HEARING OFFICER - 72003316

Requisition No: 879454 

Agency: Management Services

Working Title: HEARING OFFICER - 72003316

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 72003316 

Salary:  $129,898.60 

Posting Closing Date: 07/21/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Hearing Officer
Florida Public Employee Relations Commission
This is an on-site position in Tallahassee, FL 

This is legal work resolving administrative disputes, including presiding over formal administrative hearings held pursuant to Chapter 120, Florida Statutes, and other laws within the jurisdiction of the Public Employees Relations Commission.

EXAMPLES OF WORK PERFORMED:

(Note: The examples of work as listed in this class specification are not necessarily descriptive of any one position in the class. The omission of specific statements does not preclude management from assigning specific duties not listed herein if such duties are a logical assignment to the position. Examples of work performed are not to be used for allocation purposes.) 

• Serves as a hearing officer in public sector labor and employment law cases (i.e., labor, career service, veteran’s preference, drug testing, age discrimination, and whistle blower cases), with the same responsibilities and authority as an administrative law judge
• Conducts prehearing conferences and rules on motions.
• Conducts legal research.
• Issues subpoenas, notices of hearings, and other pre-hearing orders.
• Conducts formal hearings.
• Administers oaths and takes testimony.
• Rules on objections and the admissibility of evidence.
• Rules on questions of venue, jurisdiction, standing and other matters of law.
• Coordinates the preservation of a verbatim record of proceedings and safeguards all evidence of record.
• Coordinates hearing schedules.
• Reviews proposed recommended orders submitted by parties.
• Enters a recommended order accompanied by findings of fact and conclusions of law.
• Interprets statutes, administrative rules and recommended penalties.
• Drafts final orders resolving exceptions filed by parties.
• Performs administrative functions related to case management and tracking.
• Speaks, writes, and participates in other activities, such as continuing legal education courses, concerning administrative law, labor and employment law.
• Keeps educated in the laws, statutes, rules, and case law that PERC applies. 
• Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of legal terminology.
• Knowledge of the Florida Administrative Procedures Act and Uniform Rules.
• Knowledge of the Florida Evidence Code.
• Knowledge of the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of jurisprudence.
• Skillled in the use of word processing applications, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook), and Adobe Acrobat (PDF creation and editing), at a minimum.  
• Ability to conduct hearings.
• Ability to conduct legal research.
• Ability to resolve complex factual issues.
• Ability to make decisions on legal problems.
• Ability to prepare legal documents.
• Ability to employ legal reasoning to foresee possible legal problems.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments and manage a high-volume case load.
• Ability to analyze and clearly and concisely explain the facts of a case and the legal issues involved.
• Ability to issue written rulings and orders in a timely manner.
• Ability to proofread typed material for typewritten, grammatical, and formatting errors and to make necessary corrections.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to use tact in dealing with people.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to learn new software quickly and easily.  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 

• Hearing Officers must be a member of The Florida Bar in accordance with Section 447.503(5), Florida Statutes, and must be in good standing with the Florida Bar for the preceding five years.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong litigation and/or appellate experience in either the public or private sector is preferred.

Support of the above-described knowledge, skills, and abilities should be demonstrated on the application, in the education and work experience, and during the interview and reference checks.  

Interested candidates must submit a State of Florida Application, resume, and a legal writing sample through the People First system.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.