Program Manager – Justice Initiatives

Title: Program Manager – Justice Initiatives

Pay Grade: Management

Starting Pay: $88,695.37 - $130,866.23

Departmental Mission Statement: The Office of Access, Diversity and Fairness (“OADF”) is led by the Chief Access, Diversity and Fairness Officer (CADFO) and is tasked with the overall responsibility for the Court’s policies and practices related to access, fairness, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The following six departments report to and are supervised by the CADFO: the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Office of Access to Justice and Court User Experience; Office of Court Services and Law Libraries; Office of Language Access; Office of Transcription Services, and Office of Alternative/Online Dispute Resolution Programs. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential components of dignified and respectful treatment. The creation of the OADF reflects The Trial Court’s commitment to ensuring that court-involved individuals, whether they are parties to a case, victims, attorneys, jurors, or court employees, are treated with dignity and respect, and are given the information necessary to understand and navigate court systems, policies, and practices.

The Office of Access to Justice and Court User Experience (A2J Office) supports the Trial Court and the communities it serves by acting as a court wide information source for A2J related needs. Through partnership and collaboration with the Trial Court and community stakeholders, the A2J office seeks to improve the experience for court users by implementing, assessing, and making improvements to programs and initiatives designed to enhance access to justice.


ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE:

https://www.mass.gov/orgs/executive-office-of-the-trial-court

Notes:

• Applicants must submit a cover letter.
• Travel will be required throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as needed.

• The position will remain open until filled, but interested candidates are strongly encouraged to apply by Friday, January 17, 2025, after which review of applications will begin.
• This position is designated Management and is covered by the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

Position Summary: As a core member of the team in the Office of Access to Justice and Court User Experience (A2J Office), the Program Manager for Justice Initiatives is responsible for supporting and advancing the A2J Office’s efforts in improving court usability and access. This involves collaborating with various Trial Court Departments and other court actors as well as engaging with community stakeholders. The Program Manager also supports the overall mission and initiatives of the Office of Access to Justice and Court User Experience. This position will work closely with all Massachusetts Trial Court Departments, offices within the Executive Office of the Trial Court, and other internal and external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will be a strong project manager with a background working on complex projects with multiple stakeholders that will effectively advance access to justice and DEI goals within the Trial Court. This role requires excellent communication, collaboration, and project management skills, as well as an understanding of tools to enhance project workflow and analysis.

Supervision Received: Receives assignments and supervision from the Director of Justice Initiatives and Court User Experience or their designee. Performs duties that advance OADF and Office of Access to Justice and Court User Experience organizational priorities, in accordance with all established best practices.

Duties:

• Collaborates with key internal stakeholders, including Department of Research and Planning, Court Service Centers and Law Libraries, the Office of Language Access, Information Technology Department (IT), Office of Workplace Rights and Compliance, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and other Trial Court Departments, on standards and best practices related to assessing and improving the court user experience.
• Develops tools for improving the collection and the use of court user feedback.
• Tests resources and provides user testing trainings for various Trial Court departments and partners.
• Engages with the Department of Research and Planning, IT, and other departments to develop a thoughtful and ethical workflow for the collection, storage, and the use of user experience data.
• Analyzes data, prepares, and presents findings to stakeholders to ensure accessibility, inclusivity, and compliance with state and federal requirements.
• Keeps apprised of current issues, policies, and technological changes in user experience and makes recommendations for use in the courts, when appropriate.
• Facilitates, and participates in external community outreach and engagement to both promote the use of Trial Court resources and to obtain relevant user experience feedback.
• Supports the A2J Office Statewide Manager of Justice Initiatives on forms related matters, including obtaining user feedback on court forms.
• Serves on committees, working groups, and initiatives to further the overall work of the Office of Access to Justice and Court User Experience.
• Travels throughout the Commonwealth to conduct site visits, and participate in meetings, seminars, as well as conferences.
• Provides administrative support to the A2J Office, when necessary.
• Performs related duties as required.

Job Competencies: All applicants must be able, through the interview process, to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following areas:

Ethics and Values Communicates and demonstrates the ethics and values of the Trial Court.

Mission Understands, upholds, and communicates the Trial Court missions.

Applied Knowledge Understands research, information services operations, specialized tools, applications, and software, with some understanding of the various court departments and divisions.

Problem Solving Ability to successfully address data issues, draw conclusions, and make recommendations.

Customer Service Conducts oneself in a courteous and professional manner towards both Trial Court employees and the public.

Performance Measurement Understands the value and importance of performance measures as a basis for both individual and departmental assessments.

Commitment to Diversity Promotes an environment of diversity through understanding, respect, and positive communication with persons of varied economic and cultural backgrounds.

Collaboration Works with others cooperatively, demonstrating a willingness to be a team player, and contributing to a work environment that focuses on shared departmental goals.

Continuous Learning Demonstrates a commitment to continuously improving himself or herself through professional development.

Minimum Requirements: These are the minimum requirements necessary to apply for the position of Program Manager- Justice Initiatives within the Office of Access to Justice and Court User.

• Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree, and Five (5) years of professional experience involving project and/or business operations; Equivalent combinations of education and/or applicable experience may be substituted for satisfying the required minimum requirements.
• Demonstrated commitment to protecting and promoting the rights of people who are representative of Trial Court employees and court users, including people with disabilities, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, people from immigrant communities, and/or people with low-income.
• Experience and knowledge in the use of computers and software, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
• Proven ability to produce high-quality written contents and prepare presentations for a wide range of audience.
• Project management experience, including serving as a team lead.
• Understanding and ability to use project management software, collaboration tools, and other relevant platforms.
• Superior collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Excellent communication skills and customer-service skills, with experience in explaining complex access to justice and DEI issues, or legal concepts and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to collect and analyze information and data and make appropriate recommendations.
• Ability to work efficiently, independently, and as part of a team. Ability to travel throughout the Commonwealth.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual and/or Multilingual ability in ASL, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Cabo Verdean Creole, Portuguese, Mandarin, Arabic strongly preferred.
• Experience and knowledge of user experience design and workflows, strongly preferred.
• Experience working in a legal or judicial environment (e.g., learning and development, training, or other diversity, equity, and inclusion-focused work within a judicial or legal environment).
• Working knowledge of ADA compliance and practices.
• Working knowledge of the principles of plain language, readability, and accessibility.