Research Scientist 1 (Non – Competitive)
Job Description
*New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development*
**VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT**
**Posting #: 2024-328** **Issue Date: 9/10/2024** **Closing Date: 9/24/2024**
**Title:** Research Scientist 1
(Non – Competitive) **Range/Title Code:** R30/03166 **Salary:** $93,816.41 – $133,882.16
**Location:** Workforce Research
and Analytics (WRA), Office of
Research and Information, NJ
**Unit Scope:** Statewide Public/Private Department of Labor and **Workweek:** NL **# Vacancies:** 1
Workforce Development, 5th
Floor, Trenton, NJ (N755)
**Job Description**
**About the Office of Research and Information (ORI):**
We are NJ’s premier source for economic, labor market, and demographic data and analysis. We drive innovation by embracing
diversity, creative thinking, and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders. ORI’s services and solutions help New
Jerseyans – students, jobseekers, business owners, and policymakers alike – make informed, data-driven decisions. Our team is
responsible for:
* Developing, analyzing, and disseminating labor market and demographic data;
* Preparing reports for the State and Federal government agencies that fund Labor’s workforce and worker benefit programs;
* Providing performance measurement, business intelligence, and evaluation services that promote the continuous
improvement of Labor programs;
* Developing user-centric digital tools to guide New Jerseyans’ career planning activities;
* Overseeing the review and approval of NJ’s private career schools and maintaining the Eligible Training Provider List; and
* Serving as the data backbone for strategic enforcement and compliance activities undertaken by Labor’s worker protection
programs.
**About this Position**
This position resides within ORI’s Workforce Research and Analytics (WRA) division whose functions include performance
reporting, evaluation and business intelligence, and data validation for a variety of program areas within NJDOL. Staffing is
currently underway for a new unit, that will support data-driven strategic enforcement and compliance activities. The new unit
will be developing the data infrastructure to implement statutory requirements including ensuring that businesses receiving money
from state government are in substantial good standing with state labor laws and publishing information about businesses in
substantial violation of labor laws on the NJDOL website. The research scientist’s primary responsibilities will be to conduct
research to inform enforcement targets, including artificial intelligence/machine learning modeling using historical administrative
data to predict the highest priority enforcement targets and analysis of other secondary sources to shed light on areas with the
highest risk of having existing or future labor violations. This will include:
* Working with analysts on the team to extract, transform, and load data for modeling purposes;
* Analyzing and interpreting data using statistical and machine learning techniques such as regression analysis and decision
trees;
* Building and maintaining predictive modeling using such techniques as random forests and gradient boosting;
* Communicating findings through visualizations, written reports, and presentations;
* Design, perform and analyze A/B tests;
* Coordinate and support other staff efforts to meet OSEC preclearance and regulatory requirements; and
* Assist in the preparation of federal and other grant funds through the design of original and creative research projects.
HR-96 (12/19)
**Working at NJDOL**
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL) provides many benefits to employees to acknowledge and value
their contribution. Statewide benefits include health insurance, pension, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)/Health Savings
Accounts (HSA), life insurance, deferred compensation and more. The DOL also provides tuition reimbursement (after nine months
of employment), a higher education program, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and Temporary Expanded PSLF
(TEPSLF) Programs, and employee training. The DOL also provides options for participation in the Telework, Alternate Workweek
or Flextime Programs pursuant to the Department’s policy.
**Employee Benefit(s)**
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL) provides many employee benefits to acknowledge, and value, their
contribution. Statewide benefits include:
• Alternate Work Week* • Telework*
• Deferred Compensation • 100% Tuition Reimbursement*
• Health and Life Insurance • Flexible and Health Spending Accounts (FSA)/(HSA)
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) • Temporary Expanded PSLF (TEPSLF) Programs
**Pursuant to the Department’s policy, procedures and/or guidelines.*
**Civil Service Commission Requirements (Education/Experience/Licenses)**
**REQUIREMENTS:**
**EDUCATION:** Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree in a discipline appropriate to the
position.
**EXPERIENCE:** Four (4) years of full-time experience in a field appropriate to the position.
**NOTE:** A Doctorate in a discipline appropriate to the position may be substituted for two (2) years of experience indicated
above.
**RESUME NOTE:** Eligibility determinations will be based only upon information presented on the resume along with other
supporting documents. Applicants who possess a degree from a college or university outside the United States must provide an
evaluation of the transcripts from a recognized evaluation service at the time of submission. Failure to do so may result in your
ineligibility.
