Industrial Commission District Hearing Officer - PN 20064937, PN 20065993, PN 20066010 - Akron or Youngstown

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. 

Workers’ compensation insurance provides medical benefits and compensation to workers who suffer an injury or illness due to their employment. While the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) is the exclusive provider of workers’ compensation benefits in Ohio, the Ohio Industrial Commission (IC) is the state agency responsible for adjudicating all contested claims matters.

The headquarter county location may be designated amongst the Akron Region (Summit or Mahoning County).

The Industrial Commission, Akron Regional Office are seeking experienced licensed attorneys, preferably with Ohio workers’ compensation experience. Candidates must be customer focused and be able to professionally handle a high volume of work adjudicating first level administrative hearings. All individuals must be willing to follow policies and procedures, be able to travel to OIC offices, and manage time efficiently.

Hearing Officers conduct hearings in person and online from one of the IC’s twelve office locations throughout the state. Collectively, Hearing Officers conduct over 87,000 hearings annually. All district and staff-level Hearing Officers are licensed attorneys. Each Hearing Officer independently manages their own caseload and is responsible for writing decisions for all hearings they conduct.

Under general supervision in assigned Regions/Districts, prepares for, conducts, & issues orders from administrative hearings on Workers’ Compensation claims:
•    Hears claims on the issues of allowance, payment of compensation, payment of medical bills, determination of percentage of permanent partial disability, & any other contested claim matter except those over which the Industrial Commission (OIC) or its Staff Hearing Officers have original jurisdiction.
•    Ensures all proceedings are conducted in a fair & legal manner.
•    Performs legal research into difficult questions with regard to Workers’ Compensation; participates in depositions.
•    Completes miscellaneous assignments made by the Regional Managers or any member of the OIC.
•    Provides training to new Hearing Officers & Legal Interns.
•    Conducts second level hearings in the absence of Staff Hearing Officers.

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

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.

Admission to Ohio Bar pursuant to Section 4121.34 ORC.

Job Skills: Attorney/Legal

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

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

This position is filled through an assessment consisting of a computer-based test, written test and structured interview in person at the William Green Building in Columbus, Ohio.

The headquarter county location may be designated amongst the Akron Region (Summit or Mahoning County).

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.

ADA Statement: The Industrial Commission 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. To request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability please contact the ADA Coordinator, at 614-466-2765 (voice) or by email to: diversity@ic.ohio.gov, as-soon-as possible but at least 14 days prior to the scheduled event.

Background Check Information Statement: 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.

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.

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.