Clarification from the agency

This job is for one vacancy with three possible locations.

The position is located within a shared services Information Technology department which serves Judges and Chambers staff, Clerk's Office, Probation, and Pretrial Services. The Director of Information Technology leads a team of technology professionals responsible for the planning, acquisition, application, operation, integration, security, documentation, and maintenance of all court systems; support and coordination of national programs; and support and training for all staff in Ohio Southern who use those systems. This position supervises the Information Technology Supervisors. The Director of Information Technology reports to the Court Unit Executives (District Court, Probation and Pretrial Services). Typical work hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with work outside of normal hours based on operational needs. Work travel within and outside of the District is required.

ABOUT THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO

The Southern District of Ohio covers a broad geographic area encompassing forty-eight urban and rural counties from an imaginary line just north of Columbus south to the Ohio River. The District is comprised of over 260 individuals including twenty-seven Judicial Officers, Chambers Staff, the Clerk's Office staff, the U.S. Probation Office's staff, and U.S. Pretrial Services Office's staff; located in the Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton Courthouses.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage, develop, and mentor information technology staff and other professionals involved in information technology activities, including establishing standards, ensuring projects are managed, communicated, and executed efficiently and effectively; assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; and handling disciplinary actions. Oversee the daily operation of the department to include analyzing workflow, establishing priorities, and setting deadlines. Conduct staff meetings and communicate operational status and relevant information to staff. Perform quality checks and approve the efficiency and effectiveness of all systems and programs prior to implementation.
• Evaluate the technology use and needs for all departments within the Southern District of Ohio. Develop and implement both short-term and long-range automation improvement plans which include consideration of department needs, objectives, and capabilities, including anticipation of future requirements, funding, and potential issues.
• Create documents and forms that are well designed, clear, and easy to understand. Formulate, recommend, implement, and enforce appropriate policies, procedures, and standards. Develop solutions to problems and procedures for accomplishing objectives.
• Manage courtroom technology and telecommunications capabilities. Maintain oversight of the quality of web development and management to ensure user needs are consistently met. Manage remote and mobile information systems. Maintain oversight of District's automation equipment and property inventory.
• Ensure the effectiveness of security systems for hardware, software, networks, data, physical property, and equipment. Manage the information technology portion of the Court's Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and ensure annual testing and plan updates.
• Meet regularly with Judicial Officers, Court Unit Executives (CUE's), managers, other court units' staff, and vendors to determine information technology needs, recommend viable solutions, and maintain collaborative relationships.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, to explain complex concepts to individuals and groups with varying experience and backgrounds. Interact effectively with the public and staff, providing customer service and resolving difficulties efficiently while complying with regulations, rules, and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with national (e.g., Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts) and local policies including the Guide to Judiciary Policy and local internal controls manuals, which govern auditable processes. Comply with the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Always demonstrate sound ethics and good judgment. Display a careful and deliberate approach in handling confidential information in a variety of contexts.
• Plan and manage the technology budget and purchases in coordination with the CUE's, management, finance, procurement, and property management staff.
• Oversee implementation of locally developed and nationally provided systems and programs and provide continuing support.
• Maintain procedural documentation and logs to guide and document work done on district systems in compliance with local and national policies, and regularly perform reviews and audits of the district's technology equipment and systems.
• Other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

A commitment to public service is essential. Visit the U.S. Courts website for citizenship requirements https://www.uscourts.gov/.

Positions with the United States Courts are considered "at will" and are not subject to the employment regulations of competitive service. Positions in the Federal Judiciary are excepted service appointments, are considered "At-Will" and can be terminated with or without cause.

The applicant selected will be subject to an FBI background check and continued employment contingent upon favorable suitability determination. A negative finding from the background check may result in termination of employment.

Employees are subject to the Judicial Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.

All information provided by applicants is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false statements or omission(s) of information on any application materials may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment or dismissal after being employed.

The Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages.

Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in business or IT related major, or equivalent experience. In lieu of degree, seven (7) years' experience with progressive responsibilities in an IT role with experience in multiple IT disciplines.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible technical, managerial and/or professional experience that provided an opportunity to gain : (1) a thorough knowledge of management practices and administrative processes; (2) the ability to exercise mature judgment; (3) the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing to a wide variety of people; (4) the ability to coach, train, mentor and develop employees; and (5) the opportunity to build a high performance team and achieve expected results. The successful candidate should be a leader, motivator, highly organized, and possess a high degree of integrity.
• Previous experience in two or more of the following leadership functions within IT: strategic planning, annual budget planning and management, and policy development and administration.
• Strong leadership skills and a commitment to develop a supportive, collaborative team environment, including mentoring and training department staff to achieve and assume higher levels of knowledge and responsibility.
• The ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing.
• Ability to interact with non-technical users in a professional and supportive manner.
• Experience supporting and securing a Windows Active Directory network environment.
• Experience with Microsoft Windows domain administration and client deployment.
• Experience with Distributed File Systems (DFS).
• Knowledge of or experience with Linux server administration.
• Experience with LAN/WAN networking and operating systems.
• Thorough understanding of IT security theories and best practices, security appliances, firewalls, endpoint security controls, network security, and network traffic analysis.
• Experience with remote collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
• Experience administering, establishing, and/or implementing large automation systems.
• Ability to manage projects efficiently and meet established deadlines.
• Ability to exercise good judgement and take initiative.
• Ability to travel to divisional offices.

• Prior Federal Court IT experience.
• Prior IT management experience in a court or legal environment.
• Experience managing a group of dynamic IT infrastructure and application development professionals with a broad range of responsibilities.
• Courtroom audio and video technology and cybersecurity experience.
• Experience with the U.S. Courts NextGen Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF), SharePoint, HTML, and Microsoft Office 365 Suite.
• Operational knowledge of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and server virtualization.
• Familiarity with Linux operating environments a plus.
• Prior management experience working with remote staff.
• Agile project management skills.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Please read the "Next steps" section for more information.