ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT 1 CORRECTIONS
Career Family: ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT
In the unclassified service, Assistant Superintendent 1 Corrections is appointed rather than examined for, and its pay is often negotiated case by case.
It is the lowest-paid of the 2 Assistant Superintendent grades, a step below Assistant Superintendent 3 Corrections, whose band tops out about $47,549 higher. The stated bar is a bachelor's degree, but candidates can swap in added experience for the diploma. Its salary schedule (frozen at an older rate) lists $71,879 to $100,638, though managerial and exempt titles like this are usually paid individually rather than on the step schedule, and state payroll currently lists about 20 people in the title, most of them at Corrections.
How to apply
This title is not filled by examination — agencies appoint directly.
See every real route in, and where to apply. One agency employs it. We don't track live vacancies.
See where to apply for this title →Why this title is unclassified
This specification cites N.J.S.A. 11A:3-4(1) (printed that way in the specification; the paragraph letter is (l)), state unclassified service.
(l) All other titles as provided by law or as the Civil Service Commission may determine.
A title in the State unclassified service sits outside Title 11A unless a provision says otherwise. In practice that means no competitive examination to get the job, and none of the career service protections that come with it: no permanent status after a working test period, and no right of appeal to the Civil Service Commission from a removal. Appointment and removal rest with the appointing authority.
The rule that allocates a title to this service is N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.3.
Who employs this title
Assistant Superintendent 1 Corrections appears on the State payroll at one department, Department of Corrections.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Department of Corrections | 20 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Pay ladder: Assistant Superintendent series
- Assistant Superintendent 1 Corrections — $71,879 – $100,638 (this title)
- Assistant Superintendent 3 Corrections — $100,498 – $148,187
Promoting to Assistant Superintendent 3 Corrections raises the top of the band by about $47,549. Its top salary lands around the 45th 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 20 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $148,638. The agencies employing the most are:
- Corrections (20)
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 administrative direction of the Associate Administrator, Prison Complex, in the Division of Operations, Department of Corrections, assists in the direction and supervision of the programs, staff, and activities of a Class 1 level institution housing over 1,000 inmates for the custodial care, education, medical and psychological treatment of social offenders; does related work as required.
A Class 1 level institution may be represented by administrative staffing which shall not exceed the numbers and levels as follows: One (1) Administrator, one (1) Associate Administrator, a maximum of four (4) Assistant Superintendents 1, one (1) Business Manager 1, and one (1) Director of Custody Operations 1.
<b>OR</b>
Under administrative direction of a Superintendent 1, in the Division of Operations, Department of Corrections, assists in the direction and supervision of the programs, staff, and activities of a Class 2 level institution housing between 300 and 1,000 inmates for the custodial care, education, medical and psychological treatment of social offenders; does related work as required.
A Class 2 level institution may be represented by administrative staffing which shall not exceed the numbers and levels as follows: One (1) Superintendent 1, a maximum of three (3) Assistant Superintendents 1, one (1) Business Manager 1, and one (1) Director of Custody Operations 1.
Examples of work
- Provides training and development for the staff of a correctional institution.
- Assists the Associate Administrator or Superintendent in the direction and administration of practical and effective institutional programs such as fiscal control, food service, housekeeping, medical and dental care, classification, education, group and individual therapy, guidance and counseling, social and psychological services, industry, preventive maintenance, and staff recruitment.
- Provides recommendations for the transfer, removal, or extra-institutional care of offenders.
- Develops and supervises procedures for interviewing new offenders; reviews admission papers for completeness and compliance with the law; assigns offenders to appropriate living quarters.
- Compiles or supervises the compilation of offender progress reports.
- Directs the classification of offenders and assists department heads with the development of programs suited to their individual needs and capabilities.
- Functions as a member of the Institutional Classification Committee.
- Develops and supervises the procedures used to obtain parental/guardian consent for the medical and surgical treatment of offenders.
- Directs the arrangements and preparation of records of offenders who are to be transferred to other institutions; directs the notification of the parents or guardians and the Central Office.
- Develops methods for handling problematic cases involving problems of denial of privileges, reprimands, and the segregation of offenders charged with serious offenses.
- Directs the preparation of offender histories used for submission to parole committees for the purpose of granting or denying parole.
- Supervises the preparation of correspondence addressed to parents, guardians, parole officers, police departments, and other interested persons.
- Manages 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.
- Develops methods to implement established or proposed policies, procedures and regulations in a correctional institution.
- Assigns, instructs, and supervises technical, professional, and support staff.
- Conducts audits of ongoing programs to ensure that program objectives and goals are being achieved.
- Assists in budget preparation.
- Assists in various phases of informational and public relations programs.
- Functions in the absence of the Associate Administrator or Superintendent 1 when required.
- Prepares reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Supervises establishment and maintenance of essential records and files.
- May 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.
Education
Graduation from an accredited college with a Bachelor's degree.
Experience
Four (4) years of professional experience in administering correctional programs or four (4) years of professional experience in program administration in a public or private organization, three (3) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity.
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 the problems involved in supervising programs of care, custody, and training of offenders in a correctional institution.
- Knowledge of available equipment and possibilities relevant to the training of institutionalized persons.
- Ability to review and direct the classification of offenders and their assignment to living quarters and work and education programs.
- Ability to advise department heads in the development and administration of effective institutional programs.
- Ability to prepare summaries, case histories, and correspondence.
- Ability to prepare clear, technically sound, accurate, and comprehensive statistical, financial, budget, offender progress, and other reports.
- Ability to comprehend the various emotional, social and adjustment problems of offenders confined to an institution.
- Ability to implement established or proposed policies and procedures.
- Ability to supervise the establishment and maintenance of essential records and files.
- Ability to assign, instruct, and supervise the work of subordinate employees.
- Ability to handle problematic cases involving denial of privileges, reprimands, and offender segregation.
- Ability to learn 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, or 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 who do not possess the required education may substitute additional experience as indicated on a year-for-year basis.