Court Operations Manager at Superior Court of California, County of Tuolumne in Sonora, California

Job Description:

The Position
Under general direction of the Court CEO; plans, organizes, directs, coordinates and supervises the day-to-day work of the Court Support and Legal Processing Supervisors and their subordinates; assists in the implementation and evaluation of the Court's strategic plan, goals and objectives; participates in ongoing case management system development and maintenance; provides input to the budget process, as well as evaluates and recommends purchasing and training expenditures; works closely with the CEO to identify, develop, and implement necessary changes to policies and procedures; selects, trains, supervises and evaluates the work of the Court Senior Supervisors, and Supervisors. In addition, this management position assists the CEO and judges in calendar coordination; and performs other related duties as assigned. The ideal candidate is motivated and demonstrates a collaborative and proactive approach in leading Court operations. Oversees the development, monitoring, evaluation and maintenance of court records. The Court Operations Manager position is an unrepresented and “At-Will” position.

Representative Duties
(For illustrative purposes only – does not include all the duties that may be performed):
1. Manages the Court Support and Legal Processing areas of the Court; plans, organizes, directs, and coordinates, directly and/or through subordinate staff, the daily operations of multiple Court departments; and prioritizes workload and projects to ensure tasks are performed in accordance with predetermined deadlines.
2. Performs a broad range of general supervisory duties, including participating in the hiring process; coordinating the development and delivery of appropriate training to enhance staff capabilities,
utilizing time more effectively, and improving the delivery of Court services; reviewing subordinates in the performance of their duties; developing and coaching employees; participating in performance management and disciplinary actions, and resolving employee conflict.

3. Participates in the development of policies, procedures, forms, work standards and goals for Court support staff.
4. Interprets Court policies and procedures to staff and the public.
5. Monitors and interprets new legal requirements and relevant legislation affecting Court programs and operations; and applies relevant California legal codes, California Rules of Court, policies and filing requirements to Court processes.
6. Resolves technical and procedural problems; answers complex and difficult procedural questions related to unit; advises attorneys and the public regarding the status of legal cases and provides procedural information; applies Court policy to resolve issues arising from service to the public.
7. Maintains a familiarity with court-related innovations and an awareness of the automation needs of the division; functions as a liaison for information technology services to the division; provides input on workspace needs and office layouts; and maintains consistency of the division activities within established policies.
8. Monitors the jury management function to ensure an adequate and timely processing of jury panels for the Court.
9. Plans and coordinates the collection and analysis of statistical data as requested by the Judicial Council of California and other governmental agencies.
10. Identifies budget needs for the operation of the Court Support and Legal Processing departments and presents justifications for funding requests.
11. Performs related managerial tasks; prepares and updates a variety of complex and detailed reports and analyses for Administration and the leadership team; prepares meeting agendas and minutes; and makes presentations, as required.
12. Assists in developing, maintaining and modifying the Court’s overall operational strategic plan in cooperation with executive staff; develops specialized strategic plans in the areas of resource and program management.
13. Acts as a liaison with other courts, local and statewide organizations, and public agencies.
14. Maintains the Court Records and Manages the Mail and Records Clerk.
15. Works closely with subordinate supervisors, human resources, and/or executive management on labor matters including, but not limited to labor negotiations, administering progressive discipline, adjudicating grievances, employee relations and terminations.
16. Demonstrates leadership and coordinates with others to ensure effective communication between all court divisions and uniform application of court policies.
17. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Supervision Exercised
The Court Executive Officer provides direction and supervision. This position directly supervises the Court Support and Legal Processing supervisor(s).
Working Relationships and Contacts
The incumbent must establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within the organization, with an emphasis on team building with both peers and management; demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills dealing with the public and other agencies; and work in a high visibility and high-volume environment. Incumbent maintains continuous positive relationships with court management, judicial officers, and employees.

Minimum Position Qualifications
Applicants must possess a combination of experience and education that would produce the required knowledge and abilities. Typical ways to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:

Education:
Equivalent to a four-year degree from an accredited college or university in court administration, public administration, criminal justice, political science, or closely related field. Substitution: Qualifying experience may be substituted for this education requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Experience:
A minimum of six (6) years of progressively responsible full-time supervisory experience in a court or legal environment which demonstrates understanding of the functions, organization, and processes of a court and the judicial system.

Other Requirements:
• Must possess and maintain a valid California driver’s license.
• Passing a Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal background check, and a professional and educational history check.

Knowledge of:
• Working knowledge of laws, standards, rules, regulations and legal terminology pertaining to the specific duties of the position.
• Statutes relating to court legal processes and procedures, including, but not limited to the California Rules of Court, Code of Civil Procedure, Penal Code, Family Code, Probate Code, Evidence Code, Welfare and Institutions Code, and Vehicle Code.
• Management principles, practices, and methods related to selection, training, evaluation, performance management, scheduling, and supervision of subordinates.
• Principles of management and analysis and organizational design necessary to analyze, recommend, and implement change.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of court management, court operations and court administration.
• Problem-solving and conflict resolution methods and techniques.
• Knowledge of case management systems and standard office applications, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Skills and Abilities:
• Ability to interpret new legal requirements and legislation affecting Court programs; and ability to apply relevant California legal codes, California Rules of Court, Court procedures, policies, and filing requirements related to Court processes
• Ability to develop and implement goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and work standards which adhere to the Court’s mission, strategic goals and objectives.
• Ability to effectively supervise staff, including participating in the hiring process of new employees.
• Ability to train employees in work procedures; overseeing, reviewing and evaluating employees’ work and performance both on a daily and long-term basis; counseling employees on work issues; as well as recommending and administering discipline as required.
• Ability to problem-solve and utilize conflict resolution methods and techniques.
• Ability to work independently, handle sensitive matters, maintain confidentiality, and use sound judgment in performing court-related duties.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing, orally and through presentations; as well as ability to facilitate group discussions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to gather data, analyze findings, reason logically and prepare analytical reports and recommendations.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and recognize and establish work priorities.
• Ability to meet the education and training requirements for this position by remaining current on relevant court trends and attending appropriate continuing education programs.
• Ability to assist in developing Court policy and procedures.
• Principles and practices of project planning, monitoring, and evaluation.

Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. In compliance with state and federal law, the court will engage in the interactive process to provide a reasonable accommodation for any qualified incumbent or applicant with a disability.
Work is performed in a typical office setting with adequate lighting and moderate temperature while using standard office equipment such as a computer and phone. While performing the duties of this job, the incumbent is constantly required to sit, stand, walk, use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects and controls, and engage in repetitive hand movement while performing computer data entry and writing.
The incumbent is frequently required to talk, hear, reach, bend, and sit, must be able to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and walk up and down stairs in a building that has no elevator. Specific vision abilities required by this job include near vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Specific hearing and speaking abilities required by this job include sufficient ability to talk in person and over the phone.
The incumbent must be able to occasionally drive to and from meeting and/or training locations.

Benefits
• CalPERS Retirement plan (Court pays monthly employer’s share; employee pays employee’s EPMC on a monthly pre-tax basis).
• Up to 14 paid holidays per calendar year.
• Potential to accrue 240 Personal Time Off hours annually for vacation or sick leave usage.
• 40 hours of paid Management Leave per fiscal year.
• Monthly court contribution toward monthly health insurance premium costs at a maximum rate of $2,800.
• Court-paid $150,000 Group Term Basic Life Insurance plan.
• Court-paid Basic Short-term and Long-term Disability plans.
• Merit-based Deferred Compensation match after successfully passing probationary period at a rate of 4% meets expectations and 6% exceeds expectations.
• Professional Membership reimbursement.
• Computer loan program with 3-year interest-free loan for purchases up to $3,000.

Application and Selection Procedure
Interested applicants must submit a completed and signed Superior Court of California, County of Tuolumne employment application, cover letter, resume, and a completed response to the Supplemental Questions listed on the following page to be considered for this position. Incomplete application packets and/or late submissions will not be accepted for consideration.
A Tuolumne Superior Court employment application form can be downloaded from the Court’s website at application-employment-pdf-9-21-2022.pdf or picked up from the Court’s Human Resources Office.
Please forward your original completed and signed application materials to:
jmorrison@tuolumne.courts.ca.gov (Preferred method)
or:
Superior Court of California, County of Tuolumne - Attn: HR Dept.
12855 Justice Center Drive - Sonora, CA 95370

Application packets evaluated as best qualified according to the position criteria will be invited to participate in a written exercise and a panel interview which will measure the candidates’ knowledge and skills related to this position.

If you have any questions concerning the above or wish to request reasonable accommodation for this application process, please send your message to email: jmorrison@tuolumne.courts.ca.gov, or call (209) 533-6914.

APPLICANT NAME:
Operations Manager Supplemental Qestionaire
- Information and Instructions -
To acquire knowledge of your education, work experience, and training, the first phase of the selection process for this position will be a review of your employment application, resume, cover letter, and responses to the Supplemental Questions. The information you provide on the Court’s employment application and supplemental questions will be used to evaluate your overall qualifications for this position. Qualified applicants will be invited to participate in a panel interview based on the results of this evaluation process.
Please answer each of the following Supplemental Questions. Your answers must be typed and presented in a concise narrative form, using detailed examples to support your answers. The completed and signed questionnaire must be submitted with the other required documents in your employment application package for you to be considered for this position. Please remember to sign and date the bottom of this questionnaire; if additional pages are needed to answer the questions, please include your name and date at the top of each page.
1. This position requires a significant degree of confidentiality, discretion, tact, diplomacy, accuracy, and interpersonal skills. Outline your experience in these areas while working with court executives, court management, attorneys, and judicial officers, and provide specific examples of how you handled or addressed sensitive situations.
2. What are three (3) effective leadership qualities you think are important for a Court Operations Manager, and why? Provide specific examples of how you have demonstrated these qualities. What is your leadership style?
3. Describe a Court process or procedure that you would seek to revise if you are selected as our Court Operations Manager. Identify what your goal(s) would be in making this effort and the specific steps you would take to complete the task.
4. Describe the last time you disagreed with your Court supervisor or manager. What was the reason? How did you express your disagreement? What was her reaction? What was the outcome? Do you believe you handled the situation appropriately? Why or why not?
5. Describe the three (3) strengths you possess that you believe best qualify you for the Court Operations Manager position, and why.
6. Describe how you would monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of staff and the operation.
7. Describe your experience researching and analyzing complex legislation, operational and legal material, including the purpose and use of your analysis.
8. Describe your experience, education and training that qualifies you for this position. List the positions held, areas and scope of responsibilities, size of the organization and other relevant factors that demonstrate your competitiveness for this position.
9. What would you like to see implemented if you were leading the Court? Explain how you would implement the change(s)?
10. You are asked a question by a subordinate employee which requires immediate action by you, and you do not know the answer. There is no one else in management available besides you.

What would you do?

CERTIFICATION
I certify that all statements made in this Supplemental Questionnaire were written by me, and that they are true and complete. I understand that any misstatement of material fact(s) will subject me to disqualification from this application process.

recblid lrjc6xnuqbspo8yctgh80abfp570ad

Apply Now