$75,615 TO $122,884 (CL 28)*        

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

ABOUT THE OFFICE

The Office of the Circuit Executive (OCE) serves the 9th Judicial Circuit of United States. It is the largest federal circuit in the country, comprising nine western states and two territories. The Office serves the Court of Appeals as well as the District Courts, Bankruptcy Courts, Probation and Pretrial Offices, and Federal Public Defenders.

The OCE was created by statute to provide professional administrative staffing to circuit councils, which are composed primarily of judges engaged full-time in deciding cases. The OCE provides administrative support to the Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit and its various committees. It also provides direct services to all the judicial court units in the Circuit. All OCE responsibilities flow from directives of the Judicial Council or the Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit.

The OCE is committed to providing professional support to the judicial council and courts of the Ninth Circuit and ensuring the highest level of public trust in the administration of justice. This support includes identifying needs, conducting studies, proactively developing and implementing innovative policies, providing training, public information and human resources support, coordinating building and IT projects, and advising the council on procedural and ethical matters.

We aspire to create an environment of mutual respect and collaboration, and to cultivate a culture of acceptance and connectedness that honors the diverse backgrounds of the people who live in the Ninth Circuit.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Policy & Research Analyst reports to the Assistant Circuit Executive (ACE) for Operations, Policy, and Legal Affairs and performs management and policy studies, conducts research, reviews, analyzes and audits data, and develops a variety of organizational, financial, budgetary, statistical, and/or operational reports for the purpose of analyzing operations, administering budgets, improving operations, and providing recommendations to senior management and the Judicial Council for the Ninth Circuit, and provides staff work for Judicial Council committees. 

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

• Provide staff support to judicial council committees. Assist with the coordination of educational meetings and training programs to implement judicial council policies.  Prepare agendas and materials, serve as meeting secretary, and take and distribute meeting minutes. Prepare and make presentations on relevant issues.  Assist in the coordination of community outreach activities.  
• Test, analyze, and evaluate research data.  Manage and oversee preparation of reports, summaries, and findings, and provide recommendations to judges and court unit executives. 
• Organize and analyze data using a variety of computer software programs, including Excel and Access. 
• Design surveys and other analytical methods to review court management practices.  Prepare reports offering recommendations and solutions to problems or issues as appropriate. Prepare a variety of legal and administrative reports based on historical and current data, including statistics on court operations.
• Plan, design, and initiate studies of departmental operations to determine the most appropriate and expeditious means of accomplishing assignments.
• Perform a variety of studies to support circuit-wide policy planning and program implementation in areas such as: jury utilization, court statistics and reporting, judge workload and staffing policies, pro se services, and any other research studies and editing or writing as needed by the judicial council.
• Exchange ideas, information, and materials with other courts and agencies to keep abreast of changes, and to promote efficiency and awareness.
• Serve as project manager for special initiatives and assignments from the Deputy Circuit Executive, Circuit Executive, or Chief Judge.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (Transcripts will be required if selected for interview).
• At least three years of progressively responsible experience in policy analysis, program evaluation or management analysis in court administration, criminal justice, public service, public administration, or a closely related program area.
• Knowledge of administrative, project management, research, policy analysis, and management principles, processes, and techniques.
• Experience working with and designing PC-based database and spreadsheet applications using Excel and Access.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Team player; customer service oriented.
• Strong initiative, problem solver, able to hit the ground running.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

•        Master's degree preferred.
•        Prior judicial experience.
•        Skill in preparing reports, analyzing the budget, preparing spending plans, evaluating statistics and data, and discerning operating trends.  
•        Skill in conducting analyses and research of court operations and processes. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.  Knowledge of court administration and court reform issues in such areas as jury management, case delay reduction, pro se services and sentencing guidelines.
•         Skill in mentoring and providing guidance to employees with varying educational backgrounds and aptitudes.
•         Skill in the use of automated equipment, including word processing, spreadsheet, database applications, and various types of financial, accounting, and statistical software.

TOTAL REWARDS AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Salary*: Depending on qualifications and experience, $75,615 to $122,884 (CL 28)

Time off: 13 days of paid vacation for the first three years, increasing with tenure thereafter,

13 sick days accrued per year, 11 paid holidays.

Benefits: Employer subsidized health and life insurance plans. Dental, vision, flexible spending account, and long-term care plans available. Employer sponsored pension plan and supplemental retirement contribution plans with employer match.

Other Perks: Telework opportunities; eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program; public transit subsidy; alternate work schedules; reasonable work hours; on-site gym and café.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a PDF application packet through the Career Portal that includes:

1. a cover letter detailing your qualifications and experience performing the representative duties

2. a current resume

Only applications with a cover letter, and resume will be considered.

NEXT STEPS

Priority given to applications received by December 5, 2021

Tentative interview dates:

• Initial interviews: week of December 6, 2021. [Video conference interviews available]

POSITION OPEN UNTIL FILLED.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in the process of applying for citizenship. Successful applicants are provisionally hired pending results of background investigation and fingerprinting. Positions with the U.S. Courts are at-will, excepted service appointments, and may be terminated with or without cause by the Court. Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees. Direct deposit of pay required.

The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, for any reason including, but not limited to, budgetary issues. Said modifications may occur without prior written or other notice. The court requires all its employees to be vaccinated against COVID 19 absent an exemption from the requirement based on a documented medical reason or a sincerely held religious belief.

EQUITY FOCUSED EMPLOYER

We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion in our workplace. The OCE encourages applications from all qualified individuals and seeks a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran's status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.