Erie County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to workplace diversity.

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 current vacancy in the Town of Amherst. The annual salary range is $55,048-76,387. 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.

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.

Examples of Duties:

A Landscape Architect prepares and reviews site plans, construction drawings, specifications and estimates as related to existing and proposed park and open space development; 

Makes reconnaissance surveys of existing and proposed parks for the purpose of formulating development plans;

Secures data for the preparation of site development plans, interprets the data, creative designs, and assists in the coordination and drawing of detailed construction plans;

Prepares specifications and cost estimates for various projects;

Reviews and provides written comments on site plans and other submittals;

Conducts site visits of proposed and existing projects as needed;

Gives direction to project engineers and contractors involving problems with landscaping, grading, drainage, and planting;

Consults with architects, engineers, and contractors during planning and construction phases;

Participates in staff meeting; to review current work, to outline future work programs, and receive general orientation and instruction;

Maintains records and files on all pertinent material;

Answers technical questions on landscaping and planting matters;

Meets with local officials and technical personnel to discuss park planning problem

Qualifications:

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

A.) Graduation from a recognized college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture or Landscape Engineering and two years of progressive responsible experience in landscape architecture, landscape engineering, designing, or planning; OR

B.) Completion of a one year Master's degree program in Landscape Architecture or Landscape Engineering and one year of experience as listed in (A); OR

C.) Completion of a two year Master 's degree in Landscape Architecture or Landscape Engineering; OR

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

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 '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 landscape design and construction, including environmental and cultural considerations

These questions test for knowledge of the concepts and practical applications involved in the development and landscaping of building sites and other community and regional land development projects, and the environmental and cultural issues involved in landscape planning, design and construction.
 

Soils, plantings and materials related to landscape design and construction

These questions test for knowledge of the concepts, proper procedures and conditions, and materials used for landscaping construction and design projects, and may include such typical areas as soil, plant and turf types; planting procedures and plant care; and landscaping of walkway, recreation and parking areas.

Understanding and interpreting maps and plans, including estimates

These questions test for the ability to read, analyze and perform computations based on various types of technical drawings and topographic maps, and may include landscaping layouts and materials details; building elevations, site plans and layouts; and survey maps. Knowledge of estimating techniques and how landscape-related materials are utilized on specified projects will be required.
 

Program planning, project management and scheduling

 These questions test for knowledge of the concepts, terminology, proper procedures, and computations used in the development, scheduling and oversight of various types of planning programs and contractual agreements for construction and renovation projects, including scheduling techniques such as the critical path method.

  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.