Director of Senior Services

Modified: February 17, 2016 3:29pm

COUNTY OF ERIE - DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL
invites applications for the position of:

Director of Senior Services

#67-990 - Open Competitive (open to the public)

Salary: $43,000.00 Annually
Opening Date: February 17, 2016
Closing Date: March 16, 2016
Application fee: $20.00

Residence Requirements:

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. Preference may be given to successful candidates who have been residents of the municipality in which the appointment is to be made for one month preceding the date of the certification of the eligible list and who are residents of the municipality at the time of appointment. Non-residents may be required to become a resident of the appointing municipality if local law so states. One vacancy is anticipated in the Town of Newstead The annual salary is $43,000. The eligible list resulting from this examination will be used to fill this vacancy and other appropriate vacancies which may occur in municipalities or districts under the jurisdiction of Erie County Civil Service while this list is active.

Examples of Duties:

A  Director of Senior Services plans, develops and supervises program of activities and services for Senior Citizens;

Plans, initiates, organizes and supervises a diversified program of educational, social and recreational activities for older adults;

Supervises, trains and advises other staff members in the promotion, organization and conduct of activities;

Recruits, trains and supervises volunteers working in programs for older adults;

Studies the needs of elderly citizens of the community and recommends action to meet them, with special emphasis on a broad activity program and utilization of community resources;

Acts as a technical advisor to the Community Advisory Board for Senior Citizens, prepares agendas, schedules appearances and prepares recommendations for submission to the Advisory Committee;

Creates annual budgets and maintains budget expenditures.

Qualifications:

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

A.  Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Master's degree and four years of progressively responsible full time paid experience in group work involving older adults, one year of which shall have been in a responsible supervisory* capacity; or:


B.  Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York state registered four year college or university with a Bachelor's degree and five years of progressively responsible full time paid experience in group work involving older adults, one year of which shall have been in a responsible supervisory* capacity; or:


C.  An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of (A) and (B). 

Notes:

NOTES: 1. *A supervisory position is defined as a position in which supervision was a major responsibility of the job. Occasional or partial supervision of work crew is not acceptable supervisory experience. 2. Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting full-time experience requirements. 3. 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.

Examination date:

April 23, 2016

Applications Must Be Postmarked or Hand Delivered By:

March 16, 2016

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: www.cs.ny.gov/testing/localtestguides.cfm

Subjects of Examination:

Subjects of examination: A written test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas:

1. Administrative techniques and practices

These questions test for a 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. Characteristics, issues, and problems relating to the elderly

These questions test for knowledge of the characteristics of the elderly, the issues of concern to them, and the causes and implications of significant problems facing them. The questions may cover such areas as housing, economic security, employment, long-term care, health care, recreation, social support, nutrition, and mental and physical functioning.

3. Educating and interacting with the public

These questions test for knowledge of techniques used to interact effectively with individuals and/or community groups, to educate or inform them about topics of concern, to publicize or 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 others in cooperative efforts of public outreach or service.

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. Working with people in human services situations

These questions test for a knowledge of general techniques used to deal with common client behaviors such as fear, hostility, shyness, resistance, defensiveness, withdrawal, anxiety and confusion.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES:  Unless otherwise noted, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand held, solar or battery powered calculators.  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.