What are the responsibilities and job description for the Historic Site Assistant (NY HELPS) - Washington's Headquarters position at New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation?
Duties Description
Under the direction of the Historic Site Manager, the selected candidate’s duties will include, but not be limited to:
Minimum Qualifications
If Civil Service Eligible List(s) Exist, They Will Be Canvassed. Candidates Must Be Reachable On The Current Eligible List(s) To Be Considered For Appointment. You May Also Apply If You Are Eligible For Appointment Or Reinstatement By One Of The Following Qualifications:
NY HELPS OR 55-b/c QUALIFICATIONS: This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).*
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:
Either 1. three years of qualifying experience** in a historic house museum, in a historical society, within the history section of a museum, in the department of a governmental agency having responsibility for historic museums or historic sites, in an art gallery, or in a cultural center.
Or 2. an associate's degree or higher AND one year of qualifying experience** in a historic house museum, in a historical society, within the history section of a museum, in the department of a governmental agency having responsibility for historic museums or historic sites, in an art gallery, or in a cultural center.
Candidates must be reachable on the current Civil Service eligible list.
Reassignment Qualifications:
Current NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Employees only, with at least one year of permanent or contingent-permanent qualifying service as a Historic Site Assistant; if you have less than one year, you must be reachable on the current Historic Site Assistant eligible list for this location, if one exists.
Provisional Qualifications:
In the absence of an eligible list(s) with three or more candidates willing to accept a position, a temporary provisional appointment may be considered. For provisional appointment, candidates must be meet the following minimum qualifications:
Either 1. three years of qualifying experience** in a historic house museum, in a historical society, within the history section of a museum, in the department of a governmental agency having responsibility for historic museums or historic sites, in an art gallery, or in a cultural center.
Or 2. an associate's degree or higher AND one year of qualifying experience** in a historic house museum, in a historical society, within the history section of a museum, in the department of a governmental agency having responsibility for historic museums or historic sites, in an art gallery, or in a cultural center.
At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), 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 a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.
Employees appointed via the NY HELPS program are restricted for promotional appointment until their position is covered-in to the competitive class by the New York State Civil Service Commission (CSC), or they otherwise obtain permanent competitive status. The CSC has recently covered-in employees who were appointed via NY HELPS on a permanent or contingent permanent basis between June 26, 2024, and June 11, 2025. Notification to employees regarding a change in their status is forthcoming. You may wish to apply if you received a permanent NY HELPS appointment to a qualifying title within these timeframes and are interested in this opportunity. Your eligibility for promotion will be reviewed by Human Resources. Employees with a permanent NY HELPS appointment occurring effective 6/12/2025 or later will be addressed with a subsequent cover-in.
Operational Needs:
Additional Comments
The hiring rate will be the sum of the statutory hiring rate for CSEA Grade 11 ($47,695) and the Mid-Hudson Adjustment ($2,000). The job rate will be the sum of the statutory job rate ($58,447) and the Mid-Hudson Adjustment ($2,000).
Benefits:
Generous benefits package, worth approximately 65% of salary, including:
Paid Time Off:
Under the direction of the Historic Site Manager, the selected candidate’s duties will include, but not be limited to:
- Assist and coordinate site operations in the absence of the Historic Site Manager and Interpretive Programs Assistant.
- Conduct research, guide tours, and develop and present new programs as delegated by the Historic Site Manager and Interpretive Programs Assistant.
- Identify, document, and care for objects and assist in maintaining collections.
- Monitor climate conditions in storage and exhibit areas, and upload data to the E-climate notebook.
- Manage collections, including exhibition and storage of objects, loans, and donations, ensuring accurate records using The Museum System (TMS) and maintaining master accession and equipment lists.
- Perform periodic inventories of collections and documents.
- Work with the Historic Site Manager in supervising and training of seasonal staff members, as well as interns and volunteers.
- Collect and keep track of attendance, revenue, and donations.
- May oversee and perform all functions and activities of site surveillance.
- Assist in the development and distribution of promotional materials and social media content.
- Assist with basic maintenance, building cleaning, occasional outdoor walk shoveling, and other light site work.
- Adhere to the agency’s Code of Conduct policy and ensure compliance with all guidelines, policies, and procedures in daily tasks.
