DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC SECURITY

Office of Inspector General (OIG)
2200 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004

Salary: $73,447.42 - $81,608.38 

Grade: 23

Closing Date: September 25, 2025

Would you like to be part of an amazing team that helps Arizonans thrive? At the Department of Economic Security (DES) we strengthen individuals, families, and communities for a better quality of life. DES is looking for individuals who are committed to service, community, and teamwork. To learn more about DES please visit des.az.gov; or click on the link here to view ‘Our DES’ video. Come Join the DES Team!

DES is seeking an experienced and highly motivated professional to serve as a Chief Hearing Officer (Presiding Administrative Law Judge - PALJ), responsible for supervising a team of Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) and/or legal support staff who handle Unemployment Insurance (UI) or Public Assistance (PA) cases. This role involves overseeing all aspects of team management, including conducting performance evaluations (MAP), implementing corrective actions when necessary, and supporting staff well-being. The PALJ also monitors case assignments through workflow queues and automated reports, ensuring timely and accurate processing by coordinating closely with support personnel. Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills, along with a solid understanding of administrative law and public benefit programs, are essential for success in this role.

This position will offer the ability to work remotely, within Arizona, based upon the department's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures.

The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Supervise ALJs and support staff; hire and select new employees; assign, evaluate, and approve work products; train, coach, counsel, and discipline. Track productivity of ALJs and support staff through reports.
• Oversee and manage the appeal and hearing processes to ensure compliance with due process, statutory and regulatory requirements, and timeliness and quality standards mandated by federal and state administering authorities.
• Lead, coordinate or participate in special projects assigned by upper management and attend meetings.
• Work with the ASA management team to solve systemic problems and to design and implement new policies, procedures, and processes to maximize efficiency, quality, and timeliness.
• Conduct hearings in person or on telephone, asking questions, making a record, making evidentiary rulings, controlling the course of the hearing and issue legally correct decisions based upon legal research.
• Provide information to parties about the hearing process, assist them effectively using that process, investigate and respond to customer complaints.
• Follow up to ensure that decisions are implemented.

Knowledge of:
• Federal and state laws and regulations, departmental policy, and precedential decisions for 20 or more different programs.
• Due process, rules of evidence, rules of administrative procedure, rules of judicial ethics, and legal research methods.
• ASA's Appeals Processing System, word processing, Clear2There, email, electronic calendar, program databases, OnBase, and use of a computer to process cases. in a paperless environment.
• Extensive knowledge of personnel rules, DES personnel policy, and management and
supervisory methods, practices and principles.
• Principles of English grammar and composition.

Skills In:
• Writing clearly, concisely and persuasively with proper English grammar.
• Conducting thorough legal research.
• Relating to customers and working on a team project.
• Interacting interpersonally with people from a wide variety of cultural and socioeconomic
backgrounds.
• Reading, interpreting and extrapolating from a variety of data and statistical reports.
• Planning, organizing, prioritizing and executing many competing duties and activities.
• Supervising, directing, controlling, evaluating, and motivating subordinate staff.
• Conducting and controlling hearings, interrogating witnesses, ruling on motions
and objections.

Ability to:
• Applying complex legal principles to factual situations and in clearly and simply
explaining how the principles have been applied.
• Remember large amounts of complex facts and information.
• Think logically, to articulate complex arguments and to resolve conflicts between
competing information.
• Concentrate and focus on complex and sometimes conflicting information expressed
orally or in writing from a variety of sources.
• Use manual dexterity to operate computer equipment and other office machines and to
use computer software to execute various workflow processes.
• Quickly and logically organize information and to present the organized information
orally in a sustained and controlled process.
• Hear spoken testimony or other information.
• Sit uninterrupted for long periods.
• Implement time management and project management techniques.

This ideal candidate for this position will have:

• Bar License, in good standing, from any state bar.
• 2 years’ experience practicing law
• Experience as a hearing officer, as an administrative law judge, or in representing parties in administrative hearings

• If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.
• All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).
• Successfully pass background and reference checks; employment is contingent upon completion of the above-mentioned process and the agency’s ability to reasonably accommodate any restrictions.

The Arizona Department of Economic Security offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
• Participation in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and long-term disability plans
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Vacation time accrued at 4.00 hours bi-weekly for the first 3 years
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
• Sick time accrued at 3.70 hours bi-weekly
• Deferred compensation plan
• Wellness plans
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Stipend Opportunities
• Infant at Work Program
• Rideshare and Public Transit Subsidy
• Career Advancement & Employee Development Opportunities
• Flexible schedules to create a work/life balance

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

State employees are required to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), the state-sponsored retirement contribution plan, and the Long-Term Disability (LTD) program after a 27-week waiting period. The ASRS defined benefit plan provides for life-long income upon retirement. You will also have the option to participate in a voluntary deferred compensation program to take advantage of tax-deferred retirement investments.

On or shortly after your first day of work, you will receive additional information about the available insurance plans, enrollment instructions, submission deadlines, and effective dates.

For questions about this career opportunity, please contact Shannon Anguiano by (text/call) at (480) 876-0851 or ShannonAnguiano@azdes.gov. 

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by contacting (480) 876-0851 or ShannonAnguiano@azdes.gov. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.