Duties

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

• Shares with the Deputy Director, the responsibility for the overall effective accomplishment of the mission assigned to the branch and the Court Reporting Division.
• Evaluates and prepares policies, procedures, practices, and prepares recommendations for use in improving the effectiveness of policies relative to the branch. Keeps employees informed regarding policies, procedures, and goals of management as they relate to the office.
• Assists by planning, formulating and administering office policies and procedures and provides leadership and guidance to the assigned work force. Makes available to subordinates necessary written instructions and materials and answers questions regarding policies and procedures that must be adhered to. Appropriately utilizes, develops, evaluates, rewards and motivates employees.
• Develops, evaluates, researches and accomplishes assigned special projects.
• Participates in conferences and meetings to enhance the development of the branch and leadership qualities.
• Ensures Court Reporters turn in all related court records of proceedings in court.
• Participates in the recommendation to fill vacancies related to the designated area of management. Recommends promotions, cash awards, transfers or dismissals of subordinate personnel. Receives complaints and grievances resolving most of those that can be informally resolved. Holds corrective interviews with employees and proposes disciplinary actions to the Deputy Director.
• Administers a comprehensive orientation program for new Official Court Reporters.
• Evaluates and prepares subordinates' performance evaluations.
• Supervises the training and development of Official Court Reporters.
• Trains judges new to Realtime.
• Remains current in the technological area of the court-reporting field and makes recommendations to change current policies and/or procedures that would enhance the services the official court reporters provide and/or be beneficial to the judiciary and the citizens of the District of Columbia.
• Balances the workload among reporters to ensure timeliness of transcript production.
• Operates tactfully and courteously with people from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds in conjunction with maintaining cooperative working relationships.
• Assigns Official Court Reporters to designated judicial officers and makes sure the Courts are receiving the most professional reporting services available. Makes available to subordinates necessary written instructions and materials and answers questions regarding policies and procedures. Consults with Deputy Director or Director, when necessary. Works with the Case Managers, on an as-needed basis, regarding the timely production of appeal transcripts.

The DC Courts have employed many measures to keep employees and court users as safe as possible, including mandatory face coverings, social distancing, temperature checks, health screening questionnaire, enhanced air circulation, and intensified cleaning services. We encouraged employees to get vaccinated for their safety and the safety of their family, friends, colleagues, and others with whom they have contact. We also provided opportunities for employees to receive the vaccine. Such voluntary vaccination efforts have made significant progress in suppressing the spread of COVID-19, and yet the emergence of the highly contagious Delta variant has caused a rapid increase in infection transmission rates in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, particularly among the unvaccinated.

Vaccinations, being readily available, provide the best protection from infection with COVID-19, and the requirement of vaccinations is consistent with maintaining a safe and secure workplace. Therefore, effective immediately and throughout the remainder of the COVID-19 emergency period, all DC Courts employees, interns, volunteers, and on-site contractors, who have received a vaccination as required by the COVID-19 vaccination protocols, must provide proof of vaccination to Human Resources on the first day of employment. You may seek an exemption from providing a proof of vaccination on the grounds of a specific medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief. All employees who have not received the required number of vaccination doses, regardless of the reason or whether the employee has sought or been granted an exemption, will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result on a weekly basis in order to report to work in person or remotely.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Background and security investigation are required.
• A probationary period of one (1) year must be successfully completed.

To qualify for this position, you must submit the following:
1. Resume
2. Completed Vacancy Questionnaire
3. Documentation /Proof of Education (e.g. copy of HS diploma, GED certificate, college transcript or degree)
4. List of three (3) professional references

All required documentation must be received by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A high school diploma or GED plus a certificate from an accredited court reporting school/junior college, plus seven (7) years of court reporting experience and a minimum of two (2) years as a supervisor in a court reporting environment; court setting, freelance setting or quasi-judicial organization that is commensurate with the size and complexity of the Court Reporting Division at the DC Courts.

EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION: Bachelor's degree and graduation from a National Court Reports Association (NCRA) accredited court reporting program, plus five (5) years of court reporting experience and a minimum of two (2) years as a supervisor in a court reporting environment; court setting, freelance setting or quasi-judicial organization that is commensurate with the size and complexity of the Court Reporting Division at the DC Courts.

Must be familiar with Microsoft Word, Oracle and Windows based operating systems.

The incumbent should be an enthusiastic and engaged professional who enjoys working with a diverse group of Court personnel and customers and lives the DC Courts' values of Accountability, Excellence, Fairness, Integrity, Respect, and Transparency.

Please note that authorization for the release of your adult criminal record revealing any convictions and forfeitures, and any criminal cases currently pending before the courts is required. If you are selected for the position, a criminal history records check will be conducted.

Education

To qualify based on education, upload a copy of your college transcript or degree. The transcript must show the name of the college or university, your name, list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking.

Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for District of Columbia Courts employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

Foreign Education: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must upload a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript at time of application to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive Federal civil service.

Please note there is a mandatory one year probationary period for all non-judicial new employees.

All required information must be received by the vacancy announcement closing date.

The safety of DC Court employees, contractors and the public is a top priority. In compliance with the guidelines published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Courts has maximized its telework flexibilities. The ability and readiness for employees to telework impacts operational requirements and capabilities. This includes having a personal computer, tablet or mobile device which is not shared with secure internet connectivity.