Program Aide (NY HELPS)

Harvest your potential with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets! Join our team and become an integral part of a team dedicated to fostering a competitive food and agriculture industry that benefits both producers and consumers alike. Here, you can cultivate your career in a dynamic environment that values innovation, sustainability, and community engagement. With a wide range of opportunities spanning from environmental science to economic development, you can find your niche in public service and grow both professionally and personally. Embrace the chance to join our team, and you’ll not only reap a fulfilling career but also sow the seeds for a healthier, stronger New York.

Position Information:

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets is seeking a Program Aide to support the Farm Products Grading unit within the Division of Food Safety and Inspection. Duties may include answering the phone, taking and processing inspection requests, data entry and processing of branding laws inspection reports, p-card reconciliation in the Statewide Financial System (SFS), and assisting with other programs as needed. The Program Aide will also be responsible for conducting billing by using Microsoft Access, Excel and Quick Books; receiving payment checks and applying them to excel databases and Quick Books; preparing weekly deposit memos and deposit detail sheets for submitting checks to the division of fiscal management (fiscal management; preparing monthly financial and volume reports for submission to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and fiscal management; generating account aging details and issuing notices for late payments; and maintaining statewide terminal market certificate accountability. Additionally, the Program Aide will support the Controlled Atmosphere Program and will be responsible for preparing and mailing applications annually, issuing permits and licenses, maintaining records by entering data into an access worksheet and files for current establishments.

The Program Aide is a permanent, office-based position conveniently located in our headquarters at 10B Airline Drive in Albany, NY. We are located near the Albany International Airport and Wolf Road and provide ample free parking. This is a full-time position working 37.5 hours per week, Monday-Friday. Opportunities for telecommuting may be available in accordance with the agency’s Telecommuting Program Guidelines.

Salary:

The Program Aide position is in the CSEA Salary Grade (SG) 13. The starting salary of the CSEA SG-13 is $53,413/year.


The candidate appointed to the Program Aide, SG-13, will be eligible to participate in the New York State Performance Evaluation Program. Through this program, employees receive yearly performance evaluations. Performance advances are payable to CSEA employees whose base annual salary is below the job rate for their current position and who were rated "Satisfactory" or its equivalent on their yearly performance evaluation. Performance advance payments are added to an employee's annual salary. Over time, yearly performance advances may lead to the SG-13 job rate salary of $65,061/ year!

Benefits:

This is a CSEA-represented position that offers excellent benefits! Benefits include but are not limited to inexpensive Health Insurance options, free dental and vision coverage, NYS Pension Plan membership, and generous paid time off. Within the first year, you are eligible for 5 days of personal time, 13 vacation days, 13 sick days, and 13 paid holidays!

As a New York State employee, you could potentially qualify to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)! The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your direct student loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under an accepted repayment plan and while working full-time for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets or another eligible employer.

NY HELPS Minimum Qualifications:

When a NY HELPS title can be filled with promotion and open-competitive qualifications, and the entire promotion eligible list is exhausted or does not exist, a NY HELPS appointment can be made in the following ways:

A NY HELPS appointment may be made for a qualified employee in a direct-line, lower-level promotion title.

Direct-line lower-level promotion title NY HELPS Qualifications: The direct line field is comprised of a single title that is the immediate lower-level title to the title being filled. This requires one year of permanent, contingent-permanent , or 55 b/c service in an office assistant, clerical, keyboarding, or paraprofessional title allocated to Grade 6 or higher. Qualifying titles are available at: Program Aide Qualifying Title List.

If there are fewer than 3 interested, qualified internal candidates in the direct-line lower-level promotion title then:

Candidates may be eligible for a NY HELPS Open-Competitive appointment to Program Aide if they meet the open-competitive NY HELPS qualifications, or the qualifications listed on the most recent examination announcement for the Program Aide title.

Open- Competitive NY HELPS Qualifications: Three years of experience performing clerical, keyboarding, or paraprofessional work in an office environment.

Program Aide Examination Announcement Qualifications: One year of permanent, competitive service in an office assistant, clerical, keyboarding, or paraprofessional title allocated to Grade 6 or higher. Qualifying titles are available at: Program Aide Qualifying Title List.

NY HELPS Program:

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 (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 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.

Alternate Minimum Qualifications:

You may also be eligible for appointment to this position if you meet any of the following minimum qualifications.

Reassignment Qualifications: You must be a current Department of Agriculture and Markets employee and have one year of permanent, contingent-permanent, or 55 b/c service as a Program Aide, SG-13; if you have less than one year, you must be reachable on the current eligible list for this location if one exists.

70.1 Transfer Qualifications to Program Aide, SG-13: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they have: one year of permanent, competitive service in a title designated as appropriate for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law. Such titles include but are not limited to: Administrative Assistant 1, SG-11; Business Services Center Representative 1, SG-11; and Payroll Specialist 1, SG-11.

Reinstatement Under Rule 5.4: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they were previous permanent New York State employees who resigned their positions may be reinstated to their former positions, or to positions to which they were eligible for transfer or reassignment without further examination. Employees separated from their positions may be reinstated within one year of the date of their separation. Employees separated from their positions who have also been separated from state service for more than one year may be reinstated upon approval by the state Civil Service Commission.

How to Apply:

Candidates that are eligible and interested in being considered for appointment to one of these opportunities must use the below link to apply by: May 17, 2026. Within this online application please upload your resume, transcript, and cover letter.

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Sacco in Human Resources at (518) 457-3216 or [email protected].

The Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity, and reasonable accommodations and/or modifications as necessary, for qualified persons with disabilities. If you are in need of a reasonable accommodation, please visit: