REGULATORY OFFICER 4
Career Family: REGULATORY OFFICER
In New Jersey, Regulatory Officer 4 is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
Of the 4 Regulatory Officer grades this one pays the most, sitting just above Regulatory Officer 2. Qualifying takes a doctoral degree, 5 years of relevant experience, and a professional license. The FY2026 range lands between $116,962 and $172,991, and state payroll currently lists 7 people in the title, led by Human Services.
How to apply
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Exam
This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.
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Exam
Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.
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Agency posting
Department of Human Services's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Labor and Workforce Development's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Banking & Insurance's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Children and Families posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Community Affairs posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
Pay ladder: Regulatory Officer series
- Regulatory Officer 1 — $80,756 – $118,678
- Regulatory Officer 3 — $106,547 – $157,363
- Regulatory Officer 2 — $106,547 – $157,363
- Regulatory Officer 4 — $116,962 – $172,991 (this title)
Its top salary lands around the 95th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY2026 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 7 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $161,785. The agencies employing the most are:
- Human Services (3)
- Labor (1)
- Banking and Insurance (1)
- Children and Families (1)
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.
Definition
Under the direction of a higher-level executive official in a state department, institution, or agency manages and advises on complex regulatory matters, formal and informal, both legislative and quasi-judicial in nature, including matters related directly to the administrative procedure and policy matters considered by the agency; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
Supervises the drafting, coordinating, and the revision of rules, regulations, and orders that may be required to implement the statutory authority, powers, and duties to effectively regulate programs and activities. Directs the formulation of policies and procedures governing the conduct of all formal proceedings in uncontested cases or pursuant to agreement between the Office of Administrative Law and the department or agency. Advises the department or agency and staff regarding the application of various federal and state statutes, including the Administrative Procedure Act and the Open Public Meetings Act as they apply to formal public meetings and hearings. Conducts legal research. Analyzes and evaluates legal documents, rules, regulations, and/or legislation. Reviews and analyzes regulatory matters in a government agency. As assigned, manages, coordinates, and supervises the conduct of formal hearings. Manages the formulation of policies and procedures covering all investigations conducted by the agency. Coordinates and supervises investigations conducted on behalf of the department or agency. Reviews state and federal legislation, proposed or enacted, affecting the agency. Recommends, coordinates, and proposes legislation; acts as liaison with the Governor's Counsel and provides policy analysis to members of the New Jersey Legislature and the U.S. Congress; provides factual analysis and data upon request of the members of the state and federal Legislatures regarding legislation affecting the jurisdiction of the agency; acts as a liaison with the congressional and state legislative offices within New Jersey providing information relating to the agency's jurisdiction for dissemination by those officers to their constituents; performs all other duties associated with being a Federal Liaison Officer for the Board as required. Manages all activities pertaining to proposed or enacted legislation which affects the agency with all persons, officers, agencies, and department of state and local government as well as the federal government, as appropriate. Manages the review of formal decisions, orders, and reports to ensure their compliance with appropriate laws as they affect the administrative and regulatory functions; and that they conform to established department policy and precedents. Advises the department or agency regarding laws affecting its regulatory functions. As assigned, coordinates activities with the Attorney General's Office and the Department of Law and Public Safety regarding all matters litigated before federal and state courts, the Office of Administrative Law, and other agencies involving the agency, including appeals, trials, and motions. Directs the staff in the performance of their duties which are affected by the regulatory and legal responsibilities of the department or agency. Manages staff as they coordinate, evaluate, and make recommendations regarding all activities and functions involving the agency with federal agencies. Supervises Regulatory Officers 3 as they coordinate and advise members of the staff with respect to testimony submitted at hearings before state agencies, federal and state courts, federal and state agencies, and in matters heard by the Office of Administrative Law. Manages the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for employee evaluations and for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining of employees. Manages staff as they coordinate all activities and functions involving the department or agency with other state and local government agencies. Advises the department or agency regarding procedures to be followed at public forums and field interviews in which members of the staff confer with the public. Formulates, manages, and coordinates training programs for all persons who conduct or participate in formal hearings and investigations on behalf of the agency. Manages the Preparation and review of contracts between the department or agency, the State of New Jersey, and independent consultants. Coordinates submission of inquiries pertaining to the Conflicts of Interest Law to the Executive Commission on Ethical Standards. Evaluates and advises on policy statements issued affecting its jurisdiction. Coordinates and supervises the implementation and enforcement of the department or agency's rules and regulations. Reviews and advises the department or agency and staff regarding decisions, orders, memoranda, correspondence, penalty settlements, and other instruments prepared by the staff prior to adoption or issuance. Evaluates and supervises the evaluation of the initial decisions issued by Administrative Law Judges that must be considered and decided by the department or agency. Drafts decisions and orders adopting or modifying initial decisions of Administrative Law Judges. Prepares clear, accurate, and informative reports. As assigned, advises the department or agency regulatory officers and staff on regulatory precedents to assure policy continuity and legal sufficiency regarding all formal decisions. Coordinates the agency's determination of what formal matters are contested, cases to be heard by the Office of Administrative Law. Responds and supervises the responses to informal inquiries regarding jurisdiction or policy of the department or agency. Manages the establishment and maintenance of essential records, reports, 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
Graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) Degree.
Experience
Five (5) years of experience performing any of the following: conducting legal research; analyzing, reviewing, and evaluating legal documents, rules, regulations, legislation, and/or regulatory matters; one (1) year of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity. OR Five (5) years of experience as an attorney, one (1) year of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity.
License
Appointee must be eligible to practice as an Attorney-At-Law in the State of New Jersey. Appointees must possess a current Certificate of Good Standing issued by the New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners, or other license to practice law issued by any state in the United States. 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 the techniques and procedures necessary in the conduct of regulatory matters. Knowledge of agency jurisdiction, function, and programs. Knowledge of legal terminology. Knowledge of administrative law procedures. Knowledge of state and federal statutes governing the operation and regulation of public utilities and/or regulated industries and their interpretation and application to specific situations. Ability to analyze and interpret regulatory laws, rules, and policies and apply them to specific cases. Ability to conduct legal investigations. Ability to draft statutes, rules, regulations, decisions, orders, and reports. Ability to advise the agency of the regulatory consequences involved in the formulation of its policies and standards pertaining to the various phases of its regulatory functions. Ability to prepare extensive official correspondence. Ability to supervise the preparation of clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative legal documents, memoranda, summaries, and reports. Ability to manage professional staff in the performance of their duties involving complex issues related to regulation. Ability to manage the establishment and maintenance of essential records, reports, and files. Ability to provide competent advice and information to staff and members of the public. 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 this 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
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.