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Employment Opportunities | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts

Government Relations Chief

Vacancy Announcement

  • Location
    Springfield, IL
  • Posted Date
    07/02/24
  • Closing Date
    This position will remain open until filled. However, those individuals submitting materials by July 20, 2024, will be given first consideration.
  • Division
    Office of Statewide Pretrial Services (OSPS)
  • Benefits
    An attractive judicial branch benefits package is offered, including pension, medical, dental, vision and life insurance, as well as deferred compensation and generous leave time.
  • Salary
    Minimum $83,528; starting salary commensurate with experience

The Office of Statewide Pretrial Services’ (OSPS or Office) is a statewide office that provides pretrial services under the Pretrial Services Act, 725 ILCS 185. The Office’s mission is to assist in the administration of justice and promote community safety by ensuring fairness and equality in the pretrial process. OSPS prepares pretrial investigation reports for the courts and supervises individuals released from custody as directed by the court.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES: The Government Relations Chief is a senior level position within the Division of Centralized Operations in the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services (OSPS). This position is responsible for building relationships with local county stakeholders and serving as a liaison between OSPS’ programs and the counties OSPS serves. The Government Relations Chief works with considerable independence, exercising professional judgment under the general supervision of the Deputy Director of Centralized Operations.

FUNCTIONS INCLUDE:

  • Documents concerns of stakeholders relative to OSPS and coordinates with Deputy Director and the Director’s Office on how to resolve those concerns.
  • Communicates with county stakeholders including State’s Attorney’s Offices, defense counsel, local law enforcement and the judiciary regarding OSPS’s programs.
  • Serves as the point of contact for local county stakeholders related to electronic monitoring and alcohol monitoring.
  • Receives and processes information requests for electronic monitoring data and other OSPS information from local stakeholders.
  • Travels to counties to build and maintain strong relationships with county stakeholders and local law enforcement.
  • Reviews a defendant’s compliance history and high-level violations to brief the Division’s leadership prior to OSPS’ communication with local county stakeholders.
  • Prepares court reports for high-level violations of pretrial supervision.
  • Identifies and investigates potential GPS violations in coordination with OSPS’ GPS vendor.
  • Attends and testifies at court hearings where the status of defendant’s pretrial release or conditions are determined, reviewed or evaluated, modified, or stricken.
  • Reviews the completion of electronic monitoring progress reports and violation reports.
  • Develops and implements policies and procedures for a consistent delivery of information to county stakeholders regarding OSPS’ electronic monitoring offerings (GPS and alcohol monitoring).
  • Collaborates with Electronic Monitoring Chief, Alcohol Monitoring Chiefs, Region Chiefs and their respective Deputy Chiefs to ensure effective communication with local stakeholders.
  • Responds to emergency notifications outside of regular business hours as a part of an on-call rotation with other OSPS management staff.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Minimum Qualifications:

  1. A Bachelor’s Degree.
  2. Nine or more years professional working experience in a public or private organization.
  3. Five or more years working in pretrial, probation, corrections, court services, or law enforcement.
  4. Thorough knowledge of the criminal justice system including related Illinois statutes, regulations, procedures and operations at the trial court level, and a comprehensive perspective of legal and evidence-based pretrial services including pragmatic applicability and implementation.
  5. Strong decision-making and independent problem-solving skills.
  6. Ability to be LEADS certified.
  7. A valid Illinois Driver’s License and proof of automobile insurance to operate a personal vehicle on state business, as well as maintain a safe driving record.
  8. Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office products (i.e., Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook).

Preferred Qualifications:

  1. A Master’s Degree.
  2. Seven years of progressively responsible experience in law enforcement, corrections, pretrial services or probation services.
  3. Five or more years of supervisory experience in state or local government
  4. Three or more years of experience working within an electronic monitoring program in a public or private organization
  5. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  6. Excellent writing skills including experience writing Presentence Investigations, Probation Violation Reports or Police Reports.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Ability to sit for extended time periods.
  • Professional office working environment requiring telephone usage and ability to process written documents.
  • Ability to travel, mostly within Illinois, including overnight stays, as required.

HOW To apply:

Interested individuals should submit a resume through the form below.

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/cfdfd666f464473185cdbbd0a5b7b361

A judicial branch application is not required to apply, but it will be required before final hiring decisions are made. The application can be downloaded from the Illinois Courts website:

https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/b0377255-a5e8-4c75-af0b-65925622d97b/Judicial%20Branch%20Employment%20Application.pdf

This position will remain open until filled. However, those individuals submitting materials by July 20, 2024, will be given first consideration.

Any questions about this position or the application process can also be submitted via email at the following address: pretrialservices@illinoiscourts.gov .

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