<![CDATA[The Organizational Performance Value (NKO) of the Regional Office of the Directorate General of State Assets (DJKN) North Sumatra rose consistently from 112.4% in 2021 to 115.94% in 2025, yet this trend runs counter to several job satisfaction indicators: attendance rates and participation in self-development activities declined, while sick leave usage, personnel complaints, and overtime hours increased. This paradox suggests underlying job satisfaction issues not reflected in organizational performance outcomes. This study examines the effects of job characteristics and employee engagement on job satisfaction among civil servants (ASN), with work-life balance as a mediating variable. A quantitative explanatory survey was conducted on 117 ASN respondents at the Regional Office of DJKN North Sumatra, with the sample size determined using the Slovin formula and respondents selected through proportionate stratified random sampling across five work units. Data were analyzed via SEM-PLS with SmartPLS 4. Results indicate that both job characteristics and employee engagement positively and significantly influence job satisfaction and work-life balance. Work-life balance positively and significantly affects job satisfaction and emerges as the strongest predictor in the structural model. Work-life balance partially mediates the relationships between job characteristics and job satisfaction, and between employee engagement and job satisfaction. These findings underscore that enhancing ASN job satisfaction requires simultaneous attention to job redesign, engagement reinforcement, and work-life balance assurance in public sector organizations]]>
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