PERSONNEL ASSISTANT 2
Career Family: PERSONNEL ASSISTANT
In New Jersey, Personnel Assistant 2 is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
On the Personnel Assistant ladder it falls between Personnel Assistant 3 and Personnel Assistant 1. The stated bar is a master's degree, but candidates can swap in added experience for the diploma. The FY2026 range lands between $77,144 and $113,264.
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.
Pay ladder: Personnel Assistant series
- Personnel Assistant 4 — $58,818 – $85,742
- Personnel Assistant 3 — $67,312 – $98,503
- Personnel Assistant 2 — $77,144 – $113,264 (this title)
- Personnel Assistant 1 — $88,530 – $130,339
Promoting to Personnel Assistant 1 raises the top of the band by about $17,075. Its top salary lands around the 55th 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.
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 Personnel Assistant 1 or other supervisory official in a state department, institution, or agency, performs personnel work of considerable technical difficulty; acts in the capacity of a principal assistant overseeing a significant portion of a personnel program area such as classification, recruitment, personnel orientation and training, personnel research, administrative services, employee counseling and personnel services, or management assistance; may take the lead over a group of lower-level Personnel Assistants and support personnel; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
Provides essential, professional support to the administration and evaluation of the assigned organizational unit's personnel program, including data information management. Ensures personnel actions conform to specific aspects of the total program with particular emphasis on implementation and enforcement. Takes the lead on preparation and processing of all requests for personnel action; gives professional guidance to lower level staff in the more complex, unusual, or otherwise difficult instances; such actions may include appointments, salary adjustments, promotions, transfers, separations, reclassifications, blanket requests, layoffs and RIFs, grievances, appeals, and a variety of other actions, each of which involves one or more of the positions assigned to or requested by the particular department or other organizational unit. Takes the lead on personnel administrative services including, but not limited to, recruitment, PMIS processing, records administration, position control, staffing, open-competitive and promotional hiring, Performance Assessment Reviews, affirmative action, budget analysis reporting, Hay evaluation, health benefits, FICA, nonexcludable and excludable Unemployment Compensation and Disability, Workers' Compensation, and varied payroll functions including differing pay schedules and retroactive schedules. Researches, investigates, and prepares written justifications for a broad range of personnel and position action requests to ascertain, document, and explain the necessity of such actions. Provides professional advice and technical information to executives, administrators, and supervisors within the assigned department or other organizational unit regarding personnel and related management matters, and recommends a course of action in the case of specific employee, organizational, or procedural problems or needs. Takes the lead in recruitment efforts using modern techniques to promote state departments, institutions, or agencies. Interviews applicants for employment, secures employment commitments, and makes recommendations in the final selection process. Performs field investigations of procedures, complaints, grievances, and other personnel matters. Takes the lead in the recruitment and interview processes for prospective employees and manages employee retention initiatives. Conducts the new employee orientation program by providing information on department policies and employee benefits; may also assign new employees to offices and workstations. Develops and delivers personnel-related training presentations to enhance department employees' skills and knowledge. Takes the lead in conducting exit interviews and reviews statistical data or other studies to determine reasons for employee turnover. Utilizes applicant tracking systems (ATS) to streamline processes, manage candidate data, and track applicant progress through the hiring cycle. Runs comprehensive reports to interpret and analyze data to develop in-depth understanding of the agency's workforce standing and trends. Assists in the collection and preparation of statistical data for personnel and organizational management purposes. Renders complex and critical eligibility determinations as required by a wide range of personnel actions, utilizing applicable manuals, guidelines, and directives to ensure such determinations are correct and in accordance with Merit System rules, regulations, and current department and other operating policy. Conducts organization and classification surveys. Conducts job audits of positions and groups of positions, and prepares comprehensive analyses and recommendations for reclassification, addition of class titles, reevaluation of existing class titles, and/or necessary specification revisions. Compiles materials for use in preparing budget requests. Establishes communication and collaborates with appropriate departmental contacts in the Civil Service Commission, Department of the Treasury, labor contracts, and other state departments, institutions, agencies, and field offices. Ensures content communicated on behalf of a department head, appointing authority, or other executive officer is professional and technically correct. Appraises specific personnel recruitment efforts and assists with the overall personnel recruitment program of the assigned department or other organizational unit. Prepares detailed correspondence that may convey management opinion concerning personnel and related programs. Writes procedural instructions for personnel manuals, bulletins, and management directives. Originates and oversees the preparation of clear, sound, accurate, and informative statistical, analytical, and financial reports, as well as other reports of personnel matters containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations needed to guide management action. Takes the lead on the establishment and maintenance of records and files required for effective personnel operations and efficient data retrieval. Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
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 the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of professional personnel management methods and procedures encompassing organization and staffing, recruitment and selection, job classification and evaluation, employee relations, benefits, salary administration, human resources, organizational planning and development, equal employment opportunity, and documentation. Knowledge of problem analysis and decision-making processes for solving daily operational problems. Knowledge of Civil Service ( N.J.S.A. 11A and N.J.A.C. 4A) and Merit System rules and regulations, Department of the Treasury requirements, Civil Service Commission policies, applicable federal regulations, Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action, classification and compensation, and guidelines of the Civil Service Commission. Knowledge of regulations, policies, procedures, organizational structures, and functions of the assigned department. Ability to elicit cooperation from employers, employees, subordinates, line supervisors, and others based on established personnel management policy and regulations when recommending courses of action. Ability to conduct in-depth field and office personnel management, classification, and/or other studies needed to analyze organizational structure or to determine whether sufficient justification exists for implementation of specific personnel action. Ability to investigate, analyze, and recommend an appropriate course of action for a wide range of personnel management-related activities. Ability to take the lead over lower-level staff. Ability to conduct interviews. Ability to understand and carry out oral and written directions. Ability to work effectively with others. Ability to provide technical advice on complex personnel management issues to department administrative management and supervisory staff based on personnel management procedures, policies, rules, and regulations. Ability to analyze, interpret, and apply N.J.S.A. 11A and N.J.A.C. 4A rules and regulations to complex personnel management problems. Ability to prepare detailed statistical and other reports on personnel management issues with an emphasis on possible budgetary impact and/or implication. Ability to prepare detailed, confidential correspondence dealing with complex personnel issues or problems. Ability to take the lead on and coordinate the personnel recruitment program of the assigned department, institution, or agency. Ability to prepare, analyze, and revise detailed operating procedures and policies relating to complex personnel management issues for use in official department or agency publications. Ability to prepare in-depth reports on personnel management or classification studies. Ability to take the lead on research, collection, analysis, and preparation of detailed materials necessary for statistical reports and other studies of a personnel or managerial nature. Ability to interview prospective employees and make concrete recommendations in the selection process. Ability to serve as liaison with the Civil Service Commission, Department of the Treasury, and statewide personnel community. Ability to oversee the establishment and maintenance of general personnel and related files containing confidential correspondence, reports, and forms. 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 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 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. Seven (7) years of professional experience in a personnel program of a public or private organization. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and three (3) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. OR Possession of a master's degree in business administration, personnel administration, public administration, management, or other related field from an accredited college or university; and two (2) 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.