Senior Compensation Claims Referee, WCB Item #882

New York State Workers' Compensation Board; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Pension plan

Paid parental leave

Health insurance

Job summary

The New York State Workers' Compensation Board invites applications for the Senior Compensation Claims Referee (Senior Judge) position in the Virtual Only District. You will manage calendars, set itineraries, and coordinate judge assignments to ensure timely hearings.

You will lead adjudication training for new WCLJs, develop CIS calendar workshops, mentor staff, and serve as liaison to Staff Development and the CLE program. Hybrid in-office/remote work is available.

Qualifications

• Reachable on the Civil Service eligible list for the Senior Compensation Claims Referee title.
• Or have 1 year permanent competitive or 55 b/c service as a Senior Compensation Claims Referee.
• Provisional qualifications allow appointment with next Civil Service examination and a passing score.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day calendars and scheduling of judges within the Virtual Only District.
• Provide hands-on adjudication training for new WCLJs in their first year of employment.
• Focus training on CIS, calendar skills, and adjudication procedures; lead workshops on complex topics.
• Create and pilot a mentorship program within Adjudication.
• Enhance the mock hearing component of training for practice hearings.
• Serve as liaison to Staff Development, CLE program, and other training matters.
• Act as the primary Adjudication representative for the Virtual Only District, internally and externally.
• Familiarize with specialized case types (e.g., PFL discrimination, disability insurance, WTC cases).
• Train on the OnBoard system when released and oversee Adjudication’s Emergency Coverage Pool.
• Coordinate with other agencies and supervise performance and attendance as needed.

Job description

Duties

The duties of the Senior Compensation Claims Referee (Senior Judge) of the Virtual Only District include, but are not limited to:

• Performing all duties of the Senior Compensation Claims Referee (Senior Judge) for the Board’s Virtual Only District, including managing day-to-day calendars, setting itineraries, scheduling judges within the district, and ensuring timely and efficient hearing of cases.
• Act as the statewide specialist for Adjudication-specific training, responsible for hands‑on training of new Workers’ Compensation Claims Referees (WCLJs) during their first year of employment. The Senior Judge will be responsible for creating, maintaining, enhancing, and offering specific training to new WCLJs.
• Training should have a particular focus on the case information system (CIS), calendar skills (e.g. mediation, calendar control, etc.), and Adjudication procedure, as well as workshops on complex legal topics (e.g. permanency, schedule loss of use, etc.).
• The Senior Judge will create and pilot a mentorship program within Adjudication.
• The Senior Judge will enhance and expand the mock hearing portion of the current training program to provide more opportunities for new judges to hold practice hearings.
• The Senior Judge will be Adjudication’s primary liaison to Staff Development, our CLE program, and all other training and continuing professional development matters.
• The Senior Judge will act as the primary Adjudication representative for the Virtual Only District, both internally within the Board and externally to stakeholders.
• This role requires the Senior Judge to:
• Become familiar with unique case types heard in the Virtual Only District, including but not limited to Paid Family Leave discrimination, workers’ compensation discrimination, disability insurance, Uninsured Employer’s Fund, and World Trade Center cases.
• Learn and eventually be able to train on the use of Laserfiche, the platform used for workers’ compensation discrimination and disability insurance cases.
• Maintain excellence in adjudication processing through adherence to high standards of quality and timeliness in case handling. Ensure Virtual Only District cases are handled consistently with statute, regulations, Board determinations, judicial case law, and Board procedures.
• Handle hearings as necessary or as assigned, especially employee cases and complex matters.
• Lend expertise, as necessary, as a Subject Matter Expert for the OnBoard project.
• As needed, train WCLJs and other Senior Judges on the OnBoard system once it is released.
• Oversee Adjudication’s Emergency Coverage Pool.
• To the extent directed by the Supervising Law Judge, act as a liaison between Adjudication and other agencies and units (e.g. ITS, Language Access, Data Management, etc.).
• To the extent that the Senior Judge supervises employees, they must ensure timely submission of performance and probation reviews, proper time and attendance tracking, and perform all related duties of supervision.
• Must carry out all functions on an independent and competent basis.
• Must have excellent organizational skills, with an aptitude for new technologies.
• Must be collaborative, successful in group settings, and be a good listener.
• Must travel when necessary.
• Will support the Supervising Law Judge in a variety of tasks and assignments as needed, as well as other projects at the discretion of the Supervising Law Judge and General Counsel.