Minimum Qualifications
If Civil Service Eligible List(s) Exist, They Will Be Canvassed. Candidates Must Be Reachable On The Current Eligible List(s) To Be Considered For Appointment. You May Also Apply If You Are Eligible For Appointment Or Reinstatement By One Of The Following Qualifications:
NY HELPS OR 55-b/c QUALIFICATIONS: This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).*
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:
Either 1. three years of qualifying experience** in a historic house museum, in a historical society, within the history section of a museum, in the department of a governmental agency having responsibility for historic museums or historic sites, in an art gallery, or in a cultural center.
Or 2. an associate's degree or higher AND one year of qualifying experience** in a historic house museum, in a historical society, within the history section of a museum, in the department of a governmental agency having responsibility for historic museums or historic sites, in an art gallery, or in a cultural center.
- Qualifying experience is defined as experience presenting and/or guiding interpretive tours or programs; conducting historical and/or curatorial research on persons, places, events or museum objects; and performing collections management duties (accessioning, cataloging and conducting inventories).
- 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 (https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home). If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States or its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. This information can be found at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. Candidates are responsible for the evaluation fee.
- If verifiable, we will accept and prorate appropriate part-time and volunteer experience.
Candidates must be reachable on the current Civil Service eligible list.
Reassignment Qualifications:
Current NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Employees only, with at least one year of permanent or contingent-permanent qualifying service as a Historic Site Assistant; if you have less than one year, you must be reachable on the current Historic Site Assistant eligible list for this location, if one exists.
Provisional Qualifications:
In the absence of an eligible list(s) with three or more candidates willing to accept a position, a temporary provisional appointment may be considered. For provisional appointment, candidates must be meet the following minimum qualifications:
Either 1. three years of qualifying experience** in a historic house museum, in a historical society, within the history section of a museum, in the department of a governmental agency having responsibility for historic museums or historic sites, in an art gallery, or in a cultural center.
Or 2. an associate's degree or higher AND one year of qualifying experience** in a historic house museum, in a historical society, within the history section of a museum, in the department of a governmental agency having responsibility for historic museums or historic sites, in an art gallery, or in a cultural center.
- Qualifying experience is defined as experience presenting and/or guiding interpretive tours or programs; conducting historical and/or curatorial research on persons, places, events or museum objects; and performing collections management duties (accessioning, cataloging and conducting inventories).
- 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 (https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home). If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States or its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. This information can be found at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. Candidates are responsible for the evaluation fee.
- If verifiable, we will accept and prorate appropriate part-time and volunteer experience.
- NY HELPS PROGRAM:
At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), 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 a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.
Employees appointed via the NY HELPS program are restricted for promotional appointment until their position is covered-in to the competitive class by the New York State Civil Service Commission (CSC), or they otherwise obtain permanent competitive status. The CSC has recently covered-in employees who were appointed via NY HELPS on a permanent or contingent permanent basis between June 26, 2024, and June 11, 2025. Notification to employees regarding a change in their status is forthcoming. You may wish to apply if you received a permanent NY HELPS appointment to a qualifying title within these timeframes and are interested in this opportunity. Your eligibility for promotion will be reviewed by Human Resources. Employees with a permanent NY HELPS appointment occurring effective 6/12/2025 or later will be addressed with a subsequent cover-in.
Operational Needs:
Additional Comments
- Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license that allows the candidate to legally operate a motor vehicle in New York State as a term and condition of employment.
- Must be able to work weekends, some holidays, and evenings.
- Knowledge of 18th century and Revolutionary War history is preferred but not required.
The hiring rate will be the sum of the statutory hiring rate for CSEA Grade 11 ($47,695) and the Mid-Hudson Adjustment ($2,000). The job rate will be the sum of the statutory job rate ($58,447) and the Mid-Hudson Adjustment ($2,000).
Benefits:
Generous benefits package, worth approximately 65% of salary, including:
Paid Time Off:
- CSEA: 44 days - 13 Vacation days, 13 Sick days, and 5 Personal Leave days, 13 Holidays.
- Eligible employees and dependents can pick from a variety of affordable health insurance programs.
- Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost
- New York State Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) Membership
- NYS Deferred Compensation
- Access to NY 529 and NY ABLE College Savings Programs, as well as U.S. Savings Bonds
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
- Paid Parental Leave
Salary : $49,695 - $60,447