Clarification from the agency

Open until filled (Preference given to applications received by September 20, 2024).

The incumbent makes recommendations to the Clerk, Chief Deputy Clerk, and CM/ECF Administrator for enhancements to the Panel's electronic case management system. The incumbent provides quality assurance of all electronic entries and also acts as one of the Panel liaisons for obtaining electronic transfers of data from CM/ECF courts throughout the Federal Judiciary. After an initial sixty-day orientation period, the incumbent will be eligible to participate in the court's telework program, which for this position currently authorizes up to two telework days per week.

The Panel is a statutory national court under federal jurisdiction and is governed principally by 28 U.S.C. § 1407. It was created by Congress in 1968. The statute provides that the Panel shall consist of seven Article III judges appointed by the Chief Justice, each of whom must reside in a different Circuit. The statute gives the Panel the authority to "centralize" related actions pending in different districts by ordering the transfer of all such actions into a single district for pretrial management. The Panel is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Representative Duties
Duties to be performed include, but are not limited to the following:

• Training, instructing, and advising employees on specific tasks and docketing procedures; checking the accuracy of daily data entries; providing written instructions where applicable with the goal of maintaining database integrity.
• Promoting proper case management and performs internal quality assurance audits and data quality audits for the operations unit.
• Developing procedures and standards for data entry to ensure validity of the data, with special attention to eliminating redundancies.
• Opening cases upon receipt of initiating documents, such as a motion or show cause order.
• Making recommendations for improvements or enhancements to CM/ECF; troubleshooting and, if necessary, advising appropriate automation staff of technical program problems.
• Acting as liaison for obtaining electronic transfers of data from CM/ECF courts for inclusion in the Panel's case management system; ensuring that the incoming data meets quality standards and, if not, seeing that data is corrected or converted.
• Reviewing orders received from transferee courts to determine if information (e.g., dismissal of cases, termination of parties, or change of counsel) needs to be entered or updated in the Panel's case management system and following through, when needed, closes cases upon receipt of terminating documents, such as remand or dismissal orders.
• Estimating expected time of completion of work, and preparing reports concerning these matters as requested. Reporting to operations supervisor on the performance and training needs of docket clerks and providing feedback to supervisor for performance evaluations.
• Preparing orders for Clerk's signature and answering inquiries on case status from district courts, attorneys, and the public.

Conditions of employment

Pay System and Benefits
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation falls within the Judicial Branch of the U.S. Government. Panel employees are "Excepted Service Appointments". Excepted Service Appointments are "At-Will" and can be terminated with or without cause by the Panel at any time. Federal Government Civil Service classifications or regulations do not apply. Panel employees are subject to mandatory Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit.

Full-time employees are eligible for a full range of benefits such as paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, retirement benefits that include a defined contribution program and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). TSP is a 401(k) equivalent program that includes matching contributions. Additional benefits include health and life insurance, disability and long-term care insurance, dental and vision insurance, a Flexible Benefits Program which includes medical and dependent care reimbursement, and transit subsidy program. Appointees are subject to a one-year probationary period.

Selection Process
Only qualified applicants will be considered. Incomplete applications may not be considered. The Panel does not pay travel expenses for interviews. The Panel reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement or to withdraw the announcement without prior written or other notice. All information provided by applicants is subject to verification and background investigation. False statements or omission of information on any application materials may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment or dismissal after being employed.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Candidates must be high school graduates or the equivalent. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is desired.
• To qualify at the CL-26 level, the applicant must possess at least one year of specialized experience, which must be at, or equivalent to, CL-25. To qualify at the CL-27 level, the applicant must possess two years of specialized experience, including at least one year that must be at, or equivalent to, CL-26.

• Prior federal court operations experience (including CM/ECF) is highly preferred, as is progressively responsible clerical, administrative, and/or training experience requiring the regular and recurring application of clerical procedures that demonstrate the ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, or laws and involve routine use of specialized terminology, automated software and equipment for word processing, data entry and/or generating reports.

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.