What are the responsibilities and job description for the District Court Administrator - Schuylkill County position at Administrative Office of PA Courts?
Under general direction, the District Court Administrator oversees court offices' administrative, fiscal, and personnel functions to support the Court in achieving its goals and objectives. Supervises deputy court administrators, custody administrators, clerical support staff, judicial staff, stenographers, and heads of court-appointed departments in their job duties and responsibilities. Provides administrative oversight for court-appointed departments to ensure consistent application of court policies and procedures and to enhance operational efficiency.
Job Highlights
- Excellent benefits program, including comprehensive, low-cost medical, dental, vision, and prescription plans for employees and eligible family members beginning on the first day of employment
- 13 paid holidays, 12 paid sick days, and 12 paid vacation days per year.
- Salary increases, student loan forgiveness plans, employee assistance programs, and State retirement plans.
Job Duties
- Oversees the administrative, financial, and personnel functions of court offices. This includes recruiting, training, and evaluating staff, as well as communicating and enforcing departmental policies and procedures. Prepares and manages the court budgets, authorizing purchases and payments made from these funds. Manages office space, equipment, and facilities to enhance operational efficiency, directs purchasing activities, and leads initiatives to upgrade technology and improve communication flow.
- Provides administrative oversight for court-appointed offices to ensure a consistent application of court policies and procedures and to enhance operational efficiency. Reviews budget proposals, as well as recommendations for hiring, discipline, and discharge of personnel. Communicates court policies and procedures. Offers administrative support to assist in the development of programs and the organizational structure.
- Reviews the case flow management within the overall court system to reduce delays and assist in problem resolution; analyzes case flow, researches issues, evaluates alternatives, and prepares recommendations.
- Develops recommendations for the Court regarding the administration of the arbitration program. This includes assigning and scheduling arbitration cases, reviewing and approving continuance requests, and processing arbitration payment requests. Additionally, maintains statistics on case processing for the arbitration program and recommends arbitration term dates for the Court calendar.
- Oversees the jury management program by resolving non-routine issues and preparing recommendations for policy and procedure implementation. Manages the master jury selection process, which includes determining the number of jurors to summon on each date and conducting automated master jury selections in collaboration with jury commissions. Monitors the return rates of jury questionnaires to assess the percentage of eligible and ineligible jurors. Assists with both criminal and civil jury selections and supports the Deputy Criminal Court Administrator with status conferences.
- Oversees the operation of the Court Master and Custody Conciliation program. Assists the President Judge in developing policies and procedures for the Divorce, Support, Court Masters, and Custody Conciliation programs. Researches and conducts inquiries with other counties regarding the administration of arbitration programs. Monitors the processing of divorce and custody case assignments and maintains relevant statistics. Assigns divorce cases to court masters. Reviews and approves payment requests for completed divorce and custody cases. Tracks annual case filings to prepare appropriate budget requests for the year. Recommends dates for Kids First classes and sends letters to parents who do not attend.
- Advises the President Judge on any new or amended Rules of Court and statutes; drafts Local Rules of Court for the President Judge's review.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Judicial, Business, or Public Administration, or a closely related field however graduation from an ABA-approved school of law is preferred; PLUS
- Three years of professional-level experience in court management or four years of varied office management work including professional-level expertise in human resources, budgeting, and procurement.
- An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
Additional Requirements / Preferences
- Satisfactory criminal background check required.
- Comprehensive knowledge of scheduling techniques.
- Comprehensive knowledge of the principles and practices of court and public administration.
- Comprehensive knowledge of legal terminology, forms, and documents.
- Comprehensive knowledge of human resources administration and governmental accounting and budgeting.
- Comprehensive knowledge of office management principles and practices.
- Thorough knowledge of computer software applications for court management programs.
- Ability to exercise judgment and discretion and to plan and direct department operations to achieve established goals and objectives.
- Ability to communicate effectively and maintain positive working relationships with judges, attorneys, law enforcement officials, court staff, court officials from other jurisdictions, and the public.
Salary information
Starting Annual Salary
$55,063 - $75,251
Applicants requiring accommodation, for any part of the application and/or interview process, should contact Human Resources at (717) 231-3309 or human.resources@pacourts.us.
Salary : $55,063 - $75,251