PROGRAM TECHNICIAN
In New Jersey, Program Technician is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
The stated bar is an associate's degree, but candidates can swap in added experience for the diploma. The FY 2027 range lands between $63,663 and $92,953, and state payroll currently lists about 37 people in the title, led by Human Services.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
See every real route in, and where to apply. 10 agencies employ it. We don't track live vacancies.
See all 10 employers and how to apply →Who employs this title
Program Technician appears on the State payroll at 10 departments, most of them at Department of Human Services.
State departments
Showing the largest 8 of 10 departments. All agencies.
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 37 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $81,320. The agencies employing the most are:
- Human Services (13)
- Labor (8)
- Environmental Protection (4)
- Banking and Insurance (3)
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 the direction of a supervisory official in a State department, agency, or institution, has charge of staff assigned to a specific work program, scheduling office, or technical unit responsible for reviewing, monitoring, and processing specific actions requiring the application of rules, regulations, policies, and/or procedures; supervises staff and work activities; prepares and signs official performance evaluations for staff; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
- Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining of employees.
- Provides assignments and instruction to subordinate technical employees.
- Supervises subordinate technical employees in the scheduling office or technical unit across three shifts.
- Supervises the development and final posting of a balanced full-coverage, fiscally sound schedule for Direct Care employees using the iNOVAR/KRONOS or other scheduling program.
- Completes, reviews, and authorizes documentation related to employee time and attendance.
- Interprets new regulations, contractual agreements, and policies affecting the processing of technical work functions, and ensures appropriate implementation.
- Prepares routine correspondence, documents, and forms for the supervisory official's review and signature.
- Prepares and supervises the preparation of technical and/or statistical reports and other documents specific to the technical program.
- Make technical determinations regarding actions specific to the scheduling office or work program, within assigned authority.
- Provides technical assistance to staff in the collection, review, and verification of data compiled through examination of applications, files, and other documents.
- Coordinates the gathering and assembly of data for research or completion of other assignments.
- Reviews and processes difficult or sensitive documents or transactions, and corrects errors when necessary.
- Records, updates, and verifies records of program information and data.
- Provides technical and procedural information to agencies and individuals regarding the schedules or assigned technical program.
- Resolves technical problems.
- Reviews and extracts information from agency documents and verifies completeness.
- Provides technical assistance to staff regarding work assignments and processing procedures.
- Establishes and maintains records and files.
- Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Education
Successful completion of sixty (60) semester hour credits at an accredited college or university.
Experience
Three (3) years of experience in work involving the application of rules, regulations, procedures, or policies in the processing of technical actions in a specific program area.
License
Appointees 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 data collection, compilation, and analysis techniques.
- Knowledge of modern office methods, practices, and techniques.
- Knowledge of the problems encountered in the interpretation, application, and implementation of rules and regulations of a technical program.
- Ability to supervise assigned staff and plan, organize, and implement projects within the unit.
- Ability to read and interpret executive policies, contractual agreements, and rules and regulations of a specific program, apply them to specific situations, and make technical determinations.
- Ability to prepare correspondence and technical and/or statistical reports.
- Ability to gather, assemble, and analyze data.
- Ability to provide technical assistance in the review and verification of data.
- Ability to establish and maintain records and files.
- Ability to learn how 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 the position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform the 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
This title is to be used in a major technical program outside of personnel and other program units involved in the internal administration of the agency.
For positions in the Department of Environmental Protection or the Department of Transportation, assigned to comply with provisions of the Open Public Records Act (OPRA), appointees may be assigned oversight of OPRA unit activities in lieu of staff and will be assigned all of the following duties:
Reviews all incoming OPRA requests to identify those that may be assigned for processing and refers to appropriate unit.
Reviews all incoming OPRA requests to identify those that are of a sensitive nature involving litigation concerns, legal involvement, press requests, and special concerns, and refers to appropriate unit.
Notifies legal and program area of requests involving litigation and potential legal matters.
Ensures that sensitive records are reviewed by the appropriate legal and/or press personnel to identify and remove information from public records which does not fall within the parameters of the Open Public Records Act.
Directs the technical activities of staff assigned to investigate, identify, and provide actions concerning Department/Program record requests.
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 who do not possess the required education may substitute experience on a year-for-year basis with thirty (30) semester hour credits being equal to one (1) year of experience.