• 4A:3-1.1. Career service
• 4A:3-1.2. Divisions within the career service
• 4A:3-1.3. Unclassified service
• 4A:3-1.4. Unclassified secretaries and confidential assistants: State service

4A:3-1.1 Career service

(a) The Commissioner shall allocate and reallocate career service titles between the competitive and noncompetitive divisions.

(b) A career service job title in the competitive division is subject to the competitive examination procedures. See N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.

(c) A job title may be placed in the noncompetitive division on an ongoing or interim basis when it is determined by the Commissioner that it is appropriate to make permanent appointments to the title and one or more of the following criteria are met.

1. Competitive testing is not practicable due to the nature of the knowledge, skills and abilities associated with the job;

2. Certification procedures based on ranked eligible lists have not or are not likely to meet the needs of appointing authorities due to such factors as salary, geographic location, recruitment problems and working conditions; or

3. There is a need for immediate appointments arising from a new legislative program or major agency reorganization.

(d) All appointees to noncompetitive titles shall meet the minimum requirements set forth in the job specification and satisfactorily complete a working test period.

(e) Prior to any reallocation from the competitive to noncompetitive divisions, whether on an ongoing or interim basis, an administrative review shall be conducted and notice of the proposed reallocation shall be sent to affected appointing authorities and negotiations representatives. The notice shall designate the period of time, which in no event shall be less than 20 days, during which written comment may be submitted, and may provide for a public hearing.

1. Data, reports, analyses and other information utilized in the determination shall constitute the administrative record, and shall be available for review by affected employees, appointing authorities and negotiations representatives.

2. After the comment period and the public hearing, if any, the Commissioner shall issue a final administrative decision containing findings and conclusions with respect to the proposed reallocation, based upon the administrative record and any comment received, and implementation procedures.

(f) When a job title is reallocated from the competitive to noncompetitive divisions, the Commissioner's decision shall specify an effective date for reallocation.

1. Permanent employees in that title as of the effective date shall retain their permanent status in the noncompetitive division.

2. Probationary employees in that title as of the effective date shall continue serving their working test periods and, upon successful completion, attain permanent status in the noncompetitive division.

3. Provisional employees who remain in that title as of the effective date shall receive regular appointments and begin serving their working test periods on the effective date.

(g) If a title is designated noncompetitive on an interim basis, at the end of the interim noncompetitive period, which shall be no greater than one year, the job title shall be redesignated as competitive. Individuals appointed during the interim noncompetitive period shall, upon successful completion of their working test periods, attain permanent status in the competitive division.

(a) A job title shall be allocated by the Board to the unclassified service when:

1. In State service, the title is so designated under N.J.S.A. 11A:3-4;

2. In local service, the title is so designated under N.J.S.A. 11A:3-5;

3. The title is designated unclassified by another specific statute;

4. A specific statute provides that incumbents in the title serve for a fixed term or at the pleasure of the appointing authority; or

5. The Board determines that it is not practicable to determine merit and fitness for appointment in or promotion to that title by examination and that it is not appropriate to make permanent appointments to the title.

(b) In local service, no more than 10 municipal department heads may be allocated to the unclassified service in each municipality. A department head in a municipality, where not otherwise set by statute, is a person whose position has been created by ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, to perform substantial managerial duties, and who has the authority and powers of appointment, removal, selection for promotion, and control of the assignment and work of subordinates subject only to the legislative power of the governing body and applicable statutes.

(c) In local service, a principal executive officer, for purposes of unclassified appointments under N.J.S.A. 11A:3-5(h) and (j), is a managerial title which is independent of other executive authority, and is established by statute or designated by the Merit System Board.

(d) In State service, a principal executive officer, for purposes of unclassified appointments under N.J.S.A. 11A:3-4(h), is one who is appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(a) In State service, each department head, principal executive officer, board and commission may appoint one unclassified secretary and one unclassified confidential assistant.

(b) Requests for such unclassified appointments shall be made to the Commissioner, accompanied by documentation showing that no more than one person is serving in each such unclassified title in the requesting authority. In the case of boards and commissions, the following criteria must be satisfied:

1. The board or commission must have the actual power to administer a statutorily designated function; and

2. The board or commission must have the full power of an appointing authority with regard to its personnel.

(c) Upon recommendation by the Commissioner, such appointments may thereafter be approved by the Merit System Board and recorded in the Board minutes.