If you are a current State of Maine employee, please submit your application through the internal application process using the Find Jobs report in PRISM. Seasonal employees who do not have PRISM access should apply through the State's career page and indicate on the application that they have previously worked for the State.
.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Opening Date: August 20, 2026
Closing Date: September 2, 2026
Job Class Code: 3065
Grade: 25 (Professional & Technical)
Salary: $54,412.80 to $76,315.20 per year
Position Numbers: 02024-1211
Location: Winthrop
This position allows for partial telework with management approval.
Currently, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or STEM OPT extensions.
Are you interested in a career in Public Service and assisting some of Maine's most vulnerable? Do you enjoy complex, fast-paced work with a high degree of independence? Do you want to be part of a growing team and positive work culture?
Maine Disability Determination Services is hiring! DDS provides disability decisions for Social Security Disability Benefits. As a Disability Claims Adjudicator, you request and research prior medical records, collaborate with in-house Doctors and Psychologists around functional limitations, conduct vocational work analyses, and ultimately make disability determinations for the Social Security Administration. Good candidates will have a dedication to public service, the ability to learn quickly and manage different and complex tasks efficiently and display a collaborative approach with excellent and compassionate customer service. In-depth training will be provided and a remote option for up to 3 days a week is available after the first 8-12 months. On-going staff development available as well as the ability to collaborate with many state, local, and federal partners. For more information watch the linked video. (Please note that this video uses the term 'claims examiner' which is the same position in Maine as 'Claims Adjudicator').
Core Responsibilities:
This is administrative work involving the review and analysis of initial, reconsideration, and continuing disability review claims for disability benefits under the Social Security Act. Duties include:
• Determine eligibility for disability benefits according to federal regulations, and complete written disability determinations in order to provide assistance.
• Contact claimants, treating providers, and other approved contacts as needed in order to obtain medical and vocational evidence.
• Determine eligibility for advanced payments for claimants with severe disabilities in order to provide immediate aid to those eligible.
• Recognize and initiate steps to resolve discrepancies found within the various disability application forms. Involve the appropriate Social Security office as needed to resolve issues.
• Collect, review, examine, summarize, and analyze medical and psychiatric records.
• Review case-specific vocational information and complete vocational assessment per Social Security policy.
• Authorize and arrange for medical and psychiatric consultative examinations in order to comply with program requirements.
• Write detailed letters to claimants, medical consultants, and state and federal agencies in order to request information and inform claimants of the reasons and results of disability decisions.
• Assign codes to written decisions in order to develop and maintain statistical data.
• Perform additional special duties as assigned, such as quality assurance, mentoring, training, professional relations activities, processing Canadian claims, and other special projects in order to meet division needs.
Preference given to candidates with any of the following:
• Familiarity with SSA disability policies and procedures
• Successful experience in managing large individual caseloads
• Ability to work in a production environment with quality and processing speed goals.
• Sensitivity to the needs of the public and customer focus.
• Ability to communicate effectively and work cooperatively through phone, email, video-conferencing, and other communication technologies.
• Has demonstrated skills of time management, attention to details, problem solving and analysis
• Ability to learn complex medical information, vocational policies, and ongo