District Court Manager of Operations

Why It's a Great Opportunity:

This is an opportunity to help lead one of Washington State’s largest and most innovative courts. Located in Tacoma, Pierce County District Court serves a large and diverse community and is committed to delivering fair, accessible, timely, and effective justice.

The Manager of Operations is a key member of the Court’s Administrative Management Team and works directly with the Court Administrator and judicial leadership to shape how court services are delivered. This position combines executive leadership, court operations, strategic planning, program development, and people leadership.

The Manager leads a large and talented team responsible for essential court operations and helps guide programs and services that directly affect thousands of people each year. The position also provides leadership and oversight for the Court’s therapeutic court work and other programs designed to improve outcomes for court-involved individuals.

This is an ideal opportunity for a collaborative and forward-thinking leader who enjoys solving complex problems, developing people, improving systems, and helping an organization prepare for the future.

Why It's a Great Department: 

Pierce County District Court is committed to providing fair, accessible, and effective administration of justice while treating every individual with dignity and respect. As an independent and impartial branch of government, the Court plays a vital role in promoting respect for the law, protecting individual rights, and providing timely and equitable resolution of legal matters for the community it serves.

The Court values professionalism, innovation, collaboration, and public service. Employees are part of a mission driven organization that is focused on operational excellence, improving access to justice, and continuously enhancing services for the public. Pierce County District Court fosters a supportive and team oriented environment where employees contribute directly to meaningful work that impacts the community every day.

Pierce County District Court is a court of limited jurisdiction and hears a wide range of cases, including:

• Traffic and non-traffic infractions
• Criminal and criminal-traffic misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors
• Civil matters for damages for injury to individuals or personal property, and contract disputes no greater than $100,000
• Small claims for recovery of money not to exceed $10,000
• Civil protection orders

How to be Successful in the Role: 

The successful Manager of Operations will be an experienced leader who can move comfortably between strategy and day-to-day operations.

You will need to build strong relationships with judges, managers, supervisors, employees, justice partners, county departments, state agencies, attorneys, and community organizations. You will be expected to understand complex court operations, identify opportunities for improvement, and translate strategic priorities into practical and sustainable systems.

Success in this role requires sound judgment, adaptability, strong communication, and the ability to lead through change. The Manager must be comfortable making decisions in a complex environment where legal requirements, court rules, operational needs, technology, staffing, public access, and partner relationships frequently intersect.

Equally important is the ability to develop people. The Manager sets expectations, supports supervisors and employees, creates opportunities for professional growth, and helps build a workplace culture centered on service, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Your Future in this Role: 

The Manager of Operations has significant responsibility and latitude to shape the work of the Operations Division.

Working directly with the Court Administrator, the Manager helps establish priorities, develop operational strategies, implement organizational change, and ensure Court programs and services remain effective, efficient, and responsive to community needs.

The Manager represents the Court with county and state partners and may participate in committees, workgroups, and initiatives that influence court operations beyond Pierce County.

This position also serves as a key organizational leader during major initiatives involving technology, caseflow, program development, policy implementation, and modernization of court services.

The Manager reports directly to the Court Administrator and assumes responsibilities of the Court Administrator when the Administrator is absent.

Core Daily Responsibilities:

• Lead, plan, and manage the daily operations of the Operations Division, including caseflow, calendaring, court procedures, records, exhibits, staffing, and service delivery.
• Provide leadership and oversight for supervisors, employees, therapeutic court operations, and other assigned Court programs and services.
• Partner with the Court Administrator and judicial leadership to establish strategic priorities and improve criminal, civil, and therapeutic court operations.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, customer service, access to justice, and organizational effectiveness.
• Lead implementation of new programs, policies, technology, and organizational change.
• Evaluate legislation, court rules, and policy changes and determine their operational impact on the Court.
• Develop operational goals, performance measures, reports, and data-informed strategies.
• Supervise, coach, and evaluate managers and supervisors and support employee development throughout the division.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with justice partners, county departments, state agencies, community organizations, and other courts.
• Represent the Court Administrator and District Court on county, regional, and statewide committees and workgroups.
• Support the development of Court policies, procedures, budgets, staffing strategies, and long-range operational planning.
• Foster a workplace culture focused on professionalism, collaboration, innovation, accountability, and public service.

This announcement is not intended to reflect all duties to be performed by our next team member, but shall present a descriptive list of the range of duties that may be performed. To view the complete classification, click here.

• Additional education or experience may substitute for the recruiting requirements.
• A cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references are required for this position. Applications without a cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references will not be considered.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration or a closely related field WITH
• Four or more years of demonstrated experience as a criminal justice manager or administrator.
• Work experience in Washington courts preferred

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Our Recruitment Practices:

This is a competitive and meritorious selection process. Pierce County applications are reviewed by human hiring staff in accordance with the qualifications listed for the position. Pierce County understands applicants may use AI tools when preparing application materials. We recognize these tools can make the process easier; however, we ask that everything you submit genuinely reflects your own experience, skills, knowledge, and writing style. 

During the interview process, you may be asked to demonstrate your skills, including writing and subject knowledge, and to speak to your experience in your own voice. Applicants should be prepared to respond to interview questions without relying on AI-generated responses or reading prepared answers from a screen. Any misrepresentation may result in disqualification or separation.

Applicants whose qualifications most closely align with the County’s needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status typically occurs within two to three weeks after the closing date. Some applicants may receive short notice to participate in additional selection steps, which may include assessments, phone screens, or interviews. 

Upon offer, compensation is based on a range of job-related factors, including the requirements of the role, your skills and experience, and internal pay equity. 

Our Welcoming Workplace Commitment: 

Pierce County is committed to fostering a Welcoming Workplace where employees are supported, respected, and able to thrive. We believe a strong public workforce is representative of the community it serves and that fair and just access to opportunity strengthens public service. 

Guided by the County Executive’s Forward Together mission, Pierce County works to build communities that are safe, welcoming, and connected. This same commitment shapes how we recruit, develop, and retain our employees. County employees make a direct and visible impact in the lives of residents every day, and we invite you to join us in helping keep Pierce County a place people are proud to call home.