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.  At present there are three present vacancies and eight anticipated vacancies in the Department of Public Works.

Examples of Duties:

A Janitor performs cleaning and general janitorial services in buildings or offices; 

Cleans and services buildings by sweeping and mopping offices, halls, stairways, and other units;

Periodically waxes and buffs floors with mechanical equipment;

Gathers and disposes of refuse; services lavatories and fixtures and fills soiled supply containers; Cleans lighting fixtures, replaces light bulbs, and washes windows when necessary; moves furniture and equipment;

Makes minor repairs to equipment, such as unplugging toilets, replacing light fuses, fixing shades; requests supplies for cleaning; attends to a small heating unit;

Assists with outside work such as sweeping walks, shoveling snow; and may supervise the work of other people assisting with cleaning.

Qualifications:

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

A)     Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and one year of experience in either 1.) commercial cleaning practice, OR 2.) general building maintenance which included experience in one of the following trades; Carpentry, Electrical, H.V.A.C. or Plumbing; or:

B)      Five (5) years of experience in either 1.) commercial cleaning practices, OR  2.) general building maintenance which included  experience in one of the following trades; Carpentry, Electrical, H.V.A.C. or Plumbing; or:

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

Notes:

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

A Guide for the Written Test for High-level Custodians/Janitors is available at the New York State website:https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm. Candidates not having access to a computer or the internet may request copy of the test guide from the municipal civil service office conducting this examination using the contact information found elsewhere on this announcement.

Subjects of Examination:

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

Ability to read and follow written instructions
These questions test for the ability to read, understand and apply written instructions for performing tasks similar to those encountered on the job. All the information needed to answer these questions will be provided in the test booklet.

Building cleaning
These questions test for knowledge of basic principles and practices of building cleaning. They cover such areas as equipment, tools, supplies, methods and procedures for cleaning different types of surfaces and materials under various, commonly occurring circumstances.

Building operation and maintenance I
These questions test for knowledge of the basic principles, practices and techniques essential to the correct operation and maintenance of public buildings. They cover such areas as building maintenance; preventive maintenance, and minor repair of electrical and plumbing systems; methods and equipment for snow removal; building safety and equipment storage.

Supervision and training
These questions test for the knowledge required by a supervisor to set goals, plan and organize work, train workers in how to do their jobs, and direct workers towards meeting established goals. The supervisory questions cover such areas as assigning and reviewing work, evaluating performance, maintaining work quality, motivating employees, increasing efficiency, and dealing with problems that may arise on the job. The training questions cover such areas as determining the necessity for training, selecting appropriate training methods, and evaluating the effectiveness of training.

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.