The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo seeks highly qualified candidates for the position of Deputy Court Executive Officer.
As a key member of the executive management team, the Deputy Court Executive Officer will provide highly responsible and complex administrative support to the Court Executive Officer/Clerk/Jury Commissioner. The Deputy Court Executive (DCEO) will participate in strategic planning and will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the operations, support, and administration divisions of the Court. This will include directing all criminal, family law, civil, juvenile, small claims, traffic, and probate clerk office functions.
The DCEO will also oversee all staffing and personnel functions including recruitment, retention, training and development, and disciplinary action. The DCEO will research and review new technology systems that could assist the Court in meeting workload requirements and will oversee the implementation of new systems and, when necessary, the modification of existing systems. In addition, the DCEO will write, review, monitor, and manage contracts with vendors providing services and materials.
Significant to the role, the DCEO will analyze new legislation and the legislation’s impact on the Court, will communicate with the executive team about new legislative or statutory requirements needed to successfully operate the court, and will establish procedures to conform to new laws.
In addition to internal operations, the DCEO will serve as liaison with the court, County departments, agencies, and the public, and will work with other criminal justice agencies to implement new or mandated programs.
The Ideal Candidate will be:
- An experienced manager of court administration.
- A visionary and strategic planner who understands the complexities of a court system.
- Able to persuasively communicate the court’s vision and to effectively motivate others to achieve that vision.
- A consensus builder who is flexible, fair and responsive.
- Experienced in enhancing collaborative partnerships with local government agencies and other stakeholders.
- A team player that can effectively lead a cohesive and collaborative team of court professionals.
- Calm under pressure and adept at prioritizing tasks, handling multiple responsibilities, and synthesizing complex issues effectively.
Examples of Duties
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Provide highly responsible administrative and management assistance to the Court Executive Officer/Clerk and Jury Commissioner in planning, organizing, directing, and reviewing the functions and activities of the operations and/or support divisions of the Court.
- Provide strong leadership as part of the Court’s Executive Team, which also consists of the CEO, Information Technology Director, Human Resources Director, Senior Managing Attorney, and Finance Director.
- Direct, supervise, and guide Court managers and supervisors or staff of a major division by establishing goals, policies, and performance standards, conducting periodic evaluations for the staff members' performance, and counseling staff members regarding their performance and career development consistent with the departmental mission and expectations.
- Work with judges, attorneys, internal staff, and external departments to define and coordinate a variety of activities such as forecasting trial court needs, arranging for jurors, and assigning visiting judges.
- Consult with and advise other County staff and the public regarding Court policy issues and participate in the development of standards and programs relating to these policies.
- Consult and cooperate with other agencies and departments on all aspects of the Court’s operations, discuss problems and develop alternatives and strategies for dealing with those problems, and assist in implementation of solutions.
- Develop effective statistical and recordkeeping systems, analyze new laws and requirements that may impact these systems, and revise systems as needed.
- Direct and counsel managers, supervisors or staff in planning, resource allocation, personnel actions, budgeting, and record systems needed to meet the Court’s responsibilities.
- Assist in the preparation and administration of the Court budget.
- Perform a variety of special assignments and prepare complex analytical and statistical reports in all areas of Court management, as assigned.
- Perform any additional court administration or operations-related duties and tasks as assigned by the Court Executive Officer.
Qualifications
Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:
- Education: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in judicial, public, or business administration or a closely related field, or a graduate degree in these same fields; however, additional qualifying experience as described below and relevant course work outside of degree programs may substitute for the required education on a year-to-year basis.
- Experience: Seven years of increasingly responsible experience performing a wide variety of duties related to management in, preferably but not limited to, a court setting including at least one full year of progressively responsible experience in a senior level administrative, executive, or management position.
Knowledge of:
- All aspects of Court Administration including appropriate methods, procedures, and technical expertise.
- Pertinent state and federal laws and regulations regarding Court management.
- Organizational, administrative, and management principles and practices.
- Conflict resolution, training and development, and mentoring for management team direct reports as well as organizational development.
- Supervisory techniques, resource allocation, planning and budgeting.
- Budget principles and procedures.
- Change management and implementation of process refinement, improvement, and documentation.
- Statistical analysis and presentation of data-driven decision making.
- Modern office procedures, methods, and computer equipment.
Skill/Ability to:
- Direct and coordinate all aspects of the Court’s administration.
- Provide mentoring and development plans of action for the management and supervisor team members in court administration.
- Supervise, train, and evaluate the work of professional, technical, and clerical staff.
- Analyze and evaluate statistical data and reports related to Court management.
- Interpret, apply, and explain Court policies and state and federal legislation related to divisional operations.
- Establish and evaluate policies, procedures, and controls related to the Court programs.
- Prepare a variety of complex analytical reports and documentation.
- Present complex data-driven decision to lay and non-lay persons who participate in the decision-making process
- Represent the Court under diverse circumstances and prepare and deliver oral presentations to small and large groups.
- Effectively and persuasively communicate both orally and in writing.
- Identify existing or potential problems, secure relevant information and data from a variety of sources, determine probable causes, and effect appropriate solution.
- Successfully develop, control, and monitor the Court’s budget and expenditure.
- Utilize appropriate interpersonal style and methods of communication to gain acceptance, cooperation, or agreement of a plan, activity, and/or program idea.
- Establish and maintain effective work relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties.
Application/Examination
To apply for this exciting career opportunity, the following materials must be electronically submitted online at https://jobs.smcgov.org.
- Resume
- Cover letter that is no more than three pages long and includes the following (in this order):
- Your interest in this essential position and a summary of what makes you the right leader for the position.
- A description of your executive and innovative leadership experience.
- What you consider to be the most challenging issue impacting the Superior Court and your ideas for addressing this issue.
Resumes and cover letters submitted via email will not be accepted. Applications that do not provide a cover letter with responses to the topic area will be considered incomplete and will not be accepted.
The selection process for this position will consist of an application screening and a panel interview, which may include a pre-interview exercise. Applicants must successfully pass the application screening to move forward to the interview process. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination.
Recruitment Timeline (subject to change)
Final Filing Date: October 27, 2025, by 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: October 28-30, 2025
Panel Interviews (In-person): November 10-11, 2025
Finalist Interviews (In-person): Week of November 17, 2025
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 770,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.
The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo is committed to advancing equity to ensure all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The Court seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.
The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer.
If you have questions regarding this position or the recruitment, please email Chet Overstreet at coverstreet@smcgov.org.
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