Residence Requirements:

CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY FOR AT LEAST ONE MONTH IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE WRITTEN TEST AND MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY AT THE TIME OF APPOINTMENT. There is one anticipated vacancy at the Erie County Department of Health.

Examples of Duties:

An Assistant Public Health Engineer assists in the environmental health program by performing work of a professional environmental health engineering nature of ordinary difficulty and responsibility under the direction of a licensed professional engineer;

Investigates and makes reports and recommendations on public and private water supplies or wastewater systems, swimming and bathing places, stream pollution, sanitary conditions of camps, hotels or boarding houses, food, restaurant and general sanitation, air pollution and environmental health nuisances;

Interprets the results of laboratory examination of water, sewage, industrial waste, air and other samples;

Assists in the instruction and assessment for certification of local water plant operators;

Participates in investigations of environmental health factors related to disease outbreaks;

Confers with local officials relative to public health engineering problems;

Performs special assignments relating to any phase of public health engineering or environmental health as required;

Reviews plans and specifications for water systems, sanitary sewers, realty subdivisions, private sewage disposal and public swimming pool construction for compliance with regulations.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  Candidates must meet the following requirements on or before the date of the written test:

Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree* in one of the following disciplines of Engineering or Engineering Technology: Environmental, Chemical, Civil or Sanitary Engineering and one year of professional experience** in sanitary, public health or environmental engineering.

Notes:

1. *Possession of a New York State Engineer’s license may be substituted for the required education but may not be substituted for the required one year of experience.  

2.  **Possession of a Master’s degree in science or engineering may be substituted for the one year of required experience.  

3. Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting full-time experience requirements. 

4. Your degree and/or college credit must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university or one recognized by the New York State Education Department as following acceptable educational practices. A grade of "D" or better is necessary for a course to be credited as successfully completed. If your degree and/or college credit was awarded by an educational institution outside of the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to this Department for a list of acceptable companies providing this service; you must pay the required evaluation fee.

Notice to Candidates:  Transcripts will now be accepted by the Department of Personnel ONLY at time of application.  

All subsequent transcripts must be submitted at time of interview.

The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However,candidates may find information in the publication "How to take a written test" helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm

Subjects of Examination:

SUBJECTS OF EXAMINATION: A written test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas:

1. Inspection and interviewing techniques

These questions test your ability to select the proper course of action in situations which might occur during routine inspections. Question topics may cover, but will not be limited to, such areas as interviewing, gathering information and evidence, maintaining proper attitude, and handling irregularities and violations with integrity and sound judgment. Some questions may be in a situational format while others may deal with the proper principles and practices of inspection.

2. Understanding and interpreting technical written material and engineering plans and specifications

These questions test for the ability to read and analyze written technical material and specifications and various types of technical drawings, and to perform related simple computations. All the information needed to answer the questions will be provided in the written material and/or drawings.

3. 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.

4. Program planning and evaluation

These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices involved in effective program planning and management and may include such areas as designing programs to achieve certain goals, staffing program activities, coordinating and guiding the progress of program activities, and evaluating the effectiveness of such programs.

5. Public health and sanitary engineering including water sources; water treatment and distribution; pollution control and subdivision control

These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices involved in the areas of public health sanitary engineering involving water supply, treatment, and distribution processes; identification and control of potential sources of water and wastewater pollution; and the application of environmental and sanitary principles to housing subdivision review and control.

6. 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.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES:  It is recommended that candidates use a quiet, hand held, solar or battery powered calculator.  Devices with typewriter keyboards, "Spell Checkers", “Personal Digital Assistants", "Address Books", "Language Translators", "Dictionaries", or any similar devices are prohibited.  You may not bring books or other reference materials.

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A $20.00 filing fee is required for this exam. The required fee must accompany your application. Send or bring check or money order made payable to Erie County Personnel Department and write the examination number(s) on your check or money order. Do not send or bring cash, as the County cannot be responsible for cash payment. As no refund will be made, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements for admission and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.