Duties

Who We Are

The Judicial and Legal Education Group comprises 14 people, a mix of education 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 work in pairs to deliver and evaluate educational programs for judges and court attorneys in the federal courts. Our faculty typically are judges, professors, and other subject matter experts, although we sometimes serve as trainers and facilitators, too. We consult with education advisory committees that suggest relevant topics and experts, advise on priorities, assist with program execution and evaluation, and guide our efforts. Our programs range from one-hour online sessions to five-day in-person sessions and everything in between. In a typical year, we deliver about 60 programs for approximately 2,500 in-person and around 10 thousand remote participants.

Our strengths as a group include focus on identifying and providing what our learners need most; being adaptable to changing needs, learning preferences, and modalities; diplomacy and tact; and creativity. Collectively, our group has 116 years of service with the Federal Judicial Center, with our newest members being with us for just a few weeks and our most senior member being with us for 35 years. The Center's current average 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 supportive, and the culture is positive.

Who You Are

Our most recent group leader retired after a distinguished 37-year career with the FJC. He led the group through many changes, including expanding our offerings, adding multiple virtual programs, and navigating the pandemic. Now, we are looking for someone to lead us through the post-pandemic transition and into the future with a continued emphasis on excellence, innovation, and impartiality in our programming.

As a group of experienced professionals, we're seeking a leader with vision who will work with us to continue to meet our goals of providing valuable, impartial, and competency-based programming for judges and court attorneys, and who will set new goals where we may need them. We are looking for someone to help grow our skills and capacity (individually and collectively), to help our operations run smoothly, and to help assess how effectively we are meeting the educational needs of judges and court staff.

Our operational tempo is relatively fast-paced and often leaves little time for changing up what we do, so we would benefit from someone who would help us prioritize our efforts, amplify good ideas, and juggle responsibilities. We can do anything, but we cannot do everything, so we need a leader who will help prioritize, support and orchestrate collaboration, encourage growth, and maintain our high standards for quality. We're looking for someone who is comfortable in the role of advocate, diplomat, coach, mentor, advisor, and troubleshooter.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Key Requirements:

• You must be a United States Citizen, subject to the exceptions enumerated at https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/search-judiciary-jobs/citizenship-requirements-employment-judiciary .
• 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.

This vacancy announcement was produced at U.S. taxpayer expense.

Qualifications

Mandatory Qualifications

• A law degree (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Some combination of 7 years of teaching and of designing educational programs and curricula.
• Minimum of 3 years as a supervisor.
• Excellent project management, writing, public speaking, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively.

Desirable Qualifications

You're a strong candidate for this position if, in addition to the above mandatory qualifications, you possess a collection of some of the following knowledge, experience, and characteristics:

• Value integrity, honesty, impartiality, diversity in its many forms, growth, feedback, fairness, clarity, openness and transparency, inclusion and collaboration, collegiality, excellence, and wellness.
• Have demonstrated an interest in the law, the U.S. legal system, and the vital work of the Third Branch.
• Have worked in the courts or otherwise developed strong familiarity with the workings of judges and courts, especially at the federal level.
• Know your way around training needs assessment and have competency-based curriculum design skills.
• Have developed a thoughtful perspective on adult education and continuous learning.
• Know, regularly use, and are committed to applying the principles of adult education to create engaging, useful, lasting learning.
• Are interested in the use of technology to enhance processes, services, and programs, including internal tools for managing programs as well as tools for designing and delivering remote learning.
• Can effectively assess pedagogical and other considerations to determine the optimal delivery method for content.
• Can think creatively about adult education in the judiciary context and support experimentation with new approaches while maintaining respect for the nuances of our environment.
• Have management experience that includes managing a team remotely or in a hybrid environment.
• Have experience recruiting, hiring, and onboarding new staff.
• Have experience developing, mentoring, and coaching group members with diverse backgrounds and needs.
• Have 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.
• Have used creativity and skill to accomplish goals within budget constraints and/or budget uncertainty.
• Can establish clear parameters and measurements of success and guide the team to excel.
• Have a demonstrated track record of collaboration within and across functional areas and are willing to support a wide range of division- and Center-wide initiatives and projects.
• Have the finely tuned diplomatic skills to successfully navigate internal and external relationships with finesse.
• Know when to work hard, when to rest, and how to help your team members find their most effective rhythms.

Education

A law degree (J.D.) from an accredited law school.

Additional information

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. 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.