Staff Hearing Officer - PN 20065988

What You'll Do:

Under general direction in assigned Regions/Districts, with a thorough knowledge of law & workers’ compensation law,

• Adjudicates & conducts hearings on\: matters of appeals, application for permanent total disability awards, fee disputes, reconsideration of permanent partial disabilities, Violations of Specific Safety Requirements (VSSR), & miscellaneous matters assigned by the Commission Members, Director of Hearing Services or Regional Manager
• Conducts deputy hearings for the Commission Members under the provisions of 4121.03 O.R.C.
• Hears requests for depositions
• Attends depositions
• Conduct hearings on final decisions on issues of permanent total
• Ensures all proceedings are conducted in a fair & legal manner
• Screens third level appeals to determine if all requirements have been satisfied pursuant to the provisions of 4123.511(E) O.R.C
• Presents the appropriate appeals to the Commission Members for approval of third level hearing
• Takes notes during Commission Member hearings & provides the Commission Members with information to be used during deliberations
• Obtains Commission Member votes & prepares orders which reflect the majority decision
• At the direction of the Commission Members, prepares resolutions & revises rules
• Screens requests for depositions & attends depositions
• Performs miscellaneous assignments
• Screens VSSR applications, schedules & attends VSSR pre-hearing conferences, schedules the VSSR merit hearing, places ex-parte statutory permanent total & permanent total tentative orders
• Answers docketing questions & reviews claims for claims examiners & Administrative Professionals
• Gives speeches on behalf of the agency
• Serves on joint BWC/IC Committees
• Must conduct themselves professionally at all times & in accordance with the IC’s standards of customer service which require employees to act in a respectful & impartial manner while providing accurate information & timely issue resolution & abiding by the agency’s Confidential Personal Information Policy

See the attached position description for more details regarding this position.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.

• This position is filled through an assessment consisting of a computer-based test, written exercise, and structured interview. All parts of the assessment will be administered in person at the William Green Building in Columbus, Ohio.
• This position may require travel; therefore, the person occupying this position must be able to provide his/her own transportation &/or legally operate a state-owned vehicle.
• The hourly wage for this position is not negotiable. For applicants who are not current State of Ohio employees, the starting wage will be the hourly rate listed on this posting. Successful employees will move up a step in the salary range within one year, and in most cases within four to six months, with subsequent step increases occurring annually.
• For internal applicants, the position will be filled pursuant to legislation or the provision of the OCSEA/AFSCME Contract.
• The final candidate selected for the position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.

About Us:

Our mission is to serve injured workers and Ohio employers through expeditious and impartial resolution of issues arising from workers’ compensation claims and through the establishment of adjudication policy.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

Admission to Ohio Bar pursuant to Section 4121.34 ORC; 12 mos. exp. as Industrial Commission District Hearing Officer, 63922.

Job Skills: Attorney/Legal

Technical Skills\: Professional, Research, Regulatory, Compliance, Workers' Compensation Law

Professional Skills\: Decision Making, Ethics, Facilitating Hearings, Time Management, Written Communications

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.