RESEARCH ANALYST 4
Career Family: RESEARCH ANALYST
New Jersey treats Research Analyst 4 as a competitive-class job, so the gate is an examination and the ranked list it produces rather than a direct offer.
This is the senior rung of the Research Analyst series, the level you reach after Research Analyst 3. The spec names a doctoral degree, but it leaves the door open to substitute experience for the degree. The FY 2027 range lands between $91,628 and $134,900, and state payroll currently lists 9 people in the title, led by Law and Public Safety.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
See every real route in, and where to apply. 5 agencies employ it. We don't track live vacancies.
See all 5 employers and how to apply →Who employs this title
Research Analyst 4 appears on the State payroll at 5 departments, most of them at Department of Law & Public Safety.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Department of Law & Public Safety | 2 |
| Department of Human Services | 2 |
| Department of Labor | 2 |
| Department of Treasury | 2 |
| Office of Administrative Law | 1 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Pay ladder: Research Analyst series
- Research Analyst 1 — $58,222 – $84,763
- Research Analyst 2 — $66,592 – $97,354
- Research Analyst 3 — $79,844 – $117,228
- Research Analyst 4 — $91,628 – $134,900 (this title)
Its top salary lands around the 80th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY 2027 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 9 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $113,615. The agencies employing the most are:
- Law and Public Safety (2)
- Human Services (2)
- Labor (2)
- Treasury (2)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under direction of a supervisory official, supervises and performs legislative research and analysis in connection with department/agency legislative, administrative, or operational activities; prepares and reviews regulations; drafts legislation and amendments; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
Supervises the analysis and research of state and/or federal legislation pertaining to department/agency programs, functions, and procedures. Supervises the review of all programs and activities within the department/agency to evaluate their administration, effectiveness, objectives, and legislative impact. May work directly with the Governor's Office and/or legislators and their staffs on legislative initiatives on responses to legislative actions. Coordinates efforts with external state and Federal departments/agencies/authorities on related legislative, regulatory policies, and state programs impacted by Federal and/or state actions. Supervises and participates in the formulation of department/agency legislative programs, analyzing proposed legislation and drafting new legislation when needed. Reviews, analyzes, and makes recommendations on proposals from various sources including proposed legislation, divisional, public interest groups, or employee recommendations. Prepares and distributes summaries and analyses of new legislation throughout the department or agency. May conduct outreach to members and staffs of New Jersey Legislature and New Jersey's congressional delegation to determine the status of current legislation and negotiate potential amendments. Researches court decisions, court cases, and legal opinions which would affect the department/agency. Supervises the preparation of drafts and regulations designed to implement legislation, court cases, and legal opinions. May assist in preparing contested cases for hearings and preparing the final decisions in contested cases. Is responsible for reviewing agency regulations, rules, and procedures for compliance with the law. May work with applicable operating units to develop regulations and resultant new and/or revised programs. Supervises preparation of testimony for various officials of the agency regarding charges of the enactment of new regulatory policies. May obtain legal advice from Division of Law, Department of Law & Public Safety to provide recommendations on existing and proposed legislation and regulations. Prepares comments, bill positions, amendments, briefings, and testimony on Federal and state legislative and regulatory matters for the department/agency. Prepares regulation documents dealing with department matters. Supervises work operations and/or functional programs, and has responsibility for recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees. Maintains and supervises the maintenance of records and files. Prepares clear, sound, accurate reports on department legislative and regulatory matters containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Prepares correspondence. Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
License
Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of government's structure and process at the municipal, county, state, and Federal levels. Knowledge of department functions and programs after a period of training. Knowledge of statistical methods and procedures and their use in the presentation of factual data. Knowledge of research techniques and resources. Ability to organize and carry through research studies and projects concerned with legislative developments and to submit reports suitable for the use of department/agency administrative staff. Ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret laws, regulations, and procedures. Ability to locate and brief court decisions, precedents, opinions, legal citations, and other legal material. Ability to prepare drafts of proposed legislation, rules, regulations, and opinions. Ability to prepare requests for legal opinions. Ability to analyze and develop policy recommendations and strategies. Ability to determine compliance of existing department rules, regulations, and procedures with legislation. Ability to prepare materials for hearings, reviews, and executive determinations. Ability to establish and maintain liaison with department offices, employees, representatives of state and local government units, and with the Office of the Attorney General. Ability to collect, tabulate, arrange, and interpret data and to present information in an understandable manner. Ability to work with department staff, the Office of the Attorney General, and with state officials and members of the legislature to clarify points that may be in dispute by reference to original source materials. Ability to prepare clear, technically sound, accurate, informative, and comprehensive reports containing findings, conclusions, and formal recommendations. Ability to maintain and supervise the maintenance of records and files. Ability to assign, instruct, and supervise staff. Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester-hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience. Eight (8) years of professional experience in legal or legislative research or similar administrative experience involving public contact with an emphasis on the review and analysis of operating and legislative methods, procedures, and policies. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and four (4) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. OR Possession of a master's degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Government, or other relevant area from an accredited college or university; and three (3) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. OR Possession of a Juris Doctor degree or bachelor of laws degree from an accredited law school; and one (1) year of the above-mentioned professional experience. "Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgment and make accurate and informed decisions.