Information Technology Director
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 22-WAW-25
ANNOUNCEMENT DATE May 5, 2022
CLOSING DATE Open until filled; preference given to applications received by May 29, 2022.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington is seeking qualified candidates from all backgrounds for the position of Information Technology Director. The information technology department in this District is shared between the U.S. District Court and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services. The IT Director is responsible for managing all IT functions for the Western District of Washington.
The U.S. District Court consists of 26 Judges and 205 employees. The IT Director oversees a staff of eleven technology professionals and reports directly to the Clerk of Court and Chief Probation and Pretrial Services Officer and their deputies. There are Courthouses in Seattle and Tacoma, and satellite Probation and Pretrial Services offices in Everett, Tukwila, and Vancouver, Washington. Some travel, in- and out-of-district, is required.
We are looking for an individual with strong leadership and management skills who will focus on developing and coordinating the talent within the IT staff. This position requires the ability to work collaboratively and to provide Court staff with the automation resources needed.
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
• Develops and implements automation improvement plans incorporating the Court’s needs, objectives, and capabilities, including emerging technologies and national initiatives to advance the Court’s IT systems and operations.
• Oversees the daily operations of the IT Department including analyzing workflow, establishing priorities, and setting deadlines. • Manages, develops, and mentors IT staff.
• Responsible for IT security, including the integrity of hardware, software, and databases as well as user access, off-site storage, and security procedures.
• Plans, manages, and coordinates the IT budget, expenditures, and equipment procurement with the Budget Administrator. Develops an annual spending plan to meet the short- and long-term goals of the Court.
• Allocates resources to support cyclical replacement and maintenance of all systems.
• Maintains oversight of the Court’s automation equipment and property inventory.
• Oversees the administration, operation, back-up, and support of automation, including network systems (WAN and LAN), servers (VMware, Windows, Linux), remote access, desktop computers and applications, hardware, websites, courtroom technology, audio-video systems, telephones, mobile devices, and any new emerging technologies.
• Manages the information technology Disaster Recovery Plan and Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and ensures annual testing and plan updates.
QUALIFICATIONS
Candidates must possess excellent leadership, personnel management, communication, and project oversight skills. A minimum of six years progressively responsible administrative, professional, technical, or supervisory experience that provided the opportunity to develop collaborative working relationships, mentor and develop staff, exercise mature judgment, and gain a thorough knowledge of the concepts, principles and theories of information technology management is required. At least three of those years must be in a position of substantial management responsibility, preferably in a court environment.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
A bachelor or master’s degree in information technology, computer science or related field and at least five years’ experience supervising automation staff; demonstrated ability managing business processes, budgets, strategic planning, and implementing automation initiatives. Knowledge of federal court processes and the functions of the Court, Probation and Pretrial Services, and demonstrated ongoing professional development.
PREFERRED TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS
Thorough working knowledge of:
• Principles and techniques of computer hardware and software, office automation, database design, and data communications.
• Preventive maintenance and cyclical replacement activities.
• Systems design and development, and programming best practices.
• IT security tools and best practices related to networks, database management, software applications and development, and website design.
• Researching available products and services, and presenting proposed solutions,
• Incident response and procedures, assisting staff in isolating and taking necessary corrective actions and communicating pertinent updates to the Court.
SALARY RANGE
Court Personnel System Classification Level:
CL30, Step 1 – 61, $98,484 – $160,059
CL31, Step 1 – 61, $115,845 – $176,300
Depending on experience and qualifications; additional promotional potential without further recruitment.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
This is an executive level, high-sensitive position within the Judiciary. Employment is provisional pending the successful completion of a ten-year, full field OPM background investigation, and favorable suitability determination. Investigative updates are required every five years.
BENEFITS
The District Court offers a generous benefit package, competitive salary, and a dedication to work/life balance including flexible schedules, ORCA transit passes, 24-hour on-site fitness center, and telework opportunities. Judiciary employees participate in the Federal Employees Retirement System, Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K), health and life insurance benefits, long term care options, annual sick leave accrual, and eleven paid holidays per year. Judiciary employees are not covered by the Executive Branch civil service classification system or regulations. For additional information on employment with the federal courts, please visit www.uscourts.gov
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Qualified applicants must submit the following:
• A letter of interest
• A current resume
• A response to the Statement of Qualifications, below
• A minimum of three professional references
• A completed AO78, Application for Employment
Attachments must be submitted as Microsoft Word (DOC) or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files. Other formats are not acceptable. Applications will be considered complete when five attachments, with the required information in the appropriate format, are received by Human Resources. Incomplete applications and/or attachments received after the closing date may not be considered in the recruitment process. Application materials can be submitted via e-mail to:
seattle_personnel@wawd.uscourts.gov
or to:
U.S. District Court
Attn: Human Resources (22-WAW-25)
700 Stewart Street, Suite 2218
Seattle, WA 98101
STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS
The Statement of Qualifications must be 12-point font, single-spaced, minimum one-inch margins, and no more than three pages. Provide specific examples addressing the following areas:
1. Describe your ability to collaborate as a member of the management team and effectively advise them on a wide range of information technology matters that support growth, innovation, and operational excellence.
2. Describe your experience developing a culture of continuous learning, and building, leading, and motivating staff across a spectrum of IT functions.
3. Describe your experience and education and how that enabled or encumbered your career and personal growth.
INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Employees of the United States District Court are considered “at will” employees. Applicants selected for interviews must travel (for in-person interviews) or connect via Zoom (for remote interviews) at their own expense.
The United States District Court requires employees to follow a code of conduct which is available upon request. Reference checks with current and former employers will be conducted on top candidates. A background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminal record checks, will be conducted as a condition of employment. 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 Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages.
The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and seek a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.
The Court provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify Human Resources. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. If a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time from the original announcement, the court may select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the job announcement again. More than one position may be filled from this announcement.
The United States District Court is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in the workplace.