Manager of Appeals

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development; Saint Paul (MN); Remote; USD 97,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading government agency is seeking a Manager of Appeals to oversee critical roles in the new Paid Leave program. This position requires strong leadership, legal expertise, and the ability to manage a team effectively. The successful candidate will ensure compliance with legal standards while developing efficient processes for appeals. This role is vital to the success of the division, offering a unique opportunity to shape the future of Minnesota's Paid Leave program.

Benefits

Paid vacation and sick leave

Low-cost medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug plans

Pension plan

Employer paid life insurance

Short-term and long-term disability insurance

Training and professional development

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years in supervisory or managerial role in administrative law.
• Experience conducting hearings or inquiries in legal settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 12-25 employees in appeals operations.
• Ensure legal accuracy and quality in decision-making.

Skills

Leadership

Legal Research

Analytical Skills

Collaboration

Education

Juris Doctorate

Job description

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Join to apply for the Manager of Appeals role at Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development provided pay range

This range is provided by Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$97,948.00/yr - $139,916.00/yr

About the Paid Leave Division:

Paid Leave is a new program launching in 2026. The program will provide partial wage replacement to Minnesota workers who are out of work due to a qualifying condition, such as a severe health condition that prevents them from working, or when they need time to care for a family member or a new child.

We are building a program that will be easy for every Minnesotan to use. We are engaging the people who depend on us—workers, employers, caregivers, and insurers—to learn from them and build the program around their needs. We are using modern service delivery and product practices to deliver the program.

The Paid Leave team has high standards and an unrelenting commitment to serving Minnesotans. It is a start-up environment without legacy systems or preconceived ways of working, so we have a unique opportunity to create human-centric processes and systems to deliver this new benefit to Minnesotans.

Position Purpose:

This posting is for two (2) Appeals Manager positions for Paid Leave who will hold critical roles in our organization. Understanding that these roles will work in tandem and serve to back each other, please indicate whether you have a preference for a position.

• Appeals Manager, Pre-Hearing Operations: This Appeals Manager will manage a team that performs first-look intake of appeals to determine jurisdiction, legal question, and complexity. This role manages the team in drafting and issuing orders, subpoenas, and manages the preparation of cases for scheduled hearings.
• Appeals Manager, Hearing Operations: This Appeals Manager will manage a team of Paid Leave judges that hold de novo due process evidentiary hearings for Paid Leave applicants and employers. This role ensures high quality, prompt decision-making, legal accuracy, and makes sure participants receive a fair hearing experience.

These positions will collaborate dynamically with each other and understand that team cohesion is critical for success. As an Appeals Manager, you may personally handle sensitive cases for the unit (including holding hearings and issuing a decision based on the facts and the law). You will be assisting in the creation of the Appeals team and unit policies and procedures. The Appeals unit will deliver successful appeals capabilities that meet all statutory and legal requirements. Once live, you will manage the day-to-day activities of your team, ensuring timely decision-making with an eye towards efficiency, quality, and ensuring due process. You’ll also play a key role in reviewing hearings and decisions for quality and legal accuracy. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Appeals, you’re vital to the overall success of our division.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead with Integrity: Provide leadership and development to a team of twelve (12) to twenty-five (25) employees, including Paid Leave judges who are attorneys, legal analysts, and administrative staff.
• Own and Develop Appeals Operations: We are building our division from the ground up. Design, build, and lead pre-hearing operations, including assessing incoming appeals for jurisdiction, analyzing cases for order decisions, preparation of case files for hearing, and scheduling hearings OR hearing operations, including training Paid Leave judges on how to conduct due process, evidentiary hearings, write cogent, legally correct decisions, and review reconsideration requests for performance integrity.
• Legal Advice: Provide legal advice to Appeals unit team, supporting consistent interpretation of applicable statutes and rules related to Paid Leave.
• Quality and Compliance: Review hearings and draft decisions to ensure quality, consistency, and compliance.
• Start-up Spirit: We’re a start-up within state government; you are excited to play a key role in developing the organization, processes, and systems required to deliver the appeals capabilities for Paid Leave.

This position is telework eligible. Staff are provided with the tools and equipment to be successful in a virtual work environment. Please note, the telework policy could change with notice based on business needs.

This posting may be used to fill multiple positions.

Minimum Qualifications

Please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held. Only applicants whose resumes clearly demonstrate fulfillment of each of these minimum qualifications will be considered for this position.

Juris Doctorate from an ABA accredited law school and licensed to practice law in Minnesota in good standing (as of date of application for this position)

AND

Four (4) years of experience in a supervisory, managerial, or leadership capacity overseeing or executing administrative law processes in a law firm, legal nonprofit, or public sector setting; two (2) of those years must include experience conducting legal research, writing, and analysis in a law firm, legal nonprofit, or public sector setting

Applicants that meet the above minimum qualification will be further evaluated on the following:

• Experience conducting hearings or inquiries as a neutral fact-finder in an administrative law setting, conducting investigations that result in a written report, or presiding over other matters in a legal or quasi-legal setting
• Experience designing new business processes or improving existing processes
• Experience coaching, mentoring, and developing staff while building strong, trusting relationships
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate collaborative and supportive team relationships, including emotional intelligence
• Ability to identify and solve root causes to eliminate recurring issues

As an employee, you'll have access to one of the most affordable health insurance plans in Minnesota, along with other benefits to help you and your family be well.

Your benefits may include:

• Paid vacation and sick leave
• 12 paid holidays each year
• Low-cost medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug plans
• Fertility care, including IVF
• Diabetes care
• Dental and orthodontic care for adults and children
• 6 weeks paid leave for parents of newborn or newly adopted children
• Pension plan that provides income when you retire (after working at least three years)
• Employer paid life insurance to provide support for your family in the event of death
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance that can provide income if you are unable to work due to illness or injury
• Tax-free expense accounts for health, dental, and dependent care
• Resources that provide support and promote physical, emotional, social, and financial well-being

Support to help you reach your career goals:

• Training, classes, and professional development
• Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid website at studentaid.gov)

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for work/life support:

• A voluntary confidential program that helps employees and their families with life challenges that may impact overall health, personal well-being, or job performance
• Common sources of stress can be addressed through the EAP: mental health, relationship challenges (personal and work), grief and loss, finances, and legal issues
• Daily Living/Convenience Services: Chore services, home repair, trip planning, child/elder care

Programs, resources and benefits eligibility varies based on type of employment, agency, funding availability, union/collective bargaining agreement, location, and length of service with the State of Minnesota.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Management and Legal

• Industries

  Government Administration

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development by 2x

Inferred from the description for this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Pension plan

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