The Federal Judicial Center is the federal courts' agency for research and continuing education. Congress established the Center in 1967 as a separate organization within the federal judicial system at the request of the Judicial Conference of the United States. A nine-member board, chaired by the Chief Justice of the United States, determines its basic policies.
Summary
The Federal Judicial Center is the federal courts' agency for research and continuing education. Congress established the Center in 1967 as a separate organization within the federal judicial system at the request of the Judicial Conference of the United States. A nine-member board, chaired by the Chief Justice of the United States, determines its basic policies.
Occasional travel - This position requires occasional overnight travel (approximately 15-20 days per year), and advance notice is given when travel is required. The Center does not pay for relocation expenses; however, Center employees receive reimbursement for all official business travel.
Within the Education Division, the FJC has an opening for an Assistant Division Director (ADD) to lead the Probation and Pretrial Services Education (PPSE) group. This group provides educational programs and resources for U.S. probation and pretrial services officers and their federal court system stakeholders. The Assistant Division Director reports to the Deputy Director for the Education Division. This position requires occasional overnight travel (approximately 15-20 days per year), and advance notice is given when travel is required. The Center does not pay for relocation expenses; however, Center employees receive reimbursement for all official business travel.
Who We Are
The PPSE group is composed of six people (including the ADD) and is one of five groups within the FJC Education Division (the others are Executive Education, Judicial & Legal Education, Multimedia Production, and Management and Professional Development Education). We are a mix of education specialists and attorneys, who serve as program managers responsible for program planning, design, development, and delivery, and program coordinators, who handle the administrative, financial, and logistical aspects of our programs. We develop, deliver, and evaluate professional education programs for U.S. probation and pretrial services officers and their federal court system stakeholders. Our program managers serve as trainers and facilitators alongside other faculty, such as U.S. probation and pretrial services officers, judges and court staff, and professors and other subject matter experts.
Our mission guides our work: We believe transformative education and training are essential to the administration of justice. We use proven instructional methods to inform, engage, and inspire the people we serve to reach individual and organizational excellence.
We consult with a probation and pretrial services education advisory committee comprised of U.S. probation and pretrial services officers in various roles. The committee suggests education needs and relevant topics, advises on priorities, assists with program execution, and helps to guide our efforts. Our programs include virtual workshops and webinars, multi-day in-person skill-building sessions, and regular coaching calls and follow-up, often over a year-long period. Last year, for example, we delivered 19 educational programs (9 national and 10 in-district) for a total of 832 participants. We also reached approximately 3,400 listeners with each episode of Off Paper: The FJC's Criminal Justice Podcast. PPSE members respond to training requests from courts, probation offices, and other related organizations.
Our strengths as a group include
A passion to serve U.S. probation and pretrial services officers with relevant and meaningful education and resources
A commitment to following the evidence to identify and meet our learners' needs, including understanding the nuances of their roles, the impact on the clients they serve, and the evolution of their professional development and growth
Dedication to providing holistic programs tailored for our clients that lead to meaningful and lasting behavior change
A strong sense of internal motivation and a bias toward action
Adaptability
Creativity
Collectively, we are a group of experienced professionals. Individually, we represent diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. The Center's current average employee tenure is almost 14 years. We believe people come here and stay because the mission is vital to our nation, the work is challenging and meaningful, the clients are engaged and supportive, and the culture is positive.
Who You Are
We are looking for a visionary leader and exemplary manager to guide us into the future with a continued emphasis on excellence, innovation, and impartiality in our competency-based programming. The ideal candidate is comfortable in the roles of leader, manager, advocate, diplomat, coach, mentor, advisor, and problem-solver.
We seek a leader who can
Support us in achieving our mission
Assess how effectively we are meeting the educational needs of our constituents
Collaborate with us to maintain our high standards for quality
Enhance our operations to run as smoothly as possible
Juggle responsibilities and help the group (individually and collectively) do the same
Value and grow our skills and capacity (individually and collectively)
Engage and exchange ideas with the team and amplify good ideas
Collaborate with others in the FJC, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the United States Sentencing Commission, the Courts, and various academic institutions
Selectee must favorably complete a background investigation.
Relatives of Center staff members may not be employed at the Center in any capacity.
All requirements must be met for full consideration.
The Federal Judicial Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to achieving a diverse workforce and an inclusive work culture. It strives to maintain a professional and collegial workplace in which everyone is valued and treated fairly and respectfully.
Qualifications
Mandatory Qualifications
Education:
An advanced degree in law, criminal justice, or a closely-related social science or experience at a level that would substitute for such a degree is required.
