or assisting in directing a program component or an organizational segment. Questions cover such areas as interpreting policies, making decisions based on the context of the position in the organization, coordinating programs or projects, communicating with employees or the public, planning employee training, and researching and evaluating areas of concern.
2. Ensuring effective inter/intra agency communications - These questions test for understanding of techniques for interacting effectively with individuals and agencies, to educate and inform them about topics of concern, to 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 the staff of one's own agency and/or that of other agencies in cooperative efforts of public outreach or service.
3. Evaluating conclusions in light of known facts - These questions will consist of a set of facts and a conclusion. You must decide if the conclusion is proved by the facts, disproved by the facts or if the facts are not sufficient to prove or disprove the conclusion. The questions will not be specific to a particular field.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

If you pass, your seniority credit(s), if any, will be included in the computation of your final score. Your final score on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' credits.

Credit For Seniority: Seniority is credited at the rate of one credit for each five-year period (or fraction thereof), excluding the first year of service.

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 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 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

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.

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.

Eligibility for Examination

To be considered a qualified employee eligible to compete in this examination, you must be employed in, or on leave from, the specified department or agency on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class, or in the non-competitive class or labor class if specifically noted on this announcement (or be on an appropriate preferred list), and have the specified time in the specified title or salary grade. You may not compete in a test for a title if you are permanently employed in that title (unless you are still on probation) or in a higher direct line of promotion.

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.

S3/TB2 BME-dah
Issued: 9/20/24

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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