Review Vacancy
AgencyParks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Office of
TitleInterpretive Programs Assistant
Occupational CategoryOther Professional Careers
Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)
Salary RangeFrom $63361 to $80655 Annually
Duties Description Working under the direction of the Historic Site Manager, the selected candidate will implement all aspects of interpretation and public programming at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in accordance with the Bureau of Historic Sites and the Saratoga/Capital Region requirements. Duties will include, but not be limited to:
Interpretive Duties
• Actively participate in the research, development and presentation of site tours and programs that demonstrate and explain the significance of the historical site.
• Plan and oversee the installation of exhibits.
• Maintain, update or develop the site Interpretive guidebook.
• Write and script tours and demonstrations; supervise and conduct guided tours; write content for handouts and brochures for the site.
• Develop and coordinate programs in conjunction with special exhibitions on site.
• Coordinate large site events.
• Develop and present on-site and off-site programs for schools and relevant interest groups.
• Mentor interpretive staff members, develop best practices and support staff potential through research and development of public programs.
• Attend meetings on and off-site in preparation for annual calendar of events, programs, and special events.
Community Outreach Duties
• Communicate the NYS Connect Kids program to teachers and school administrators and facilitate the reimbursement grant process with teachers.
• Oversee educational programs delivered by Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site which includes working with the Friends of Schoharie Crossing.
• When needed, fill in for the site manager at a FOSC board meeting (which may not always be scheduled during regular work hours).
• Actively seek partnerships with community organizations, heritage, cultural, and natural history organizations, and other interest groups.
• Work in collaboration with OPRHP Public Affairs administration to write press releases, update the Facebook page with appropriate and timely entries, update community calendars, blogs, and the agency website.
• Promote Schoharie Crossing to the greater community by advocating for the site to include promoting tour programs, special programs and events, historic site restoration needs and improvements, and for the Friends of Schoharie Crossing.
Supervisory Duties
• Assist in hiring, supervising and training of temporary and seasonal staff members and volunteers.
• Attend yearly agency trainings, museum standards training, visitor engagement and services training, training in state operations & policy, site operations and historical interpretation.
• Under the direction of the historic site manager, schedule visitor center and program coverage.
• When the Historic Site Manager is not available, step in as second in command.
Collections Management Duties
• Maintain inventory of all items and artifacts in the site’s collection and implement appropriate plans to ensure that the items are stored appropriately.
• Collaborate with partner organizations and agencies to accept artifacts on-loan and manage requests for items to be loaned from the historic site’s collections.
• Work with the public, the Historic Sites Regional Supervisor and the site manager to accept items for acquisition and to evaluate the appropriateness of items.
Administrative Duties
• Assist in all operations of the site including, but not limited to, working at the front desk, helping to organize and clean office and public spaces and keeping the office/Visitor Center areas safe and welcoming for staff, researchers & visitors. Evaluate and report attendance for programs and post event evaluations.
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:
If you have previous or current employment at a NYS agency, to be considered for this position, a review of your state history is needed. Please provide the last four digits of your social security number in your email response or on your resume. If you are not comfortable providing this information in your response, a representative from our office may contact you.
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: five years of experience developing and conducting a professional program of interpretation in either a historic house; historic site; historic park; the history section of a museum; or in the interpretation section of a governmental agency having responsibility for historic house museums, historic sites, or a cultural center providing professional-level cultural or historic exhibits.
Or 2: a bachelor's degree or higher in historic preservation, museum studies, education, history, American studies, anthropology, or architectural history AND one year of experience developing and conducting a professional program of interpretation in either a historic house; historic site; historic park; the history section of a museum; or in the interpretation section of a governmental agency having responsibility for historic house museums, historic sites, or a cultural center providing professional-level cultural or historic exhibits.
If you are a veteran or an individual with a disability and would like to apply for the Department of Civil Service’s 55-b/c Program, please visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/rp55/ for more information.
**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 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.
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 an Interpretive Programs Assistant; if you have less than one year, you must be reachable on the current Interpretive Programs Assistant eligible list for this location.
70.1 Transfer Qualifications:
At least one year of permanent or contingent-permanent qualifying service as a Historic Preservation Program Analyst, SG 18. Only the title listed is eligible for transfer.
For all transfers noted, a comprehensive list of titles approved for transfer is available through Civil Service GOT-IT at https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/.
Additional Comments Operational Needs:
• 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 both independently and as a team.
• Required to work weekends, evenings and holidays as needed.
• The selected candidate will be required to obtain Red Cross certification in First Aid and CPR/AED within their probationary period and must maintain it as a term and condition of employment.
• Must be comfortable with standard computer operation and software use, such as Microsoft Office Suite, social media, etc.
• Must be able to take additional training to improve their knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Must be able to make purchases following all purchasing guidelines.
• Must have the ability to understand and carry out written and/or oral instructions including the ability to read and interpret blueprints and the ability to issue oral and written instructions to staff.
• Must have knowledge of standard safety practices and take additional trainings.
Benefits:
The NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation offers a generous benefits package that includes but is not limited to:
Paid Time Off:
• PEF and CSEA: 44 days - 13 Vacation days, 13 Sick days, and 5 Personal Leave days, 13 Holidays.
• PEF: Three (3) days of professional leave annually to participate in professional development.
Health Care Benefits:
• Eligible employees and dependents can pick from a variety of affordable health insurance programs.
• Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost.
Additional Benefits:
• 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 / Family Leave
To learn more about our benefits, visit: https://parks.ny.gov/employment/benefits.aspx.
*NY HELPS PROGRAM:
For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a permanent 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 (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 6/12/25 or later will be addressed with a subsequent cover-in.
Additional location pay is available for the following counties: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, NYC-Manhattan, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester, Dutchess, Orange, and Putnam.
This position may require a background check and/or medical exam prior to appointment.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
Email Address paul.banks@parks.ny.gov
Address
Street Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site
129 Schoharie Street
Notes on ApplyingIf you feel you meet the minimum qualifications and the agency’s operating needs, and are interested in being considered for this vacancy, you can obtain an Employment Application from your local park office, your region’s administrative headquarters or you can download an application from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation by visiting the website at:
https://parks.ny.gov/documents/employment/FillableUpdatedParksEmployeeApplicationS1000Part1Saratoga.pdf
Please send your employment application, resume, and cover letter demonstrating how you meet the stated minimum qualifications to Paul Banks, Historic Site Manager, 129 Schoharie St. Fort Hunter, NY 12069 or email to paul.banks@parks.ny.gov
All qualified persons are invited and encouraged to apply. It is the responsibility of each applicant to accurately describe their experience and demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualifications and agency operating needs.