Please note if the selected location is in one of the following counties: NYC, Rockland, Nassau, Suffolk, or Westchester you would receive an additional location pay differential of $4,150.

Please note if the selected location is in one of the following counties: Orange, Dutchess, or Putnam you would receive an additional location pay differential of $2,150.

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates must be reachable on the appropriate Civil Service eligible list.

OR

Candidates must have one year permanent competitive or non-competitive 55 b/c service as a Senior Compensation Claims Referee or be eligible to transfer under section 52.6 of the Civil Service Law.

OR

Non-Competitive Promotion Qualification

You must be a qualified employee of the New York State Workers' Compensation Board and have had 1 year permanent competitive, non-competitive, or 55-b/55-c service as a Compensation Claims Referee. If the number of eligible interested candidates is three or less, the agency, at its discretion, may nominate a candidate for a non‑competitive promotion under the provisions of Section 52.7 of the Civil Service Law. If approved by Civil Service, this would be considered a permanent appointment. In order to be eligible for an NCP, candidates must be an employee of the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and have one year of permanent, competitive service as a Compensation Claims Referee, SG‑28.

Provisional Qualifications

You must be a qualified employee of the New York State Workers' Compensation Board and have had 1 year of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as a Compensation Claims Referee. If appointed provisionally, the incumbent will need to take the next Civil Service examination for this title and pass with a score that will be immediately reachable on the resulting eligible list. Failure to take, pass and achieve a reachable score on the examination may result in revocation of the appointment.

Additional Comments

Please Note: This position requires both in-office and remote work. A hybrid telecommuting schedule can be discussed with the hiring manager during the interview.

We offer a work-life balance and a generous benefits package, including:

Holiday & Paid Time Off

• Thirteen (13) paid holidays annually.
• Thirteen (13) days of paid vacation leave in year one, increasing to 20+ days with additional years of service.
• Five (5) days of paid personal leave annually.
• Thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave annually for PEF/CSEA and eight (8) days paid sick leave annually for M/C.
• Annual professional leave and educational leave opportunities for eligible staff.

Health Care Benefits

• Eligible employees and dependents can choose from a variety of affordable and generous health insurance programs.
• Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost.

Additional Benefits

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
• Enrollment in the New York State pension system which has earned the distinction of being one of the best‑managed and best‑funded plans in the nation OR Optional Retirement Defined Contribution Plan with 8% salary match (eligibility requirements apply).
• NYS Deferred Compensation and an exclusive 403(b) Optional Retirement Savings Plan.
• Paid Parental Leave for all employees and Paid Family Leave (M/C Only).
• Eligibility for various life insurance options.
• Access to NY 529 and NY ABLE College Savings Program
• Flexible Spending Program, which allows employees to set aside pre‑tax payroll deductions for eligible health care and dependent care expenses.

For new State employees appointed to graded positions, the annual salary is the hiring rate (beginning of the Salary Range) of the position. Promotion salaries are calculated by the NYS Office of the State Comptroller in accordance with NYS Civil Service Law, OSC Payroll rules and regulations and negotiated union contracts.

The Workers’ Compensation Board (Board) is an equal opportunity employer. The Board does not discriminate based upon age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, military or veteran status, sex, disability (including pregnancy‑related conditions), predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, marital status, status as a victim of domestic violence, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. The Board is dedicated to eliminating injustices and ensuring diversity in our workforce so we can better serve our staff and create a space where all feel safe to be themselves. To help meet those goals, we encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply. We are looking for candidates who are committed to working in and contributing to an environment that fosters a sense of belonging, as well as inclusion, and celebrates people of all backgrounds, identities, experiences, and perspectives.

We encourage candidates to review our Core Values to learn more about the principles that guide our work and our commitment to serving New Yorkers. https://www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/TheBoard/InfoAbout.jsp

We are happy to provide reasonable accommodations during the hiring process. If you have a disability or special need that requires a reasonable accommodation, please send a request to [e-mail].