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.

At present there are two vacancies in the Town of Amherst and the annual salary range is $51,619 - $71,629. (*Salaries vary among municipalities and districts.) 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 Program Supervisor (Youth and Recreation) is  responsible for the administration of municipal youth and recreation programs; 

Coordinates the implementation of operating policies and procedures for youth and recreation programs in compliance with applicable State and local regulations;

Organizes-and directs the daily operation of youth and recreation programs and formulates long and short range plans for growth;

Recruits, interviews and hires part-time and seasonal program staff and prepares weekly schedules;

Reviews the work of subordinate full-time staff (youth centers directors, program coordinators, recreation supervisors, and program leaders) and evaluates progress towards agency goals;

Plans, organizes, and coordinates in-service training programs;

Researches current trends and best practices in youth and recreation programming;

Attends and participates in meetings with community groups and residents for the purposes of planning;

Interfaces with local schools to address community needs; Confers with parents as necessary;

Oversees the accreditation process of youth and recreation programs;

Participates in grant writing and program development;

Works with maintenance division to address health and safety needs in relation to youth and recreation programming;

Creates and maintains programmatic budgets and ensures compliance by subordinate full-time staff;

Recommends the purchase of ongoing supplies and materials relating directly to program projects;

Provides leadership to community special events;

Provides periodic written reports and/or presentations to the Executive Director, Youth Board and/or Recreation Commission

Qualifications:

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

A. Master's degree from an accredited institution in Education, Counseling, Social Work, Public Administration, Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice or a related field and five (5) years of experience in program planning/administration, child care, casework, teaching, counseling, or similar activities in a private or public institution; or

B. Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in Education, Counseling, Social Work, Public Administration, Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice or a related field and eight (8) years of experience in program planning/administration, child care, casework, teaching, counseling, or similar activities in a private or public institution 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.

2. 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: 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. Principles and practices of leisure recreation

These questions test for a knowledge of the basic concepts and common practices employed in the planning and implementation of leisure-time recreation programs in athletics, social activities, and avocational interests. Questions may cover such areas as program/activity planning for the major user groups, program/activity planning for people with special needs; operation of recreation areas, recreation center buildings, and specialized recreation facilities (pools, tennis courts, etc.); and scheduling of activities.

2. 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.

3. Recreation administration

These questions test for knowledge and application of the principles and practices of recreation administration as they relate to structuring and maintaining a recreation program. Questions may cover such topics as planning (forecasting, identification of objectives, etc.); organizing (identification and grouping of work tasks, definition and delegation of responsibility and authority, establishment of relationships, etc.); control (development and implementation of standards, evaluation techniques, etc.); and policy formulation (information systems, evaluation of alternatives, etc.).

4. Working with people to facilitate recreation and/or leisure activities

These questions will test for the knowledge and abilities necessary to work with individuals of all backgrounds in the context of providing recreation and leisure activities. Questions may cover such areas as: human behavior and development, handling difficult situations, engaging and motivating participants, building rapport with participants, working with volunteers, and planning appropriate activities for participant group.

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.

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.