COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE HUMAN SERVICES
New Jersey treats County Representative Human Services as a competitive-class job, so the gate is an examination and the ranked list it produces rather than a direct offer.
The spec names a master's degree, but it leaves the door open to substitute experience for the degree. The FY2026 range lands between $92,711 and $136,605, and state payroll currently lists about 12 people in the title, most of them at Children and Families.
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 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.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 12 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $136,605. The agencies employing the most are:
- Children and Families (12)
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 the Regional Supervisor of County Representatives, serves as the Department's policy representative to county government, providers, and consumer groups, and oversees the development and management of a coordinated county-based system consisting of multiple public and private social service agencies and programs; serves as formal liaison between the Department and the public and private social service delivery systems; does other related duties.
Examples of work
Conducts Departmental liaison activities with the county and municipal governments, the county Advisory Council, and other various county and regional groups to convey and interpret Departmental policy, procedures, and priorities, as well as Federal and State legislation, rules, and regulations; acts as a conduit to report and interpret county concerns and initiatives to the Department. Manages the effective integration of human social service programs and activities in a county to ensure the effective, coordinated delivery of services. Initiates the county planning process for the Department, plans for the development of a representative human social service planning committee; establishes cooperation between various human service programs to promote a county-based human services system. Analyzes complex social service information, identifies areas of service needs, and prioritizes and develops a comprehensive human social service plan to utilize resources and deliver services to facilitate the county planning process. Identifies areas of service overlap, provides agency role clarification, and develops a inter-agency training plan through the evaluation of data and reports from the various agencies to promote inter-agency cooperation and to resolve any related issues and problems. Reviews new and existing purchase of service contracts, grants, and program budgets to ensure consistency with the County plan, Federal and State rules, and regulations, and policy and procedures; monitors expenditures to ensure program efficiency and effectiveness. Assists in the development and implementation of plans to consolidate administrative services, such as space management, ordering and storing of supplies and equipment, co-location of services, and sharing of courier/transportation services to promote operational efficiency and cost effectiveness. Develops and implements programs and activities to coordinate and integrate functions, such as intake and screening, a county-wide emergency response system, joint foster home recruitment, skill development and training in conjunction with state and county officials. Provides technical assistance to consolidate boarding homes/shelter care inspections and evaluations according to Federal and State rules regulations. Assists in the development, implementation, and management of special projects, grants, innovative programs. Prepares reports on social service activities containing findings, recommendations, and conclusions. Directs the establishment and maintenance of records, reports, and files. Maps and inventories all community-based facilities; approves site selection of proposed programs. Identifies and coordinates Departmental funding with other public and private funding. Gathers data for federal, state and county social service funding and programs; monitors the development and updating of the county's planning document to create a basis for statewide and county-based allocating decisions for human service funding. Convene an interdivisional task force of division supervisors from divisions at the county level; identifies interdivisional issues that require resolution to achieve a more effective service delivery system through the Department; coordinates the development of a county-wide service plan consistent with Departmental policies and the county comprehensive Plan. Facilitates the identification of conflicting policy mandates between/among divisions; documents problems caused by conflicts or situations where written policy, excludes otherwise eligible persons from receiving services; identifies problems and solutions. Develops an interdivisional case mediation process in the county; identifies appropriate divisional personnel to participate in the process; oversees resolution of interdivisional case disputes among divisions; facilitates speedy resolution to interdivisional case and policy conflicts; facilitates cooperative interdivisional relations at the county level. Acts as a conduit for information between county systems and local divisional staff; facilitates divisional technical assistance to county government and county planning bodies as needed. Facilitates coordination of communication between county service providers and divisional staff; advises county divisional staff of appropriate involvement in overall county planning and service delivery functions. Coordinates Department's coterminous regional reorganization in the county; acts as primary liaison between the Department and the local divisional staff in the Departmental reorganization; implements reorganizational goals in the county; aids divisional staff to identify problem areas or perceived barriers to reorganization and resolves same on local, regional, or central office level; identifies problematic areas or issues regarding reorganization to the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner and suggests solutions to enhance transition in the reorganization process. Coordinates state, county, and municipal responses to the homeless; interprets state and federal legislation and regulations for the homeless to the county; oversees and approves the development and implementation of service systems to provide necessary services to the homeless; monitors overall service plans for the homeless to ensure service provisions, continuity, and programmatic integrity. Oversees the development and implementation of county Family Court Service Plans as mandated by law; monitors service system to Family Court population as defined in county Family Court Service Plan; coordinates activities of divisions to provide maximal services to this population. Prepares responses to inquiries. Prepares briefing papers researches problematic situations, recommends approaches and solutions to problems or potential problems; identifies individuals or agencies and their various positions on a given issue. Attends meetings and conferences. Establishes and maintains records and files. 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
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 community resources and the various types of social services in a county-based social service system. Knowledge of social work theory, methods and techniques. Knowledge of the problems encountered in inter-agency social service planning and intergration. Knowledge of the principles of program development, and evaluation. Knowledge of the methods used to collect and analyze data. Ability to gather and analyze information. Ability to interpret laws, rules, and regulations and apply them to specific situations. Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, manage and integrate a county-based system. Ability to develop effective social service programs, policies, and procedures. Ability to provide technical assistance and consultation. Ability to represent the Department at meetings and conferences. Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those interested or involved in the work of the program. Ability to analyze complex social service issues and programs. Ability to identify and analyze the impact of budgetary decisions, policy directions, legislation, regulations, and procedures on the operation of an integrated human service system and provide recommendations. Ability to prepare correspondence and reports. Ability to establish and maintain records and files. 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 the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. CODES: 29/P29- PM/mer 7/01/06
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. Nine (9) years of professional experience in the operation of human services programs, two (2) years of which shall have involved the planning and/or organization of community based social service programs. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and five (5) years of the above-mentioned professional experience, two (2) years of which shall have involved the planning and/or organization of community based service programs. OR Possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in community planning, social work, public administration, or a related field; and four (4) years of the above-mentioned professional experience, two (2) years of which shall have involved the planning and/or organization of community based social service programs. "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.