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.

There is one current vacancy in the Town of Cheektowaga and the annual salary is $82,000. (*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:

An Assistant Town Engineer in the administrative and technical duties involved with the planning, design, construction and maintenance of town public work facilities;

Administers public works construction contracts, performs field survey work, designs and prepares plans, specifications, and bid documents; keeps project records, prepares change orders, inspects construction;

Designs storm drainage and sanitary sewer systems and other municipal projects;

Reviews legal documents and prepares easement descriptions;

Reviews residential subdivision and commercial proposals for compliance with Federal, State, County and town regulations pertaining to sanitary sewer facilities, drainage, detention facilities, stormwater pollution prevention and environmental significance;

Administers various ordinances pertaining to development, i.e., flood damage prevention, drainage systems and public improvement permit ordinances;

Investigates complaints and problems relating to flooding, sewage, streams, etc.; preparing reports and making recommendations to the Town Engineer;

Develops and maintains engineering records, mapping and files, meets with and provides information and technical data to engineering consultants, architects, developers, etc.;

Coordinates and reviews activities in the town performed by outside agencies, i.e., State, County and utility companies;

Deals with State and Federal regulatory agencies when town actions require this;

Attends meetings and acts for the Town Engineer in his absence.

Qualifications:

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

Graduation from a recognized college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, plus three (3) years of satisfactory professional civil engineering experience.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:  License to practice professional engineering in the State of New York.

Notes:

1.  Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting full-time 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 'General Guide to Written Tests' helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at:https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.

Subjects of Examination:

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

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.
 

Principles and practices of civil engineering

These questions test for knowledge of engineering concepts and their practical applications to the construction, operation and maintenance of public works projects, including roadways, bridges, buildings, water and sewage systems and similar types of infrastructure.
 

Engineering plans, specifications and estimates

These questions test for knowledge of and the ability to read and interpret construction drawings and technical specifications, and for the ability to calculate cost and quantity estimates from technical presentations and/or engineering and construction drawings. Knowledge of estimating techniques and the proper method of construction for specified projects will be required.

Methods and materials of construction

These questions test for knowledge of the proper procedures and materials used in the construction, maintenance and repair of various types of public works projects, including such typical construction work as excavations, roadways, embankments, and building and related structural improvements.
 

Surveying principles and practices, including map interpretation

These questions test for knowledge of the concepts, computations and proper procedures involved in performing surveys for construction projects and land areas, including the use of theodolites, total stations, automatic levels and other contemporary field survey equipment; and for the ability to read, analyze and perform technical computations based on site plans and topographic and survey maps.
 

Construction, reconstruction and repair of streets, sewers, waterlines and other related structures

These questions test for knowledge of the engineering concepts, practices, testing procedures, materials and computations used in the installation, repair and upkeep of streets, curbs, sidewalks, abutments, retaining walls, sewage and water systems, and related appurtenances.
 

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.