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 present vacancy at the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning Division of Sewerage Management.

A promotion examination will be held at the same time as this examination. The list resulting from the promotion examination will be used first but appointments from this open competitive examination are anticipated. Use of the list may be suspended after it is one year old for any position which it is practical to fill through a new promotion examination.

Examples of Duties:

A Sewer District Manager plans, organizes and directs the operations of sewage treatment plants and appurtenance of a regional sewer system;

When assigned to District:

Directs the overall operation of the sewerage system(s), including sewage pump stations, collection systems, overflow retention facilities and wastewater treatment plants;

Develops and directs the overall maintenance program of the sewerage system(s) including sewage pump stations, collection systems, overflow retention facilities and wastewater treatment plants;

Develops, maintains and submits the necessary reports and records to the State and Federal regulatory agencies as required by the SPDES permits and rules and regulations;

Maintains liaison with County and local officials, developers, contractors, plumbers, et al;

Provides and prepares information and reports for the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Treatment Plant Supervisor for review, discussion and evaluation;

Assists in the preparation of budgets, tax rolls, purchase requisitions;

Assists in report preparation for various operational conditions and submits same to the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Plant Supervisor approval;

Supervises all personnel functions within the District;

Oversees and directs the necessary training of District staff;

Assists in the review and approval of plans and submission to the Division of Sewerage Management;

Attends the appropriate Board of Managers meetings.

When assigned to Main Office:

Assists in the preparation, initiation and maintenance of an industrial pretreatment program;

Prepares, initiates and maintains an industrial cost recovery and user charge system for financing sewer districts;

Reviews the operation and maintenance manuals, plan of operations, etc. as prepared by the consulting engineers and implements same;

Establishes an equal employment opportunity plan for the sewerage system and monitors same for compliance;

Directs the overall operation of the sewer system(s), including sewage pump stations, collection systems and sewage treatment plants;

Maintains liaison with County and local officials, developers, contractors, plumbers, etc.;

Reviews and approves maintenance schedules for the system;

Reviews reports and evaluates systems operating conditions;

Prepares budgets, tax rolls, purchase requisitions;

Directs all personnel functions for the system;

Assists the Division of Sewerage Management in reviewing and approving plans prepared by other agencies.

Qualifications:

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

A) Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered four (4) year college or university with a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Art degree in Sanitary, Civil Environment, Chemical Engineering or related field and four (4) years experience in sewer design, and/or construction, sewerage systems operation and maintenance work or wastewater treatment plant operations, at least two (2) years of which were in a supervisory position; or:

B) Completion of a minimum of 60 semester credit hours from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a major in Construction, Mechanical or Civil Technology and six (6) years experience in a sewer design and/or construction, sewerage system operation and maintenance work or wastewater treatment plant operation, two (2) years of which were in a supervisory position; or:

C) Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and eight (8) years of satisfactory experience in the operation of a wastewater treatment plant, at least seven (7) years of which is experience in the operation of a type 4A treatment plant and meets the requirements as outlined by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a type 4A Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator's Certification and two (2) years of which was in a responsible supervisory position (Note: possession of a type 4A Wastewater Operator's certificate is required under this provision); or:

D) Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and eight (8) years of satisfactory experience in the operation and maintenance of a wastewater collection system and is eligible for a type 4 Collections System Certification as outlined by New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA) and two (2) years of which was in a responsible supervisory position; or:

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

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: Possession of a valid New York State Motor Vehicle Operator's License.

Notes:

1. A supervisory position is defined as a position in which supervision was a major responsibility of the job. Occasional or partial supervision of work crews is not acceptable supervisor experience.

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

3. 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.

Operation and maintenance of pumps, valves, and related mechanical and electrical equipment
These questions test for knowledge of the principles and procedures involved in the operation, maintenance, and repair of pumps, valves, and related mechanical and electrical equipment, including motors and electric circuitry; and for the ability to identify various types of pumps, valves, and related equipment and understand their functions.

Physics, chemistry, and bacteriology related to wastewater treatment and disposal, including laboratory and field tests for plant operations
These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices of wastewater treatment, disposal, and testing, including such areas as the principles of physics, chemistry, and bacteriology involved; terminology associated with wastewater treatment and testing; operating principles of the equipment and procedures used in wastewater treatment; measurements and measuring devices used; sampling and testing wastewater and interpreting the results; and identification and characteristics of chemicals and bacteria involved in wastewater plant operations and testing. Some questions may involve basic arithmetic calculations.

Practices and equipment used in the operation and maintenance of a Type A wastewater treatment plant
These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices associated with the operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants employing the activated sludge process or its modifications (Type A plants), including such areas as objectives of plant processes, techniques, and equipment; terminology associated with Type A wastewater treatment plants; conditions and situations encountered in Type A wastewater treatment plants; plant safety and monitoring; and equipment and materials used in Type A wastewater treatment plants. Some questions may involve basic arithmetic calculations.

Pumping operations and related arithmetic computations
These questions test for knowledge of pumping operations, including such areas as terminology and basic principles associated with pumps and pumping operations; instruments and equipment used in pumping operations, including various types of pumps and their components; troubleshooting pumping problems and developing solutions; pump inspection and maintenance; and the ability to perform basic arithmetic calculations associated with pumping operations.

Administrative supervision
These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices involved in directing the activities of a large subordinate staff, including subordinate supervisors. Questions relate to the personal interactions between an upper level supervisor and his/her subordinate supervisors in the accomplishment of objectives. These questions cover such areas as assigning work to and coordinating the activities of several units, establishing and guiding staff development programs, evaluating the performance of subordinate supervisors, and maintaining relationships with other organizational sections.

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.