IDS Executive Director (Attorney)

Agency
Indigent Defense Services

Division
Indigent Defense Services Division

Job Classification Title
IDS Executive Director (NS)

Position Number
60002259

Grade
30012849

About Us

DO YOUR CAREER JUSTICE! Each and every day, North Carolina's courts help provide safety for our communities, prosperity for our economy, and protection for the rights, liberties, and freedoms that sit at the foundation of our state and federal constitutions. Consider an exciting and rewarding career with us and join the more than 7,000 elected officials and employees who make up our workforce and help us ensure that justice is administrated without favor, denial, or delay.

Description of Work
Salary Range: $168,565.00 (The annual salary for this position is set by North Carolina law.)

The North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services (IDS) is a statewide agency created by the General Assembly in 2000 to oversee the provision of legal representation to indigent defendants and others entitled to counsel at state expense. The Executive Director (Director) manages and directs IDS and serves as the chief executive officer of the agency. The Director is appointed by and reports to the IDS Commission for a four-year term, and is compensated with an annual salary of $168,565, as established by North Carolina law.

The Director exercises broad administrative, fiscal, and policy leadership, and acts as the primary advocate for IDS's interests before the General Assembly, the Administrative Office of the Courts, the courts, the indigent defense community, and the public. The primary purpose of the position is the expansion, maintenance, improvement, and oversight of systems for providing quality and cost-effective legal representation and related services in all cases where indigent people are entitled to state-paid representation, consistent with
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-498 et seq.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management Preferences

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Strategic leadership and system development, including implementation of a long-term strategic plan for IDS, the expansion of network of public defender offices and enhanced support for private assigned counsel, improvement to the public defense system generally, and reporting to the Commission and the General Assembly.
• Budget and fiscal oversight, including management of a more than $172 million budget, oversight of fiscal operations, advocating for IDS's budgetary and legislative needs before the General Assembly, and ensuring responsible stewardship of public funds.
• Technology and administrative modernization, including providing strategic direction for IDS's technology infrastructure, including those that affect attorney compensation, case management, discovery tools, and other emerging technologies.
• Staff leadership and organizational management, including recruitment and supervision of staff, providing budgetary oversight and support to Chief Public Defenders, establishing personnel policies and practices consistent with applicable law and IDS's values, and engaging with stakeholders and cross-agency partners.
• Development of policy, rules, and standards, including assisting the Commission in developing rules, policies, qualification standards, performance standards, and workload guidelines, and statewide indigency determination standards.
• Identifying areas of research and development that advance the public defense system in North Carolina.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of: the North Carolina court system, including the (i) provision of legal services to indigent people across all case types covered by the IDS Act, (ii) applicable statutes and case law governing the Office, (iii) management, budgetary, and organizational practices required to lead a complex public agency, and (iv) emerging issues and national best practices in indigent defense, including workload standards, compensation models, and technology applications.

Skills in: executive leadership of a complex organization, including strategic planning, staff development, budget development and fiscal oversight, and legislative relations and bill analysis.

Problem solving, clear oral and written communication (both internally and publicly), navigating sensitive matters with discretion and sound judgment, data analysis, and relationship building across diverse constituencies.

Supplemental and Contact Information:

INSTRUCTIONS:

Applicants must complete an on-line application by clicking the above APPLY link. Mailed or faxed applications will not be accepted.

Before applying, please read the Online Employment Application Guide for instructions on creating your profile and applying for specific postings.

It is important your application includes all of your relevant education and work experience and that you answer all questions associated with the application to receive proper credit. Résumés are not accepted in lieu of fully completed applications.

*NOTE* Many job postings require certain documents be attached to an application. Verify your application is complete and uploaded documents are attached to your application before submitting it. Applications may not be altered after they have been submitted.

All NC Judicial Branch agencies are Equal Opportunity Employers.

The North Carolina Judicial Branch participates in E-Verify, an internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from the US Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.

Travis Davis

NC Administrative Office of the Courts
Human Resources Division

Minimum Education and Experience

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an "equivalent combination of education and experience." If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See the Education and Experience Equivalency Guide for details.

Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school and an active license to practice law in North Carolina required at time appointment commences; and at least seven (7) years of experience in the defense of criminal or other cases subject to the Indigent Defense Services Act.

The Commission prefers candidates with a proven commitment to quality indigent defense representation and experience in the preparation, administration, and oversight of a significant budget or demonstrated collaboration with financial officer.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete online application, a current résumé, and a cover letter that addresses the applicant's vision for public defense in North Carolina and relevant experience. Candidates selected for interviews should anticipate interviews during the latter part of June and July. Specific dates will be provided to selected candidates as soon as possible.

EEO Statement

The State of North Carolina is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and dedicated to providing employees with a work environment free from all forms of unlawful employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. The state provides reasonable accommodation to employees and applicants with disabilities; known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices.

Recruiter:
Travis Edward Davis

Email:

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