Administrative Assistant Trainee*, NS, or Administrative Assistant 1, Grade 11 (NY HELPS)

Description

Duties Description

The Administrative Assistant 1 will work in the Office of Consumer Services (OCS), and under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Consumer Advocacy, will perform duties that include, but are not limited to:

• Serving as the first point of contact by answering phones, assisting callers, and directing communications appropriately.
• Greeting visitors or callers and handling their inquiries; or directing them to the appropriate person.
• Opening, reading, routing, and distributing incoming mail or other materials and answering routine inquiries.
• Tracking project progress and managing assignments efficiently.
• Typing and formatting letters, memoranda, session items, charts, reports, and other documents using Microsoft Office Suite.
• Reviewing outgoing correspondence for proper grammatical usage, clarity, factual correctness, compliance with policy and program information, and conformance to instructions.
• Maintaining confidentiality of documents, program operations, and written and verbal communications.
• Maintaining organized filing systems and calendars, including scheduling meetings, appearances and conference calls.
• Coordinating travel arrangements and preparing expense reports.
• Utilizing the Department’s Document Matter Management (DMM) filing system.
  
  

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

General Public

Non-Competitive (NY HELPS)**:

Administrative Assistant Trainee 1, NS-8: Six months of experience in administrative support, which includes use of office software (e.g., email, word processing), provision of customer service, business writing, and/or office administration.

Administrative Assistant Trainee 2, NS-10: One year of experience as noted above.

Administrative Assistant 1, Grade 11: Two years of experience as noted above.

Regardless of appointment level, the selected candidate must pass a keyboarding test that demonstrates the ability to enter text at a rate of at least 30 words per minute with at least 96% accuracy by completion of probation.

Substitutions: Certification (e.g., IAAP Certified Administrative Professional) or associate’s degree in office administration, secretarial science, administrative assistance, paralegal, business technology, or office technology substitutes for two years of experience.

Transfer

Administrative Assistant Trainee 1, NS-8: Interested candidates must be reachable on an appropriate eligible list or eligible to transfer*** under Section 70.1 or 70.4 of the Civil Service Law. To be eligible to transfer under Section 70.1, candidates must have one year or more of permanent, competitive, or 55-b/c service in a qualifying title allocated to a salary grade 6 or higher. If the candidate is not currently incumbering or has not previously held a keyboarding or secretarial title, the candidate must take and pass, or have sufficient proof of passing, an appropriate keyboarding proficiency exam to qualify for transfer.

Administrative Assistant Trainee 2, NS-10: Interested candidates must be reachable on an appropriate eligible list or be eligible to transfer*** under Section 70.1 or 70.4 of the Civil Service Law. To be eligible to transfer under Section 70.1, candidates must have one year or more of permanent, competitive, or 55-b/c service in a qualifying title allocated to a salary grade 8 or higher AND have completed all four mandatory core administrative support courses. If the candidate is not currently incumbering or has not previously held a keyboarding or secretarial title, the candidate must take and pass, or have sufficient proof of passing, an appropriate keyboarding proficiency exam to qualify for transfer.

Administrative Assistant 1, Grade 11: Interested candidates must be reachable on an appropriate eligible list or be eligible to transfer*** under Section 70.1 or 70.4 of the Civil Service Law AND have successfully completed all four mandatory core administrative support courses, as well as successfully completed four elective administrative support courses, as designated by the agency. To be eligible to transfer under Section 70.1, candidates must have one year or more of permanent, competitive, or 55-b/c service in a qualifying title allocated to a salary grade 9 or higher. If the candidate is not currently incumbering or has not previously held a keyboarding or secretarial title, the candidate must take and pass, or have sufficient proof of passing, an appropriate keyboarding proficiency exam to qualify for transfer.

Civil Service List

Candidates on the appropriate Civil Service list(s) have been canvassed and do not need to apply to this posting.

About The Department

Additional Comments

The New York State Department of Public Service (DPS or Department) works to: ensure safe, affordable, and reliable access to electric, gas, steam, water, and telecommunications services at just and reasonable rates for New York State customers, protect the natural environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions via transmission and siting of renewable energy resources, and augment the resiliency of utility infrastructure. Learn more about DPS and how you can make a difference by checking out our video and more at: https://dps.ny.gov/employment-opportunities.

Additional Comments

• Successful completion of the two-year traineeship leads to appointment as an Administrative Assistant 1, Grade 11. Trainees will be required to take four mandatory courses during the first year of the traineeship and four elective courses during the second year of the traineeship in four competency areas through the CSEA Partnership, or equivalent offerings through another entity as determined by the agency.
• This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). 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.

• Candidates are encouraged to access GOT-IT on the Civil Service website (www.cs.ny.gov) to determine transfer eligibility.
  
  

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Department of Public Service is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by contacting the Designee for Reasonable Accommodations (DRA) and Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator which can be found under the Accessibility Link on the Department’s webpage at https://dps.ny.gov.