Program Aide (NY HELPS) - Region 7

NYS Department of Transportation; City of Watertown (NY); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

New York State Department of Transportation is seeking a Program Aide to support administrative operations in the NY HELPS program. The role involves paraprofessional and clerical duties, responding to inquiries, managing mail and supplies, and processing purchasing transactions in the Statewide Financial System (SFS).

The incumbent will assist in budgeting, personnel records, and hiring processes, including scheduling interviews and preparing forms.

Qualifications

• Three years of clerical, keyboarding, or paraprofessional work in an office environment.
• Experience handling purchasing rules and managing budget-related tasks.
• Ability to prepare and schedule interviews and review applications.
• Authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Responsibilities

• Provide paraprofessional and clerical support to the Operations Unit.
• Respond to calls and emails; direct inquiries to staff; manage mail and order supplies.
• Process p-card transactions, purchase orders, requisitions, travel expense reports in SFS.
• Maintain records, prepare reports, and support budgeting and staffing processes.
• Prepare hiring-related documents and oversee application reviews and references.

Skills

Communication

Clerical support

Data entry

Customer service

Tools

Statewide Financial System (SFS)

p-card processing

Job description

• Program Aides work under the supervision and guidance of professional staff in administrative or agency-specific programs. They exercise a considerable amount of independent judgment in the performance of duties and application of various State and federal laws, procedures, rules, regulations, and guidelines that require interpretation. Incumbents independently determine the needs and priorities required to support professional staff; and provide input into the assigned area’s operations.


• Paraprofessional and clerical duties: responding to incoming calls, email, inquiries; direct inquiries to appropriate staff; manage incoming and outgoing mail; order supplies from various vendors for the Operations Unit; Frequent oral and written communication is required. Interactions and written correspondence are expected to be executed with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality. Provides quality control for all outgoing correspondence.


• Clerical and paraprofessional duties that are consistent with the Program Aide position may be added to the incumbent's workload as are necessitated by changing processes, procedures and Department needs.


• Be proficient with purchasing rules, procedures, and processes; Process p-card transactions, purchase orders, purchase requisitions, travel expense reports as a proxy, invoices, and payment vouchers in the Statewide Financial System (SFS). Assist the Regional Director of Operations in managing the Operation Group’s Regional NPS budget, allocations, expenditures and maintain an accurate database of purchases and available funds.


• Purchase equipment and supplies for the Operations Office as well as for the support units and field staff. This is to include safety equipment, inspection related tools as well as specialty equipment as authorized by the Regional Director of Operations.


• Provide specialized administrative services, maintaining records/files, preparation, review, and evaluation of a variety of reports, spreadsheets, and databases in support of budgeting, personnel, project assignments and other activities within the Operations Office. Examples include Hiring, SAD Pay, Safety Footwear Reimbursement, Vehicles, staff roster, equipment inventories, training records, etc.


• Prepare and schedule all interviews; oversee application review and reference checks for applicants.


• Review documentation and forms relevant to hiring and the appointment of employment candidates; Draft personnel status forms (P7), Notice of appointment (P6), Appointment Review Forms (PER 131) and submit final draft to Regional HR Office.


• Positions may supervise clerical and/or technical employees by prioritizing work assignments, ensuring efficient and effective workflow, and training and evaluating staff.
  

Duties Description

• Program Aides work under the supervision and guidance of professional staff in administrative or agency-specific programs. They exercise a considerable amount of independent judgment in the performance of duties and application of various State and federal laws, procedures, rules, regulations, and guidelines that require interpretation. Incumbents independently determine the needs and priorities required to support professional staff; and provide input into the assigned area’s operations.


• Paraprofessional and clerical duties: responding to incoming calls, email, inquiries; direct inquiries to appropriate staff; manage incoming and outgoing mail; order supplies from various vendors for the Operations Unit; Frequent oral and written communication is required. Interactions and written correspondence are expected to be executed with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality. Provides quality control for all outgoing correspondence.


• Clerical and paraprofessional duties that are consistent with the Program Aide position may be added to the incumbent's workload as are necessitated by changing processes, procedures and Department needs.


• Be proficient with purchasing rules, procedures, and processes; Process p-card transactions, purchase orders, purchase requisitions, travel expense reports as a proxy, invoices, and payment vouchers in the Statewide Financial System (SFS). Assist the Regional Director of Operations in managing the Operation Group’s Regional NPS budget, allocations, expenditures and maintain an accurate database of purchases and available funds.


• Purchase equipment and supplies for the Operations Office as well as for the support units and field staff. This is to include safety equipment, inspection related tools as well as specialty equipment as authorized by the Regional Director of Operations.


• Provide specialized administrative services, maintaining records/files, preparation, review, and evaluation of a variety of reports, spreadsheets, and databases in support of budgeting, personnel, project assignments and other activities within the Operations Office. Examples include Hiring, SAD Pay, Safety Footwear Reimbursement, Vehicles, staff roster, equipment inventories, training records, etc.


• Prepare and schedule all interviews; oversee application review and reference checks for applicants.


• Review documentation and forms relevant to hiring and the appointment of employment candidates; Draft personnel status forms (P7), Notice of appointment (P6), Appointment Review Forms (PER 131) and submit final draft to Regional HR Office.


• Positions may supervise clerical and/or technical employees by prioritizing work assignments, ensuring efficient and effective workflow, and training and evaluating staff.
  

Responsibilities may include serving a role within the Incident Command System to support the department's response to regional and statewide emergency situations.

Minimum Qualifications

This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).*

Qualifications

To be considered for appointment through NY HELPS, or 55 b/c, candidates must meet the open competitive minimum qualifications for this position. The qualifications are:

• Three years of experience performing clerical, keyboarding, or paraprofessional work in an office environment.

Candidates may also be qualified for permanent competitive appointment if reachable from the appropriate Civil Service eligible list or eligible for reassignment or transfer in accordance with Civil Service Law.

Additional Comments

For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.

At a future date, it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in an NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

The New York State Department of Transportation is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women, minority group members, disabled persons and Veterans are encouraged to apply. Upon request, reasonable accommodations will be provided for the disabled.

In compliance with Public Law 99-603, candidates selected for appointment must provide an original document to prove their citizenship and/or legal right to work in the United States.