U.S. District Court - Chief Deputy Clerk
CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK (TYPE II)
01-UTD-23
OPEN DATE: JANUARY 24, 2023 CLOSE DATE: FEBRUARY 8, 2023
The United States District Court for the District of Utah is accepting applications for the executive level position of Chief Deputy Clerk. This position is located in Salt Lake City, UT and reports to the Clerk of Court. The Clerk’s Office, comprised of 52 employees, supports four active district judges (and one vacancy), seven senior district judges, and five magistrate judges. One vacant active district judge position, one senior district judge, and one magistrate judge are located in St. George and serve the court’s Southern Region. The remaining judges preside in Salt Lake City, serving the court’s Northern and Central Region.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Chief Deputy Clerk is responsible for legal compliance, administration and supervision of the day-to-day operations and administrative management of the Clerk’s Office, managing special projects and assignments as needed, and helping to develop court-wide policies. The Chief Deputy Clerk must help lead toward the vision of administering justice with respect, efficiency, and excellence and must exemplify the court values of professionalism, collaboration, civility, trust, and stewardship. (Please see page 5 for more detail on our vision and values.) A proven record of leadership and accomplishment are essential, preferably in a court or law-related environment. Change leadership capability, exceptional communication, and strong interpersonal skills are also essential, given the need to integrate a diverse set of requirements and build support across stakeholder groups. In addition, the position requires the management skills and technical expertise necessary to anticipate and resolve complex administrative, operational, budgetary, and information technology challenges quickly and efficiently. Short and long-range planning skills are important. The Chief Deputy Clerk for the District of Utah is a member of the court’s executive management team and works closely and in collaboration with the Chief Judge, the Clerk of the United States Bankruptcy Court, the Chief United States Probation Officer, and other agency representatives.
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES:
The incumbent assists with the supervision and management of the office, including areas such as intake, docketing, courtroom deputies, jury, court reporters, the Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF) system, records management, statistical reporting, quality assurance, staffing, and procedural manuals. The Chief Deputy Clerk analyzes the quality and quantity of work, recommends corrective actions, and consults with and makes recommendations to the Clerk of Court on various management matters. The Chief Deputy Clerk also assists the Clerk of Court with the development, implementation, and refinement of procedures to enhance the productivity and effectiveness of the Clerk’s Office and the total organization. These duties include the following:
• Assist in providing leadership, management and supervision for the operations of the Clerk’s Office. Assist in overseeing the business of the court, including processing of cases, statistical reporting, case management, and serving as the custodian of official court records. Assume the duties of the Clerk of Court in their absence.
• Assist with the formulation, implementation, monitoring and modification of organizational policy and local court rules. Participate and collaborate in the establishment and development of court-wide polices. Assist with developing and executing strategic and long-range plans of the Clerk’s office and the court. Interpret and apply the appropriate statues, rules and operating procedures, including the Guide to Judiciary Policy and local internal polices and controls.
• Interact with the Administrative Office, Federal Judicial Center, other federal courts, court units, the bar, government agencies, judges and the public to resolve complex issues of practice and procedure.
• Assist with the development, implementation and enforcement of policies and practices to secure staff and physical assets of the court unit, which may include oversight of: property management, training, emergency preparedness and disaster recovery activities, space and facilities planning, media and public relations; and acquiring additional resources as needed.
• Act as certifying officer for dispersal of funds including payments of appropriated funds, under the direction of the Clerk of Court.
• Supervise preparation and submission of statistical reports relating to all cases filed, disposition of such cases, disposition of defendants in criminal cases, use of jurors, trials and pre-trials conducted, naturalization petitions and other reports required to reflect the workload of the court.
• Provide leadership, management and direct supervision within assigned functional areas. Coordinate staff efforts, monitor and ensure timely compliance with project deadlines, and evaluate and memorialize lessons learned during major projects and security and/or emergency operations.
• In conjunction with the Clerk and management team, establish and adjust long range goals, schedules, priorities and deadlines for completion of work assignments and coordinate work schedules among subordinate units.
• Perform and supervise quasi-judicial case related duties, including entering defaults, judgments and
taxation of costs.