Experience:
Some combination of 7 years of teaching, designing, and hosting educational programming
Knowledge, regular use, and a commitment to applying the principles of adult education to create engaging, useful, lasting learning experiences
Minimum of 3 years in a supervisory capacity
Skills:
Excellent skills managing projects, people, and resources
Exceptional emotional intelligence, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
Strong technical, writing, and public speaking skills
Values:
Integrity, honesty, impartiality, discretion
Respect, diversity in its many forms, fairness, inclusion, collaboration, and collegiality
Growth, feedback, clarity, openness, and transparency
Excellence, curiosity, and innovation
Wellness and resilience at the organizational and individual levels
Desirable Qualifications
In addition to the mandatory qualifications, you're a strong candidate for this position if you possess a collection of some of the knowledge, skills, experience, and characteristics listed below. The list represents a range of possible qualifications, not a checklist that must be met. A strong candidate for this position can demonstrate proficiency in some combination of these areas:
Management Ability:
Ability to work cooperatively, collaboratively, and respectfully with people inside and outside the organization
Experience recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and providing training and professional development opportunities
Experience managing a team with multiple direct reports in on-site and remote environments
Experience developing, mentoring, and coaching group members
Experience assessing and improving the quality and utility of educational programs and resources, the processes for creating them, and the performance of faculty and staff who deliver them
Experience accomplishing goals within budget constraints and/or budget uncertainty
Ability to set clear goals and guide the team to excel
Experience building collaboration to boost productivity and success
Diplomatic skills to successfully navigate internal and external relationships
Organizational Culture:
Experience working in the courts or familiarity with the workings of the judiciary, preferably at the federal level doing probation and pretrial services work
Experience working in law, the courts, or law enforcement (e.g., as a U.S. probation or pretrial services officer, defender, prosecutor, investigator, law enforcement agent/officer, etc.), preferably at the federal level
Success working in a hierarchical environment where smart, talented high achievers serve other smart, talented high achievers
Experience organizing and facilitating problem-solving and decision-making meetings
Education Acumen:
A degree or certificate in adult education, instructional design, or similar
Substantial experience developing and implementing training needs assessments using a variety of methods
Skill in using a competency-based curriculum to design and deliver education
Experience with and commitment to applying the principles of adult education to create engaging, useful, lasting learning in both in-person and virtual environments
Experience measuring learning transfer for training programs in both the short and long term
Proficiency with educational technology used to design, develop, deliver, and assess training
Experience combining high- and low-tech tools to enhance and streamline processes, services, and programs
Ability to balance pedagogical needs, financial and staff constraints, and other relevant considerations to determine the optimal delivery method for content
Ability to think creatively about adult education in the judiciary context and support experimentation with new approaches
Experience with performing the logistics, planning, execution, and project management aspects of in-person and online training
Education
An advanced degree in law, criminal justice, or a closely-related social science or experience at a level that would substitute for such a degree is required.
Additional information
Salary and Benefits
The starting salary is set at $140,074 (includes D.C. locality). This position falls in the Center's pay band 6, which has a salary range up to $213,992 (includes D.C. locality). For a successful candidate not currently a member of the Center staff, a higher starting salary, not to exceed $175,093 (includes D.C. locality) may be considered if the candidate furnishes proof that their current salary falls above the pay band 6 minimum salary of $140,074 (includes D.C. locality), in which case the Center would match that salary up to the starting salary limit of $175,093 (includes D.C. locality). This is the maximum starting salary, and it is non-negotiable. In addition, a successful candidate who does not live within the D.C. locality region or work at the official duty station in Washington, D.C., for 16 or more work hours per pay period will not receive D.C. region locality pay and will receive the locality pay of their place of primary residence (telework site). If a successful internal candidate's salary falls above the range minimum, the salary will be matched up to their current salary.
Federal government benefits are applicable. An array of supplemental benefits is also offered, including a transportation subsidy and a flexible benefit program allowing for pre-tax deductions for health insurance, health care, dependent care, and commuter expenses. The FJC is located in the Thurgood Marshall Building, conveniently situated to public transportation directly beside Union Station. The Marshall Building houses a child development center, a health fitness facility, and a cafeteria for its tenants.
The Federal Judicial Center offers a range of telework and flexible work schedule options based on the employee's position categorization. When business needs arise, all Center employees are required to work at the official duty station in Washington, D.C., or at a temporary duty station. The Center does not pay for relocation expenses; however, Center employees receive reimbursement for all official business travel.
This position does not carry the tenure rights of positions in the competitive civil service.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
In a brief cover letter referring to Announcement #24-06, please summarize how you satisfy the qualifications listed above. Applications without the required cover letter or with cover letters that do not address the qualifications will not be considered. Along with the cover letter, please include a current resume that specifies dates of employment and responsibilities for all related positions. A cover letter and resume in a single combined PDF document is required. Name the file using your last name, first name, and the announcement number, as follows: Lastname.Firstname.24-06.pdf. Information provided in the transmittal email will not be considered part of the application.
All applications should be submitted by email to personnel@fjc.gov.
When applying, please refer to Announcement #24-06. This vacancy will remain open until filled, but to assure full consideration, your application must be received by 11:59 p.m. July 17, 2024.
Federal Judicial Center
Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building
One Columbus Circle, N.E.
Washington, DC 20002-8003
US
Next steps
Complete applications will be evaluated based on qualifications. The hiring manager will consider the most highly qualified candidates for a possible interview. Applicants will be notified by e-mail once the position has been filled.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
In a brief cover letter referring to Announcement #24-06, please summarize how you satisfy the qualifications listed above. Applications without the required cover letter or with cover letters that do not address the qualifications will not be considered. Along with the cover letter, please include a current resume that specifies dates of employment and responsibilities for all related positions. A cover letter and resume in a single combined PDF document is required. Name the file using your last name, first name, and the announcement number, as follows: Lastname.Firstname.24-06.pdf. Information provided in the transmittal email will not be considered part of the application.
All applications should be submitted by email to personnel@fjc.gov.
When applying, please refer to Announcement #24-06. This vacancy will remain open until filled, but to assure full consideration, your application must be received by 11:59 p.m. July 17, 2024.
Federal Judicial Center
Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building
One Columbus Circle, N.E.
Washington, DC 20002-8003
US
Next steps
Complete applications will be evaluated based on qualifications. The hiring manager will consider the most highly qualified candidates for a possible interview. Applicants will be notified by e-mail once the position has been filled.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
