NJ Civil Service Navigator

EDUCATION: PROGRAM SPECIALIST 2 COUNCIL ON THE ARTS

Code: 70331D State Competitive Range: P28 (FY2026)

Career Family: EDUCATION: PROGRAM SPECIALIST

Salary: $88,529.64 - $130,338.5/year FY2026 schedule (last updated 2026-05-08)

To land Education: Program Specialist 2 Council on the Arts in New Jersey you go through the competitive route: you sit an announced exam and the score puts you on the eligible list agencies hire from.

A master's degree is the listed credential, and extra years on the job can be traded for it. The FY2026 range lands between $88,530 and $130,339, and state payroll currently lists 5 people in the title, most of them at State.

How to apply

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Agency posting

    Department of State 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.

  • Agency posting

    Department of Children and Families 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: Education: Program Specialist series

  1. Education: Program Specialist 3 — $80,756 – $118,678
  2. Education: Program Specialist 2 — $88,530 – $130,339
  3. Education: Program Specialist 1 Council on the Arts — $97,100 – $143,176

Its top salary lands around the 72nd 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 5 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $121,977. The agencies employing the most are:

  • State (4)
  • Children and Families (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 general direction of a supervisory official in the New Jersey Council on the Arts, provides support services to arts and cultural organizations in planning, developing, coordinating, or assessing programs, or in the development and maintenance of policies and procedures; does related work as required.

Examples of work

  • Conducts evaluations of art and cultural programs in conjunction with program staff.
  • Consults with staff and, based on evaluation findings, provides them with technical assistance in the design and implementation of plans for improving art and cultural education programming and coordination of services.
  • Designs and implements procedures and evaluation instruments for the ongoing assessment of the needs of the council's program staff.
  • Develops and conducts training for program staff.
  • Designs procedures for the ongoing monitoring of art and cultural education service delivery.
  • Develops standards and programmatic guidelines in the delivery of services.
  • Consults with program staff and provides them with technical assistance in the development and implementation of improved special programs and service delivery.
  • Reviews completion of programs and recommends approval or modification and funding levels.
  • Analyzes and recommends changes in laws and codes.
  • Reviews annual program plans, applications for funds, and final reports, and recommends acceptance, modifications, or disapproval.
  • Designs guidelines for funding and/or contracting of programs and services with state, county, and local agencies.
  • Reviews monthly and annual reports and develops reports and recommendations pertaining to program effectiveness and efficiency.
  • In cooperation with other staff, may develop technical aspects of legislation or administrative code for technical accuracy and compliance with current trends in the area of specialization.
  • Conducts reviews of research, literature, and legislation and consults with experts in the discipline(s) to ascertain the current and future trends in art and humanities and service delivery.
  • Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

PROGRAM SPECIALIST 2 COUNCIL ON THE ARTS

UNCLASSIFIED 11A: 3-4 (l)

A Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Education, Arts, Humanities, or a related field.

Experience

Four (4) years of professional experience in education, arts, arts education, or related field.

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 arts and humanities and instructional approaches, methods, and techniques.
  • Knowledge of the practices and methods effective in staff training.
  • Knowledge of effective methods of needs assessment.
  • Knowledge of instructional materials and assessment tools for art and cultural education programs.
  • Knowledge of current art and cultural education programming and state and local budgetary procedures.
  • Knowledge of the area of professional specialization including current practices, historical perspective, and future trends.
  • Knowledge of state and federal mandates related to area(s) of artistic and cultural specialization.
  • Knowledge of program assessment, evaluation, and monitoring practices.
  • Ability to plan and develop art and cultural education programs.
  • Ability to evaluate the effectiveness of art and cultural education programming.
  • Ability to work cooperatively with community groups, council staff, amd other art and cultural professionals.
  • Ability to interpret and apply laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to art and cultural education programs.
  • Ability to provide leadership and planning assistance to state and provider agencies in the delivery of art and cultural education programs.
  • Ability to develop training programs to improve the performance of program staff.
  • Ability to write clearly and effectively.
  • Ability to assess the problems in the delivery of services and to develop and implement resolutions.
  • Ability to assess and utilize the opportunities in art and humanities.
  • Ability to analyze application requests.
  • Ability to identify cost effective procedures.
  • Ability to design and implement art and cultural education programs.
  • Ability to exercise leadership in the area(s) of art and cultural specialization.
  • Ability to work cooperatively with interest groups and network with specialists in the art and cultural area(s) including counterparts in other state departments.
  • Ability to plan and execute a program and allocate resources provided for that purpose.
  • Ability to provide technical analysis of legislation or administrative codes.
  • Ability to plan, organize, and deliver public presentations in the artistic or cultural area(s) of specialization.
  • Ability to analyze needs to determine necessary service delivery.
  • Ability to learn and 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.
  • CODES: 28/P28- JMR 4/29/95

Note

One (1) additional year of experience may be substituted for a Master's degree.