ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LABOR PLANNING AND ANALYSIS (Competitive)

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 general direction of a director in the Office of Labor Planning and Analysis in the Department of Labor, directs the activities, functions and staff involved in the research, analysis, evaluation and planning of employment and workforce activities, including labor force statistics, occupational/industrial employment, labor market information, labor supply and demand and other related employment and workforce data activities; does other related work as required.

Examples of work

• 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.
• Plans, develops, organizes, directs, coordinates and manages several major programs or projects relating to demographic, economic or labor market data generation, analysis or research.
• Plans, organizes and directs a comprehensive statistical survey program in economic, demographic or labor market information including technical design, questionnaire development, selection of appropriate sampling techniques, pilot testing, survey implementation and quality control analysis to ensure statistically valid and reliable results which meet programmatic and policy objectives in a cost-effective manner.
• Directs and coordinates technical planning, testing, evaluation, development and analysis of demographic, economic or labor market data series according to programmatic or legislative mandates, such as the preparation of population estimates for New Jersey and its geographic subdivisions.
• Provides technical expertise and advice of a complex or sensitive nature in demographic, economic and labor market data, analysis and research to Departmental staff, other state, federal and local agencies, members of the business and academic communities and other members of the general community interested in assessing present and future labor-related conditions in New Jersey for policy, planning or funding decisions.
• Develops appropriate standards, methods and procedures to be used in research and data analyses.
• Develops economic assumptions underlying unemployment workload projections used to determine short-term and long-term staffing patterns, fiscal requirements of the unemployment compensation program and data processing capacity studies.
• Develops policy recommendations and prepares or directs the preparation of position papers for use by Department administrators for monitoring program performance and for compliance with Federal statutes.
• Prepares cost-effectiveness studies, cost estimates and analyses of the effect of proposed statutory changes and new/revised policies for Department administrators, legislative committees and Department advisory boards.
• Evaluates operations to identify and recommend changes; develops legislative and administrative proposals required to implement changes.
• Evaluates and directs the evaluation of proposed Federal and State legislation and policy changes to determine the actual or potential fiscal and programmatic impact on Department operations, provides recommendations on the advisability their adoption.
• Directs the design and implementation of methods and systems to compile, correct and analyze varied types of economic and statistical data required of operating units.
• Directs research and data collection in the area of Workers' Compensation; initiates and designs reports and studies for use in operational policy formulation.
• Designs, implements and supervises research projects to assess the effectiveness of regular and special Employment and Training operating activities.
• Plans, coordinates and directs the activities of staff responsible for the auditing of operating statistics about unemployment, training, unemployment insurance and other departmental programs, including Vocational Rehabilitation, Disability Determinations, Workers' Compensation, Disability Insurance and Workplace Standards; establishes methodologies to test the accuracy of data generated by operations and procedures for reporting results to State and Federal authorities; recommends sound methodologies to adjust data and systems that do not meet established standards and assists in implementing recommended reporting changes.
• Plans and conducts studies to analyze the adequacy of the UI/DI Trust Funds, and recommends measures for restoring and maintaining fiscal solvency.
• Prepares or directs the preparation of economic impact analyses on proposed legislation.
• Prepares testimony and presentations for delivery before Department administrators and legislative and advocacy groups on matters relating to research and evaluation programs of the Department, quality control, legislative and policy analysis and trust fund adequacy.
• 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.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree which includes or is supplemented by three (3) semester hour credits in statistics and twelve (12) semester hour credits in any combination of statistics, economics or mathematics, supplemented by a Master's degree in economics, statistics, mathematics, planning, demography, industrial relations, public administration, human resource administration, business administration or other related field.

Experience

Six (6) years of comprehensive research and analysis experience in the fields of economics, demography or labor markets, which shall have included primary responsibility for at least one major program; four (4) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity.

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 essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of the methods used to collect and analyze data.
• Knowledge of economic, research, demographic, labor market and statistical theory, principles, procedures, practices and calculation devices and their application for specific projects.
• Knowledge of the methods used to conduct a variety of statistical surveys and research projects and conducting statistical analyses involving the interpretation of statistical measures.
• Knowledge of the application of cost-effectiveness analysis techniques to a program of social services and enforcement.
• Knowledge of the use of data processing systems, equipment and programs for data generation, integration and production and their application to specific projects or programs.
• Ability to plan, develop, organize, direct, coordinate and manage major demographic, economic or labor market programs.
• Ability to prepare and supervise the preparation of clear, sound, accurate and informative demographic, economic and labor market analyses and reports containing findings, conclusions and recommendations.
• Ability to interpret and apply information of economic conditions in the State and determine their probable effect on the programs, services and workload of the Department.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative relationships with those interested or involved in the work of the program.
• Ability to design, implement and supervise research projects.
• Ability to analyze and interpret economic facts and trends.
• Ability to identify data gathering and reporting needs.
• Ability to design and implement methods to compile program data and generate reports.
• Ability to clearly and concisely communicate the results of research and program evaluation projects and legislative and policy analyses both orally and in writing.
• Ability to evaluate research and grant proposals and to monitor research studies conducted by outside agencies and individuals.
• Ability to prepare reports and correspondence.
• Ability to draft legislative and administrative proposals.
• 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.

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 Master's degree may substitute one (1) additional year of non-supervisory experience as indicated above.

Applicants who do not possess the Bachelor's degree may substitute additional experience as indicated above on a year- for-year basis for all except the fifteen (15) semester hour credits in economics, mathematics and statistics.

A Doctoral degree in any of the above educational areas may be substituted for two (2) years of the non-supervisory experience.