**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.
**VETERANS PREFERENCE:** Are you a veteran? If so, proof of your NJ Veterans Preference is required at application. Please
provide a copy of your New Jersey Civil Service Commission NOTIFICATION OF VETERANS STATUS along with your cover
letter and resume. For information on how to apply for Veterans Preference in the State of NJ, please visit the Civil Service
Commission**.**
**SAME APPLICANTS:** If you are applying under the NJ “SAME” program, your supporting documents (Schedule A or B
letter), must be submitted along with your resume by the closing date indicated above. For more information on the SAME
Program visit their Website at: https://nj.gov/csc/same/overview/index.shtml , email: SAME@csc.nj.gov , or call CSC at (833)
691-0404.
**TO APPLY**
If you qualify, **please submit a letter of interest, transcripts (if applicable), and your** **resume** **(including the best contact**
**number and email address)** to email address listed below. Your submission **must** be received by the closing date and include
the job posting number.
This is not a promotional announcement for a Civil Service Examination.
This posting may result in personnel actions which will require final approval by the Department of Labor and
Workforce Development and the Civil Service Commission in accordance with Civil Service Commission rules and
regulations.
**This job posting is authorized by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development,**
**Division of Human Capital Strategies.**
**EMAIL:**
Human Capital Strategies
Recruitment Unit
**LWDJobPostings@dol.nj.gov**
**Subject line must include the specific job posting number.**
* Newly hired employees must agree to a thorough background check that may include fingerprinting.
* Any appointments made from postings, which involve movement between unit scopes, may result in a forfeiture of rights to
any promotional list in a former unit scope.
* As of September 2010, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 52:14-7, the “New Jersey First Act,” all new employees must reside in
the State of New Jersey, unless exempted under the law. If you do not live in New Jersey, you have one year after you begin
employment to relocate your residence to New Jersey, or to secure an exemption.
* Work Authorization: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States according to the Department of Homeland
Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations. NJDOL does not provide sponsorship or accept
student OPT/CPT programs, F1 or H1B work authorization visas.
***The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.***
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
**PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT**
In accordance with the Uniform Ethics Code adopted by the NJ State Ethics Commission and the State Policy
Prohibiting Discrimination in the Workplace, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
(NJ DOL) requires the disclosure of all relatives, consensual personal relationships, and cohabitants. No NJ DOL
employee may supervise or exercise any authority with regard to personnel actions involving their relative, anyone
with whom there is a consensual personal relationship, or anyone with whom they cohabit.
**Relative** means an individual’s spouse/domestic partner/civil union partner1 or the individual or spouse’s/domestic
partner’s/civil union partner’s parent, child, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, cousin, grandparent,
grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother or half-sister,
whether the relative is related to the individual or the individual’s spouse/domestic partner/civil union partner by
blood, marriage or adoption.
**Consensual personal relationship** means marriage, engagement, dating or other ongoing romantic or sexual
relationships.
**Cohabitant** means non-related persons who share a household under circumstances where there is financial
interdependence.
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development requires the disclosure of all relatives and
consensual personal relationships to be promptly reported directly to the Division of Human Capital Strategies (HCS),
Director’s Office. Confidentiality shall be maintained to the extent possible and practicable. This information may be
shared with NJ DOL’s Equal Employment Opportunity Office and/or the NJ DOL Ethics Office as deemed necessary.
Upon receiving notice of the relationship, HCS may address any situation as necessary in consultation with the EEO
Office and/or the Ethics Officer. This may include, but is not limited to, the changing of reporting relationships or
transferring any of the employees involved. Failure to provide notification to HCS may result in discipline up to and
including termination and the denial of legal representation and indemnification by the State in the event that a lawsuit
is filed having a connection with a personal relationship. Employees are under a continuing obligation to promptly
report personal relationships that develop during the course of their employment.
I **DO NOT** have a relative or a consensual personal relationship, as defined above, with anyone working for the
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
I **DO** have a relative or a consensual personal relationship, as defined above, with anyone working for the New
Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development identified as follows:
Name Relationship Division and Work Location
**Do you need more space for disclosure?** Yes No **If YES, continue writing on the back of this form.**
I certify that the information on this form to the best of my knowledge and belief is true, complete and accurate. I
understand that any misleading or incorrect information, willful misstatement, or omission of a material fact, may be
just cause for disciplinary action up to and including termination. I understand my obligation to promptly report
personal relationships that develop during the course of my employment.
Applicant/Employee’s Name (Print) ______________________________________
Applicant/Employee’s Signature Date
1 Domestic Partner as defined in NJSA 26:8A-1 et. seq. and Civil Union status as defined in NJSA 37:1-28 et. seq.
