Program Research Specialist 1 / Trainee 1 / Trainee 2 (NY HELPS)

Duties Description

Under the direction of the Program Research Specialist 2, the incumbent compiles, analyzes, interprets, and reports data related to the mission of the Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC)

Duties Include, But Not Limited To:

• Performs data extraction, aggregations and quality checks from multiple sources in support of trend identification and root cause analysis to further risk reduction initiatives and other OFPC program initiatives as assigned.
• Evaluates data sources including but not limited to fire incident reports, burn injuries, other Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) and external databases to determine any limitations in terms of efficiency, accuracy reliability or usability and provides recommendations to close identified gaps.
• Confers with OFPC staff to determine program objectives and strategies to attain them.
• Provides data driven resources to enhance programming.
• Recommends, prepares, monitors and disseminates performance measures for OFPC as requested.
• Uses data collected regarding burn injuries, fatal fire incidents, fire safe cigarette compliance, product recalls and fire incident reporting (NFIRS) to generate reports.
• Evaluates methods used to interact with stakeholders and provide recommendations for reaching consumers more effectively.
• Provides technical support to state, county and local partners related to a variety of fire incident and related reporting.
• Selects the appropriate methods to follow in analyzing and evaluating data, considering the character and sources of data and the statistical tools to be used.
• Pre-tests questionnaires, surveys, and other documents and methods developed to ensure their accuracy, reasonableness, and relevance.
• Collects and processes data utilizing a variety of survey and/or non-survey instruments, published and unpublished agency statistics and records, on-site investigations, discussions with operating officials, external stakeholders, and similar materials and sources.
• Performs data manipulation tasks with quantitative data, such as data construction, merging data files, and data cleaning.
• Analyzes and interprets data following analytical methods prescribed by plan.
• Evaluates various OFPC and related program areas including policy, procedure, legislation, objective, and cost effectiveness.
• Identifies actual or potential problem areas, trends, program accomplishments, and additional key factors in the program being studied.
• Identifies new program needs, considering agency goals and other relevant conditions and trends, and the effects of actual or proposed legislation.
• Evaluates the effectiveness of alternative or corrective actions being considered for various programs.
• Analyzes and interprets statistical data to identify significant differences in relationships among sources of information and disparities in how data in collected and reported.
• Assesses the statistical methods and procedures used to obtain data to ensure validity, applicability, efficiency, and accuracy.
• Identifies relationships and trends in data, and any factors that could affect the results of the research or analysis.
• Prepares tables, graphs, fact sheets, and written reports summarizing research and analysis results.
• Prepares forecasts of factors directly related to and affecting agency program operations for use in OFPC program planning activities.
• Presents results of studies, analyses, or investigations to OFPC management, covering conclusions and recommendations based on the evaluations made.
• Performs other duties as required.
  
  

Minimum 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) A bachelor's degree including or supplemented by nine semester credit hours in biostatistics, data analysis, data modeling, economics, econometrics, mathematics*, research methods, or statistics AND two years of professional research experience performing the collection, manipulation (e.g., data construction, merging data files, data cleaning, working with data files containing different levels of data) evaluation of quantitative data directed towards review, analysis and presentation related to program operations

OR

• A master’s degree or higher including or supplemented by nine semester credit hours in biostatistics, data analysis, data modeling, economics, mathematics*, research methods, or statistics AND one year of professional research experience performing the collection, manipulation (e.g., data construction, merging data files, data cleaning, working with data files containing different levels of data) and evaluation of quantitative data directed toward review, analysis, and presentation related to program operations.
• For the purpose of this examination qualifying mathematics courses will include actuarial science, finance, and mathematics
  
  

This title includes a traineeship opportunity, and applicants will be appointed to the appropriate level** based on their experience and education.

• Program Research Specialist Trainee 1 (equated to SG-14) A bachelor’s degree including or supplemented by nine semester credit hours in biostatistics, data analysis, data modeling, economics, econometrics, mathematics, research methods or statistics.
• Program Research Specialist Trainee 2 (equated to SG-16) A bachelor’s degree or higher including or supplemented by nine semester credit hours in biostatistics, data analysis, data modeling, economics, econometrics, mathematics, research methods, or statistics, and one year of professional research experience performing the collection, manipulation (e.g., data construction, merging data files, data cleaning, working with data files containing different levels of data) and evaluation of quantitative data.
• Program Research Specialist 1 (SG-18) A bachelor’s degree* including or supplemented by nine semester credit hours in biostatistics, data analysis, data modeling, economics, econometrics, mathematics, research methods, or statistics and two years of professional research experience performing the collection, manipulation (e.g., data construction, merging data files, data cleaning, working with data files containing different levels of data) and evaluation of quantitative data directed towards review, analysis, and presentation related to program operations.
• Substitution: A master’s degree or higher including or supplemented by nine semester credit hours in biostatistics, data analysis, data modeling, economics, econometrics, mathematics, research methods, or statistics may substitute for one year of experience.
  
  

Transfer:

Current New York State employee with one year or more of permanent, contingent-permanent, or 55b/c service in a position allocated to a Grade 16 and above and eligible for transfer under Section 52.6, as appropriate of the Civil Service Law.

NOTE: This vacancy posting is for the purposes of notifying individuals about transfer opportunities. Employees on the Civil Service eligible list will be considered and should not respond to this posting. If you are on the eligible list and not reachable, you may be eligible for transfer. You are encouraged to access GOT-IT on the Career Mobility website (careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo) to determine transfer eligibility.

Additional Comments

• 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.
  
  

NOTE: Support of operations during times of emergency and disaster from State Emergency Operations Center (EOC), state field offices and/or local deployments may be required, which would result in a change and/or increase in working hours, locations and/or duties.

NOTE ON TELECOMMUTING: Employees are required to apply and obtain approval through management to telecommute according to the agency’s Telecommuting Program Guidelines.