Writing Assistant Jobs in Schenectady, NY (NOW HIRING)

Duties Description The Staffing Services Division is responsible for assisting State agencies with staffing New York State partner agencies. To better serve our partner agencies and simplify the examination process so that it is customer friendly, accessible, and convenient for candidates and HR professionals, the Department is undergoing a comprehensive strategic effort to improve the merit and fitness process by leveraging technology to develop an automated testing process with an end goal of matching the most qualified candidates to open positions quickly and equitably. With this posting we intend to fill one position within the Division, which will be assigned to one of the following sections: Bureau of Exam Modernization and Program Support - Employment Records Section Under the direction of a Human Resources Specialist 2 (Staffing), the incumbent will: Provide merit system advice and guidance to assigned State agencies via phone call, email, and in writing.

Assist agencies with the interpretation of Civil Service laws, rules, regulations and policies as it pertains to personnel transactions. Monitor, review, and process personnel transactions including but not limited to hire, rehire, transfer, reassignments, leaves and terminations. Perform special transaction unit edits to an employee's history to maintain accurate records.

Supervise up to two Appointments Examiner staff. Bureau of Merit System Administration - Staffing Line Section Under the direction of a Human Resources Specialist 2 (Staffing), the incumbent will: Provide merit system advice and guidance to State agencies via telephone, emails and in writing. Plan, schedule, and administer timely and appropriate selection devices for assigned agencies.

Draft correspondence in response to letters from agencies, candidates, unions, and others. Draft responses to FOIL requests. Research and provide guidance on minimum qualifications, open competitive examination applications, and provide customer service to applicants, candidates, and agencies.

Monitor, review, and contribute to the processing of personnel transactions; assist agencies with interpretation of Civil Service Laws, Rules, Regulations and Policies. Review, research, and draft recommendations on Department of Civil Service and Civil Service Commission matters. Bureau of Exam Modernization and Program Support - Exam Modernization, Continuous Exams, Development & Support Section.

Under the direction of a Human Resources Specialist 2 (Staffing), the incumbent will: Serve as Subject Matter experts in support of the Examination Modernization Project. Collaborate with Division partners in the design and implementation of examination modernization initiatives. Provide merit system advice and guidance to assigned staff and State agencies via telephone, emails and in writing.

Plan, schedule, and administer timely and appropriate selection devices for assigned agencies. Draft correspondence in response to letters from agencies, candidates, unions, and others. Draft responses to FOIL requests.

Research and provide guidance on minimum qualifications, open competitive examination applications, and provide customer service to applicants, candidates, and agencies. Monitor, review, and contribute to the processing of personnel transactions; assist agencies with interpretation of Civil Service Laws, Rules, Regulations and Policies. Review, research, and draft recommendations on Department of Civil Service and Civil Service Commission matters.

Bureau of Exam Modernization and Program Support, State Employees and Agency Services Section - Career Mobility Office (CMO) Under the direction of a Human Resources Specialist 2 (Staffing), the incumbent will: Provide merit system guidance and career mobility assistance and strategies to State employees via telephone, emails, and in writing. Administer the reemployment system and assist State employees with continuity of employment when impacted by workforce restructuring. Present in person workshops or remote webinars on relevant merit system topics for State employees.

Participate at information fairs to promote the Career Mobility Office's services, and work with agencies and other stakeholders to develop and update career mobility resources. Please note, this assignment requires continuous contact with State employees and agencies and requires public speaking and occasional travel (about 10%). Note: Staffing Services Division candidates who wish to request a reassignment may apply and must indicate the Section to which they are interested in being reassigned to.

Minimum Qualifications NY HELPS: This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply. At a future date, it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination.

Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in an NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified. NON-COMPETITIVE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (NY HELPS): Human Resources Specialist Trainee 1 (Staffing): Four years of experience administering the employee selection process by planning and administering examinations; and advising entities, employees, and others on various issues related to appointments, status, and layoffs.

Substitutions For Human Resources Specialist Trainee 1 (Staffing): Associate degree may substitute for two years of specialized experience; bachelor's degree may substitute for four years of specialized experience. Human Resources Specialist Trainee 2 (Staffing): Five years of experience administering the employee selection process by planning and administering examinations; and advising entities, employees, and others on various issues related to appointments, status, and layoffs. Substitutions For Human Resources Specialist Trainee 2 (Staffing): Associate degree may substitute for two years of specialized experience; bachelor's degree may substitute for four years of specialized experience; master's degree may substitute for five years of specialized experience.

