The Department of State Civil Service is seeking an experienced and dedicated professional to serve as Appeals Administrator, leading the Appeals Division, which administers the State Civil Service Commission’s judicial function on a statewide basis. This role offers a unique opportunity to combine legal expertise, strategic leadership, and a commitment to public service in a mission-driven environment.

This position serves as the Chief Referee and supervises the State Civil Service Appeals Division. The incumbent is also a member of the Department’s Executive Team, collaborating on departmental initiatives and strategic goals that support the overall mission and vision of the agency.

The Appeals Division exercises the Commission’s judicial authority over appeals filed by classified state employees, as provided by Article X, Section 12(A) of the Louisiana Constitution, which grants the Commission exclusive power to hear and decide removal and disciplinary cases. Under this constitutional authority, the Commission has delegated this power to appointed referees, including this position, who are empowered to hear, decide, and render decisions subject to Commission review.

While the position carries judicial responsibilities requiring independence and impartiality, it also contributes to a customer-focused environment within the Department, promoting accessibility and responsiveness while preserving the ethical limits that preclude providing legal advice related to pending appeals.

Possession of a current Louisiana license to practice law plus six years of experience as a practicing attorney.

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Supervision of the Appeals Division

• Hears and decides appeals as a referee.
• Performs the functions that Chapter 13 of the Civil Service Rules requires of the Director of State Civil Service.
• Maintains the appeal files and the online case management system.
• Prepares monthly and annual reports about the Division's caseload and provides information about the Division and the appeals process to State Civil Service management upon request.
• Prepares training materials and presents training to Human Resources staff, agency managers, employees, and attorneys regarding discipline, appeals, investigations, and other topics.
• Reviews the Civil Service Rules concerning discipline, appeals, and investigations, drafts proposed changes, and, when applicable, discusses proposals with interested parties, testifies at legislative committees concerning proposals, and presents proposals at public hearings.
• Plans, organizes, directs, and monitors the work of the Division.
• Formulates policies and procedures for the Division and prepares or oversees the preparation of operational manuals.
• Develops performance indicators for the Division and its staff, and measures performance with these indicators.
• Trains, supervises, and evaluates the performance of the Division's subordinate staff of paralegals and referees.
• Reviews and edits decisions written by the referees to ensure legal soundness and technical accuracy in a manner consistent with the referees' independent decisional authority.
• Recommend personnel actions as deemed appropriate.
• Provide information and guidance concerning the interpretation of the Civil Service Rules, State Civil Service policies, and applicable jurisprudence to subordinate staff and users of the appeals process.

• Attends and participates in Executive Staff meetings.
• Participates in State Civil Services' strategic and operational planning.
• Provides legal advice to State Civil Service administrators and staff, to the extent ethically permissible.
• Reviews proposed changes to the State Civil Service Rules and State Civil Service policies and makes recommendations.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Director or Deputy Director.

• Rules on preliminary and interlocutory matters and conducts pre-hearing conferences in appeals assigned to be heard by the Commission.
• Prepares summaries of appeals to be heard by the Commission, attends hearing heard by the Commission, and prepares proposed written decisions for those appeals.
• Advises the Commission regarding legal issues that arise during the course of, or in connection with, an appeal assigned to be heard by the Commission.
• Gathers information regarding requests for suspension pending criminal proceedings under Civil Service Rule 12.5.1, ensures the requests are on the Commission's agenda, and gives notice of the requests and the agenda dates to the involved employees and agencies.
• Represents the Commission in legal proceedings, if the Commission's interest is adverse to State Civil Service's interest.