PUBLIC HEALTH REPRESENTATIVE 1 ONCOLOGY DATA SPECIALIST
Oncology Data Specialist
Career Family: PUBLIC HEALTH REPRESENTATIVE
Public Health Representative 1 Oncology Data Specialist sits in the competitive class of New Jersey's state civil service, so reaching it runs through testing and an eligible list instead of a straight hire.
It lists a bachelor's degree as the baseline, with an experience-based path open to those who do not hold the degree, and a professional license is required on top of that. Pay on the FY2026 schedule runs $73,707 to $108,073, and state payroll currently lists about 21 people in the title, most of them at Health and Senior 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 Health 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: Public Health Representative series
- Public Health Representative 3 — $56,253 – $81,897
- Public Health Representative 2 — $64,340 – $94,062
- Public Health Representative 1 — $73,707 – $108,073
Its top salary lands around the 51st 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 21 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $104,637. The agencies employing the most are:
- Health and Senior Services (20)
- Unknown (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 general supervision of a Supervising Public Health Representative (Oncology Data Specialist) or other supervisory official, conducts cancer data collection, quality control and medical data correction activities for the New Jersey State Cancer Registry; assists in setting priorities, deadlines, and schedules in accordance with overall Cancer Registry Program goals; supervises staff and work activities; prepares and signs official performance evaluations for subordinate staff; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
Serves as technical expert for quality assurance and/or data collection and correction staff as well as health care facilities to ensure reliability of medical data for analysis and research. Assists in designing studies to assess validity and reliability of cancer data. Supervises field staff and works with health care facility staff responsible for cancer data collection as well as quality control activities associated with collection, preparation, and editing of cancer data. Performs tasks associated with medical data corrections related to demographic and medical information such as assignment of primary site and histology, staging extent of tumor invasion, and proper correction of diagnostic and cancer treatment information. Assists in developing and implementing educational and training programs for cancer registry staff and personnel responsible for cancer reporting in health care facilities statewide. Provides training in abstracting and assignment of topography, morphology and behavior fields, case finding, staging of tumors and use of cancer registry software to personnel in the tumor registry field. Oversees the compilation of statistical cancer data for health care facilities on cancer incidence, treatment, and follow-up information. Assists in the design, development, and implementation of tracking systems to accommodate workflow and program organization. Ensures that cancer data is submitted in a format compatible with NJSCR and NAACCR. Assists in supervising staff responsible for insuring timely, complete, quality collection of cancer data by New Jersey health care facilities. Designs cancer-related data collection systems appropriate for various sizes and types of health care facilities in compliance with State law and the National Program of Cancer Registries. Prepares reports and correspondence of a technical nature as required. Plans, organizes, and assigns the work of the organizational unit and evaluates employee performance and conduct. Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has the responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees. Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
License
Appointees must possess a valid Oncology Data Specialist certification issued by the National Cancer Registrars Association and the National Board for Certification of Registrars. 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 public health principles of planning, organizing, implementing, and supervising a disease control program. Knowledge of regulations governing the reporting of cancer to the New Jersey State Cancer Registry. Knowledge of cancer registry practices on the hospital, state, and national levels. Knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Knowledge of medical and oncology terminology. Knowledge of clinical oncology, the course of cancer as a disease, and trends in cancer patient care and treatment. Knowledge of statistical and epidemiologic methods and their application to the management and utilization of large data sets. Ability to interpret and apply standards set by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, the Center for Disease Control, the American College of Surgeons, the American Cancer Society, and other agencies concerned with cancer registry practices. Ability to supervise and instruct professional cancer registry staff with basic and advanced levels of knowledge in the cancer and/or cancer registry field. Ability to perform cancer registry program activities which include abstracting, coding, case finding, and staging. Ability to organize and develop cancer related data collection systems. Ability to use cancer registry software designed for health care facilities and central registry use. Ability to collect, calculate, analyze, interpret, and present numerical data related to cancer occurrence. Ability to apply legal and ethical principles and policies related to the confidentiality of data. Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate and informative reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. 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 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 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. Seven (7) years of professional experience as a cancer registrar in a central cancer registry, hospital, or other health care facility, which shall have included responsibility for abstracting cancer cases, quality control, and conducting public health surveys, or patient care studies and evaluations. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and three (3) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. "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.