Human Resources Specialist 1 (Staffing): Six years of experience administering the employee selection process by planning and administering examinations; and advising entities, employees, and others on various issues related to appointments, status, and layoffs. Substitutions For Human Resources Specialist 1 (Staffing): Associate degree may substitute for two years of specialized experience; bachelor's degree may substitute for four years of specialized experience; master's degree may substitute five years of specialized experience; J.D. may substitute for six years of specialized experience

REASSIGNMENT QUALIFICATIONS: Current Department of Civil Service employees with one year of permanent, contingent permanent, or 55 B/C service as a Human Resources Specialist 1 (Staffing), or Trainee 1 / Trainee 2, if less than one year, you must be currently reachable on the Human Resources Specialist 1 (Staffing), or Trainee 1 / Trainee 2 eligible list for the Albany location if one exists. COMPETITIVE QUALIFICATIONS: You must be reachable on the current eligible list or eligible for transfer. 70.1 TRANSFER QUALIFICATIONS: One year of permanent, contingent permanent, or 55 B/C service in a title eligible for transfer and determined to be similar by Civil Service

52.6 TRANSFER QUALIFICATIONS: One year of permanent, contingent permanent, or 55 B/C service in a title eligible for transfer and determined to be similar by Civil Service. 70.4 TRANSFER QUALIFICATIONS: Current New York State employee with one year or more of permanent, contingent permanent or 55 B/C service in a position allocated to a Grade 11 or higher and who has passed the PCO exam and has a bachelor's degree* may be eligible for appointment. For transfers, a list of approved titles is available through Civil Service GOT-IT at https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/

SUBSEQUENT 55B/C QUALIFICATIONS: A subsequent 55 B/C appointment may be considered if you have one year of permanent, contingent-permanent, or 55 B/C service in an eligible position allocated to Grade 11. To be considered, you must provide a copy of your letter of eligibility with your response. 55 B/C QUALIFICATIONS: Current permanent non-competitive state employees certified eligible for the 55 B/C Individuals certified eligible for the 55 B/C program under the Governor's Program to Hire Persons/Veterans with Disabilities pursuant to Section 55 B/C of the Civil Service Law will also be considered.

To be considered, you must provide a copy of your letter of eligibility with your response. You must meet the open competitive qualifications from the most recent examination announcement. The open competitive minimum qualifications are: a bachelor's degree* or higher.

*Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university 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 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. It is essential that candidates clearly and concisely indicate exactly how they meet the above minimum qualifications in their resume. Failure to show how you meet the minimum qualifications above may result in disqualification and removal from consideration.

Additional Comments #TeamCivilService is growing and is looking for motivated, forward-thinking employees to join our team to build a dynamic workforce. The Department of Civil Service is undertaking several initiatives to transform the way the agency delivers services to our partner agencies and to the public, and we are excited to be adding new members to the team. In addition to joining a growing team and agency, employees will also receive a comprehensive benefits package.

The Department of Civil Service is the central personnel agency for the Executive Branch of New York State government, serving approximately 150,000 employees. Our mission is to build tomorrow's workforce today by promoting a diverse, inclusive, and talented workforce. We lead and deliver world-class workforce management strategies by providing innovative solutions based on merit, fitness, and equality of opportunity.

Among its duties, the Department: Partners with State agencies to offer workforce recruitment and placement services, including developing minimum qualifications, classifying positions, developing civil service examinations, and administering performance assessment tests. Administers the New York State Health Insurance Program (https://www.cs.ny.gov/nyship/), one of the largest public employer health insurance programs in the nation, serving more than 1.2 million lives. Assists municipal agencies with civil service administration of more than 360,000 local government employees

Oversees the Governor's Program to Hire Individuals and Veterans with Disabilities (https://www.cs.ny.gov/rp55/) to place individuals with disabilities in State jobs and the New New York Leaders Initiative Student Intern Program. (https://nysinternships.cs.ny.gov/nnyl/) NOTE ON TELECOMMUTING: DCS employees may be approved for a maximum of 50% telecommuting, however, they are required to apply and obtain approval through management in accordance with DCS Telecommuting Program Guidelines. The Department of Civil Service is proud to be an equal opportunity employer

We encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, veteran status, disability status, arrest record or criminal conviction history, or any other category protected by law. We are happy to provide reasonable and religious accommodations during the hiring process for those in need.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please send a request to DCSRA@cs.ny.gov Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.