• Prepare comprehensive memoranda, reports and correspondence. Draft administrative orders, proposed procedures and local rules. Perform other duties as assigned by the Clerk.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
To qualify, candidates must be current employees of the federal judiciary and have a bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited university. Candidates must have a minimum of six years of progressively responsible administrative, supervisory, technical, professional or managerial experience that provided an opportunity to gain: 1) thorough knowledge of management practices and administrative processes; 2) skill in developing effective and respectful work relationships; 3) good judgment, temperament, integrity, trustworthiness, and strong character required of an officer of the judiciary; 4) skill in effective communications with a wide variety of people; and 5) the ability to coach, train, mentor and develop people individually and as a high performance team. The successful candidate should be a leader, motivator, highly organized, and possess a high degree of integrity. The demands of the position require an individual who is adaptable to varied responsibilities in which personal initiative and excellent communication skills are highly valued.
HIGHLY PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
A law degree from an ABA accredited law school. Knowledge of and progressively responsible experience in court administration in such areas as operations, information technology, space and facilities, human resources, finance, budget and procurement. Experience in federal court environment is advantageous, particularly when combined with a working knowledge of Microsoft Office, CM/ECF and JIFMS. Experience in a legal field which requires knowledge, interpretation, and application of Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure and/or federal statues is highly desired. Demonstrated excellence in written and oral communication and strong interpersonal and analytical skills are essential. The successful candidate must have strong leadership qualities and initiative and be able to manage change and articulate management priorities. An ability to identify and resolve problems, work effectively with both individual and teams, and interact courteously and professionally with high-level officials is also essential. Person selected will be required to balance the demands of varying workload responsibilities and time sensitive deadlines.
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
The compensated rate for this position is from the Judicial Salary Plan, JSP 15 ($136,908 – $177,978) to JSP 16 ($160,568 – $195,000) depending on length and relevance of experience. For current Judiciary employees, promotion to or placement at the JSP 15 level requires one year of experience equivalent to the JSP 14 level or CL-30 level. For promotion to or placement at the JSP 16 level, one year of experience equivalent to the JSP 16 or CL-31 level is required.
The position falls within the Judicial Branch of the U.S. Government and the benefits include: health, dental, vision, life, long term care, and disability insurances, paid vacation and sick leave, retirement benefits and tax deferred savings plan. This position is subject to mandatory direct deposit participation.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
All application information is subject to verification. Appointment to this position is contingent upon
successful completion a ten-year background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including
fingerprint and criminal record checks and every five years thereafter. Any applicant selected for a position
will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of the investigation. Unsatisfactory results may
result in termination of employment. The Chief Deputy Clerk is an excepted service position, serves at the
pleasure of the court and is an 'at will' employee and can be terminated with or without cause at any time.
All judiciary employees are required to adhere to the Judicial Code of Conduct. Candidates must be United
States citizens or be in the process of obtaining citizenship to work for the United States Courts.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Qualified candidates are invited to submit:
1. A cover letter addressing how the applicant satisfies the qualifications for this position.
2. A comprehensive resume of education and employment, including dates of employment, functions
managed, and the number and composition of personnel supervised.
3. A concise narrative responding to the applications questions listed below, no more than two pages
per question.
4. A completed Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment for (Form AO 78) available at
www.utd.uscourts.gov listed under the Forms/Employment tab.
5. A list of three professional references.
APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
1. Describe how you meet the minimum and/or preferred qualifications outlined above.
2. What would be your strategic vision for the court and court employees?
Application packages must be received by February 8, 2023. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applications will be screened for qualifications and only the most qualified applicants will be contacted and
selected for a personal interview. Applicants selected for interview must travel at their own expense, and
relocation expenses will not be reimbursed. Applicants invited to interview may advise the Human
Resources Office if an accommodation is necessary.
Email completed application packages in PDF format to: UTD_HumanResources@utd.uscourts.gov
________________________________
Or mail or hand-deliver the application package to:
United States District Court
Attn: Tara Curtis, Human Resources Manager
351 So. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101