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

**********************Application Fee Waiver**********************

Employees of Erie County CSEA collective bargaining unit shall have all fees associated with County provided promotional civil service examinations waived.

Residence Requirements:

THIS EXAMINATION IS OPEN TO ALL QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES OF THE ERIE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER CORPORATION. At present there is one anticipated vacancy at the Erie County Medical Center Corporation. 

Examples of Duties:

A Senior Information Systems Specialist plans, directs, coordinates and maintains information systems; 

Assists in the installation, maintenance and customization of vendor supplied information systems, including but not limited to, software, hardware, networks and communications;

Assists in the coordination of equipment upgrades and problem resolutions with vendors; Supervises lower level clerical and/or technical employees by coordinating plans, functions and schedules, making assignments and evaluating performance;

Trains lower level employees; Confers with and advises subordinates on administrative policies and procedures, technical problems and methods;

Interfaces with outside vendors/contractors; Reviews new systems and proposed or requested changes to existing applications;

Makes recommendations to management regarding hardware/software to achieve improved information systems and methods of implementation of same;

Assists in planning changes to existing information systems staff, equipment and organization;

Maintains records, prepares reports and documentation;

Performs additional work related to the administrative, managerial and hands-on technical operations of the information systems, as assigned;

Works "flex shifts" as required;

Works shifts as may be assigned, scheduled or in support of operations.

Qualifications:

QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE FOR TAKING THE TEST: Candidates must be permanently employed in the competitive class and must be serving and have served continuously on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class for 24 months in the position as  Job Grade 10, 11 or 12;  and in addition, 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 three (3) years of experience in information system operations or computer hardware and software experience; or:

B) Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree and five (5) years of experience in information system operations or computer hardware and software experience; or:

C) An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the 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 of networked communications
These questions test for basic concepts and terminology of data communications. They cover such subjects as data communications, types of networks, modems, security, protocols, topologies, transmission media, wiring, installation and troubleshooting. The questions are general in scope and are not specific to any vendor or system.

Principles of providing user support
These questions test for knowledge and skill in working in a user support situation. They cover such subjects as how to communicate effectively with users requesting help; how to deal with different types of situations; troubleshooting techniques; and how to gather, organize and make available technical information needed to provide support.

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.

Training users of computers
These questions test for knowledge of techniques for using computers and approaches to training others to use them. They cover such subjects as use of computer hardware, software and applications; preparing and evaluating instruction materials; determining the level of trainees' knowledge and the use of computers to provide instruction and feedback. The questions on training depend upon good judgment and practical experience rather than knowledge of abstract principles.

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.

INFORMATION FOR PROMOTION CANDIDATES

Unless otherwise indicated, the eligible list resulting from this examination will have a duration of four years and will not supersede existing promotional lists, if any.

RATINGS REQUIRED:  Test is rated on a scale of 100 with a passing mark at 70.  Test instructions may further divide the tests into parts and set minimum standards for each part.

Points will be added to scores of candidates who achieve a passing mark as follows: Seniority:  For each year of service in the classified service:

Less than 1 year……………………..................…0 points

1 year up to 6 years…………….…........................1 point

Over 6 years up to 11 years.....………......….........2 points

Over 11 years up to 16 years….…........….........…3 points

Over 16 years up to 21 years………..................…4 points

Over 21 years………………………..................…5 points

VETERANS:  Disabled and non-disabled veterans as defined in Section 85, New York State Civil Service Law, will have 5 and 2.5 points, respectively added to their earned scores if successful in the PROMOTIONAL examination.  You must claim these credits when you file application but you have an option to waive them any time prior to appointment.  If you have already used these credits for a permanent position in NYS, you may not claim them again.

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A None 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.