SUPERVISING PUBLIC HEALTH REPRESENTATIVE ONCOLOGY DATA SPECIALIST
Oncology Data Specialist
In New Jersey, Supervising Public Health Representative Oncology Data Specialist is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
The stated bar is a bachelor's degree, but candidates can swap in added experience for the diploma, and a professional license is required on top of that. The FY2026 range lands between $84,548 and $124,366, and state payroll currently lists about 13 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.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 13 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $124,366. The agencies employing the most are:
- Health and Senior Services (12)
- 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 direction of a program manager, directs and supervises all cancer data collection, quality control and medical data correction activities for the New Jersey State Cancer registry; sets 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
Designs, develops, and implements policies and procedures for quality assurance and/or data collection in accordance with standards established by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR). Designs studies to assess validity and reliability of cancer data. Directs staff involved in quality control activities for the collection, preparation, and editing of cancer data. Directs staff involved in activities associated with medical data corrections related to demographic and medical information including primary site and histology, staging extent of tumor invasion, and proper correction of diagnostic and cancer treatment information. Develops and implements educational and training programs for cancer registry staff and personnel responsible for cancer reporting in health care facilities statewide. Provides advanced 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. Coordinates the electronic submission of medical cancer information both statewide and out-of-state. Collaborates with appropriate department staff in the design, development, and implementation of tracking systems to accommodate workflow and program organization. Ensures the ongoing submission of cancer data in a format compatible with NJSCR and NAACCR. Directs staff responsible for the timely, complete, and 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 technical reports and correspondence. Plans, organizes, and assigns the work of the organizational unit and evaluates employee's performance and conduct, enabling the effective recommendation of the hiring, firing, promoting, and disciplining of subordinates. 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. 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 supervisory methods and techniques. Knowledge of cancer registry practices on the hospital, site, 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 regulations governing the reporting of cancer to the New Jersey State Cancer Registry. 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 direct, supervise, and instruct professional cancer registry staff with basic and advanced levels of knowledge in the cancer and/or cancer registry field. Ability to coordinate 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 the confidentiality of data. 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 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 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. Eight (8) 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, two (2) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and four (4) years of the above-mentioned professional experience, two (2) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity. "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.