Chief Deputy Workers' Compensation Commissioner

Full Job Description

The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) is seeking a highly motivated, skilled, solution-oriented, and enthusiastic professional to join our regulatory department and serve as the Chief Deputy Workers' Compensation Commissioner (Public Service Manager 2) for our Workers Compensation Division at our central office campus near Valley Junction in Des Moines, Iowa.

A Law license to practice law in the State of Iowa is required.

Who We Are

DIAL is a multifaceted regulatory agency charged with protecting the health, safety, and well-being of Iowans, and is comprised of eight core operational divisions: Administration, Administrative Hearings, Building & Construction, Health & Safety, Investigations, OSHA, Professional Licensing, and Workers’ Compensation.

DIAL’s mission is Achieve Compliance through Education, Regulation, and Due Process for a Safe and Healthy Iowa. Our goal is to be an effective, efficient and approachable regulatory agency.

To accomplish our mission, the individual selected for this position will assist the department by providing leadership, vision, structure, and accountability to the Workers’ Compensation division.

Reporting to the Workers’ Compensation Commissioner, this position ensures effective and efficient service delivery across all operational aspects for the division.

Serving as the Chief Deputy Workers' Compensation Commissioner you will provide high-level leadership, and adjudicative oversight for the Workers’ Compensation Division by managing all hearing operations, supervising judicial and professional staff, and ensuring the timely, accurate, and consistent delivery of legally sound decisions.

You will schedule and oversee hearing logistics; administer oaths; rule on motions and objections; conduct hearings by examining witnesses and evaluating evidentiary submissions; and ensure a complete and accurate record of proceedings.

You will perform extensive legal research and analysis, interpret and apply statutes and administrative rules, and issue well-reasoned proposed and final decisions and supported by findings of fact and conclusions of law.

What We’re Seeking

The successful candidate for this fast-paced and critical position is a motivated, organized, and detailed leader:

• Demonstrated leader with team-building abilities
• Works collaboratively with a diverse group of people and leads a team of talented professionals and staff
• Detail-oriented and is highly responsive to colleagues and stakeholders
• Displays high standards of professional and ethical conduct
• Commits to providing a high-quality service
• Possesses a high level of organization skills and is process-driven
• Must possess a valid license to practice law in the state of Iowa

What You’ll Do

You will be an integral member Workers’ Compensation team, providing direct leadership to the division in supporting the agency’s operations by:

• Lead and oversee all adjudicative functions by conducting hearings, filing on motions, assessing evidence, and issuing high-quality proposed and final decisions.
• Supervise and develop division staff, including 11 Deputies, professional staff, and support personnel, ensuring strong performance, consistent legal reasoning, and equitable workload distribution.
• Manage hearing operations, including scheduling, logistics, and maintaining accurate records to ensure timely and efficient case processing.
• Review decisions and monitor quality control to ensure legal accuracy, clarity, and consistency with statutes, rules, and division policies.
• Conduct complex legal research and analysis, drafting legal memoranda, rulings, reports, and guidance for leadership and oversight entities.
• Lead policy, procedural, and training initiatives, including drafting hearing manuals developing training materials, and implementing process improvements.
• Collaborate with the Commissioner and agency leadership to assess division efficiency, implement improvements, and support strategic planning.
• Represent the division on interagency committees and stakeholder groups, collaborating with state and federal partners and providing expert presentations.
• Oversee budget and resource management, including staffing needs, technology improvements, case management systems, and long-term resource planning.

Background check required.

E-Verify and Right to WorkThe State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States.

The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization.

For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.This is a non-merit position.

Positions in this class are exempt from the screening and referral requirements of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services - Human Resources Enterprise.

Qualifications

Additional Information