Senior Clerk Typist - Helps

Erie County; Buffalo, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Erie County is seeking a Clerk Typist under the NY HELPS program. The role involves typing, data entry, and clerical duties in a fully on-site environment with a probationary period.

The position is being filled non-competitively under NY HELPS and may transition to permanent status after satisfactory probationary service. Typical duties include preparing payrolls, maintaining time cards, filing and data entry, and handling routine correspondence.

Qualifications

• Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma, including or supplemented by a course in typing.
• One (1) year of office clerical experience.
• Typing course may be substituted by one year of clerical experience.
• Associate’s degree can substitute for typing course.
• Verifiable part-time/volunteer experience pro-rated toward full-time requirements.

Responsibilities

• Types accounting and financial statements, payrolls, and data for letters, vouchers, and reports.
• Reviews accounts and documents for completeness and accuracy.
• Indexes and files documents and correspondence; records papers.
• Assembles data from office records for reports; prepares payrolls and time cards.
• Composes routine correspondence and proofs documents.
• Answers calls and emails, provides routine information, and schedules appointments.

Skills

Typing

Office clerical

Data entry

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Excel

Word processing

Job description

Permanent appointments are subject to a probationary period. The probationary period provides an opportunity for the employee to demonstrate their ability to perform the duties of the position satisfactorily. During this time, performance and conduct will be evaluated to determine whether permanent status should be granted at the end of the probationary term.

NY-HELP

This position is being filled through the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide (NY HELPS) Program. For the duration of this program, this title has been reclassified to the non-competitive class. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications may be appointed on a non-competitive basis. In accordance with the program's guidelines, employees appointed under NY HELPS will be transitioned to permanent competitive status without further examination after successfully completing the satisfactory probationary service in the title.

Distinguishing Features of the Class

The work involves the performance of typing and varied

duties of a moderately difficult nature. This class differs from that of Clerk Typist by virtue of the more difficult and varied nature of the work performed and by the independent judgment in the application of established procedures and methods that is exercised by the incumbent. Work is performed under the general or direct supervision of a higher ranking employee, depending on the nature of the assignment. Supervision may be exercised over one or more clerical assistants. Does related work as required.

Typical Work Activities

• Types accounting and financial statements, payrolls, statistical tabulations and data, for letters, memoranda, vouchers, reports, requisitions and other material;
• Reviews accounts, reports and other documents for completeness, accuracy and conformity with established procedures;
• Indexes and files documents and correspondence;
• Searches, locates, and records papers and documents;
• Assembles a variety of data from office records for incorporation into various reports
• Prepares payrolls and maintains time cards;
• Composes and types routine correspondence;
• Assists in proofreading prepared documents;
• Answers telephone, email or written correspondences, gives routine information to the public and makes appointments for superior;
• Operates an adding machine, calculator or other office machines;
• Ability to prepare and revise excel spreadsheets;
• General database processing and data entry;
• Prepare mail merges, coordinate e-mail blasts and e-newsletters to send out;
• Transcribes material from Dictaphone cylinders and belts;
• Collects and maintains records of fees collected by department;
• Operates an alpha-numeric keyboard to transcribe data directly to a computer;
• Maintains records of petty cash fund;
• Utilizes enhanced computer systems and equipment in the completion of assigned clerical tasks.

Minimum Qualifications

Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma, including or supplemented by

a course in typing (see Notes 1 & 3) and one (1) year of office clerical experience (see Notes 2 & 4).

NOTE 1: One year of office clerical experience, which included typing, may be substituted for the required typing course.

NOTE 2: Completion of a one (1) year or longer post high school secretarial course, which included typing, may be substituted for the required experience. Additional office clerical experience which included typing, may be substituted for the required experience. Additional office clerical experience which included typing, beyond the one year requirement, may be substituted for high school on a year- for- year basis.

NOTE 3: Possession of an Associate’s degree** or higher, can substitute for the required typing course.

NOTE 4: Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting full-time experience requirements.

NOTE 5: *Per resolution presented to State Civil Service Commission, action approved and filed with the Department of State on October 24, 2025, under the Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide (HELPS) Program, this title is temporarily reassigned to NON-COMPETITIVE Classification.

NOTE 6: **Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm . You must pay the required evaluation fee.

Special Requirements

Applicants for designated positions in the Department of Social Services that may have access to federal tax information to perform his/her job duties shall be subject to a suitability background check investigation, including FBI fingerprinting, local law enforcement check, and verification check of citizenship/residency. A criminal record does not necessarily disqualify applicants from employment, rather an individualized determination will be made. The cost of the background check will be assumed by the Department of Social Services.

Criminal Background Check

In accordance with New York State law, a criminal background check may be conducted after a conditional offer of employment has been made. A prior conviction will not automatically disqualify a candidate from employment, unless required by law or directly related to the duties of the position. Certain positions may be subject to additional background screening based on statutory or regulatory requirements.

This position is not eligible for remote work under any circumstances. The duties of this role require full-time, on-site presence.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Erie County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

Erie County does not sponsor employment-based visa status for any position. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment, without the need for current or future visa sponsorship.