Fair Hearings Supervisor

Are you looking to advance your career while making an impact and serving the State of Connecticut? If so, we invite you to apply to this new exciting opportunity!

At The State of Connecticut, Department of Social Services (DSS) we, along with our partners, provide person-centered programs and services to enhance the well-being of individuals, families and communities.

We are currently recruiting for a Fair Hearings Supervisor for the Office of Legal Counsel Regulations and Administrative Hearings Division. This position will be located in our Central Office at 55 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. This position is full-time, Monday-Friday, 40 hours per week.  In this role the Fair Hearings Supervisor is responsible for supervising Fair Hearings Officers and other staff as assigned.

DSS delivers and funds a wide range of programs and services as Connecticut's multi-faceted health and human services agency. We serve about 1 million residents of all ages in all 169 Connecticut cities and towns, as well as support the basic needs of children, families, older and other adults, including persons with disabilities. Services are delivered through 12 field offices, central administration, and online and phone access options.

As a state employee, we offer you a terrific work life balance, and competitive benefits which include health and dental insurance, a retirement plan, group life insurance, and other supplemental benefits. Paid time off is also offered, including 12 paid holidays per calendar year, in addition to vacation, sick and personal leave accruals.

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The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.

In order to be considered for this job opening, you must be a current State of CT employee of the Department of Social Services, who has permanent state status*, and meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.

• For employees in the classified service, permanent status is obtained after successful completion of a working test period. For employees in the unclassified service, permanent status is obtained after serving in a position for at least six months (full-time or full-time equivalent).

This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs) which will be sent to you via email after the closing date. The email notification will include an expiration date by which you must submit (Finish) your responses. Please regularly check your email for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders, as emails could end up there in error.

Applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies.

Should you have questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Kelly Paul at Kelly.Paul@ct.gov.

In the Department of Social Services this class is accountable for supervising Fair Hearings Officers who conduct hearings and appeals of eligibility decisions under various assistance programs and other matters designated by statute.

• Schedules, assigns, oversees and reviews work of staff.
• Supervises Fair Hearing Officers and other staff as assigned. 
• Provides staff training and assistance.
• Conducts performance evaluations.
• Determines priorities and plans unit work.
• Establishes and maintains unit procedures.
• Develops or makes recommendations on development of policies and standards.
• Acts as liaison with other operating units, agencies and outside officials regarding unit policies and procedures.
• Prepares reports and correspondence.
• Identifies staff utilization and training needs and provides training for new and existing staff.
• May perform special assignments and conduct special program studies.
• May act for Director of Hearings in his/her absence.
• Performs related duties as required.

Considerable knowledge of relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations; considerable knowledge of relevant agency policies and procedures; considerable knowledge of hearings policy and procedures; considerable knowledge of eligibility requirements for Public Assistance, Medical Assistance, Food Stamps and General Assistance; considerable knowledge of public assistance program policy and practices; considerable oral and written communication skills; interpersonal skills; considerable ability to read, interpret and operationalize complex policy and legislation; ability to prepare reports on unit activities and/or operations; supervisory ability.

Eight (8) years of experience in the conduct of quasi-judicial hearings or formulation of policy regarding the hearings process.

One (1) year of the General Experience must have been conducting hearings and rendering decisions on eligibility appeals.

Note: For State employees, this is interpreted at the level of a Fair Hearings Officer.

1. College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
2. A Master's degree in business, public administration or a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.
3. For State employees, one (1) year of experience as a Fair Hearings Officer may be substituted for the General and Special Experience.
4. For State employees, one (1) year of experience as a Public Assistance Consultant with responsibility for the formulation of hearings policy may be substituted for the General and Special Experience.

Preference will be given to candidates who have:

• Experience interpreting complex state and federal laws, statutes and regulations related to public and medical assistance programs serviced by the Department of Social Services;
• Experience presiding over hearings, drafting or reviewing written decisions related to administrative hearings;
• Experience reviewing and assessing matters governed under the state Uniform Administrative Procedures Act;
• Experience determining eligibility for public assistance, medical assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, medical services and Child Support Programs serviced by the Department of Social Services;
• Experience working with the following systems applications: ImpaCT, ConneCT, Teams, Microsoft Office Suite and Acrobat Adobe;
• Experience supervising and evaluating staff.

Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.