MEMBER BOARD OF REVIEW
Member Board of Review is a competitive state title, the kind you test for: the exam result, not a hiring manager's pick, decides where you land in line.
You can qualify with a doctoral degree or, if you do not have one, by piling up more experience instead. Pay on the FY2026 schedule runs $111,629 to $164,957, and state payroll currently lists 3 people in the title, most of them at Labor.
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 Labor and Workforce Development's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. 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 3 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $138,863. The agencies employing the most are:
- Labor (3)
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 an Assistant Commissioner in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, is one (1) of the three (3) Board Members, Office of the Board of Review, which conducts formal hearings and investigations of final appeals from the decisions of the Appeal Tribunal on benefit disputes under the Unemployment Compensation Law, Temporary Disability Benefits Law and Family Leave Insurance Law; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
Conducts final departmental hearings based on recommendations from the Board of Review professional staff on appeals from decisions rendered by the Appeal Tribunal. Confers with other members of the Board to identify the appeal issues presented, to determine the adequacy and value of evidence, and to ensure the appropriate application of relevant parts of the law to each appeal. Prepares, in conjunction with the other members of the Board, formal written decisions which become precedents for the use of the Appeal Tribunal with respect to benefit eligibility determinations and payments. Assists the department in determining the suitable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures for the use of Appeal Tribunal and the Board of Review governing the hearing of appeals. Remands appeals to the Appeal Tribunal or to the Division of Unemployment Insurance for rehearing as to the development of further evidence, and/or the changing of decisions. Reviews decisions of the Appeal Tribunal within the legal time limit for an appeal following a decision by the Appeal Tribunal. Responds to inquiries and/or remands from the Attorney General's Office on appeals of the Board of Review decisions. Approves appeals for future assignment. Prepares clear, sound, accurate, and informative reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Reviews court decisions made in other states concerning Unemployment Insurance, Temporary Disability, and Family Leave Insurance. Directs the preparation of correspondence. 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
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 procedures involved in handling appeals and of the basic law of due process. Knowledge of the methods and devices useful in determining the adequacy and value of evidence. Knowledge of the preparation of formal written decisions. Knowledge of the preparation of digests of appeals to serve as precedents. Knowledge of the preparation of reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Ability to read, interpret, and apply the provisions of the Unemployment Compensation Law, the Ex-Serviceman's Unemployment Compensation Act of 1958, the Act to provide Unemployment Compensation to Federal employees, the Temporary Disability Benefits Law, the Family Leave Insurance Law, and of the appropriate titles of the Federal Social Security Act and their application to specific cases. Ability to read, interpret, and apply the rules, regulations, policies, procedures, organization, and functions of the Department and their application to specific cases. Ability to organize assigned work and develop effective work procedures. Ability to comprehend and utilize the procedures mandatory in the handling of appeals, and to comprehend the basic law of due process. Ability to determine the adequacy and the value of evidence. Ability to determine the application of relevant portions of the law to individual appeals. Ability to prepare formal written decisions. Ability to help establish the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures useful to the Board of Review in the hearing of final appeals. Ability to review and interpret decisions made by the Appeal Tribunal and by other agencies. Ability to pass upon the transfer, withdrawal, and remanding of cases. Ability to select and prepare digests of court, Board of Review and other appeals to serve as precedents. Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate, and informative reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Ability to recommend the establishment and maintenance of suitable records and files. 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
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 appeals work which has involved responsibility for conducting hearings, interpreting, weighing and evaluating evidence, and drawing conclusions which serve as the basis for administrative action. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and five (5) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. OR Possession of a J.D. or L.L.B 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.