The mission of the Defender Services program is to ensure that the right to counsel guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment, the Criminal Justice Act (CJA), 18 U.S.C. § 3006A, and other statutory mandates is enforced on behalf of those who cannot afford to retain counsel. The incumbent will serve as the Chief of the Program Operations Federal Defender Human Resources Branch (HRB) for the Defender Services Office (DSO).
The incumbent will bring expert knowledge of all aspects of federal defender human resource management. The incumbent provides human resource program leadership, services, and solutions to enable the federal defender organizations to define, recruit, manage, compensate, reward, develop, and retain a highly skilled workforce. The incumbent is responsible for the strategic development and oversight of policies and processes that support defender organization personnel.
The incumbent maintains relationships with judiciary stakeholders; advises leaders and operates at the highest level of integrity. This leader manages staff, delivers executive-level presentations, and leads initiatives to enhance the quality and service we provide to defender organizations, in support of the 6th Amendment. The duties of this position include, but are not limited to: 1.
Leading the branch and fostering a high-performing, inclusive, and respectful work environment that promotes staff development, accountability, and the delivery of exceptional customer service. 2.
Performing all facets of staff supervision: workload distribution; process optimization; cross training; review and assess staff deliverables for compliance with requirements and quality standards; complete personnel actions including performance appraisals; make recommendations for within-band increases, promotions, awards, and/or adverse actions; oversee time and attendance and provide coaching and mentoring. 3.
Serving on a management team representing the Program Operations Division (POD) HRB, and upon request, attend and participate in meetings conducted by and on behalf of the POD Chief. 4. Establishing priorities, identifing solutions, developing short- and long-term goals for the branch, managing program and project timelines, and ensuring deadlines are met. Integrating work with broader program objectives. 5.
Advising leadership on program effiicacy; providing data-driven recommendations for improvement; and reporting on emerging trends and issues. 6. Serving as the DSO subject matter expert on defender human resources; providing written and oral guidance, training, interpretation, analysis, advice, and recommendations on policies, procedures, recruitment, position qualifications, position classification, compensation, and appointing authorities. 7.
Developing and updating policy manuals that govern the operations of FDOs, researching policy implications, and advising senior management on the implementation of such policies. 8. Supervising staff who develop and conduct HR trainings, briefings, and presentations. Planning and providing guidance for conferences and orientations. 9.
Building and sustaining strategic relationships with leadership and stakeholders across the AO and FDOs, as well as external stakeholders to foster collaboration and trust to advance enterprise-wide human capital initiatives to ensure alignment with broader program goals and priorities. 10.
Conducting national program reviews of position classification and identifying topics of importance for highly sensitive situations that require higher level problem identification and follow up. 11. Serving on or leading the efforts of various committees and other groups and preparing and presenting oral and written briefings. 12.
Identifying and overseeing the creation, dissemination, and implementation of resources, including checklists, how-to guides, FAQs, manuals, and webinars to expand internal and external knowledge of policies and improve compliance. Overseeing the development, maintenance, and expansion of HR information on various websites. 13. Coordinating with and aiding appointing authorities for the appointment and reappointment of federal defenders. 14.
Performing other duties as assigned.
This position does not require education to qualify.
bassin_njie@ao.uscourts.gov · (202) 502-2202
This position is with Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Judicial Branch.
The posted pay range is $121785 – $197200/yr.
This position is eligible for telework.
Applications close on 2026-10-28.
This position is open under the 'Fed Internal Search' hiring path.
Source: USAJOBS.gov — U.S. Federal Government · Retrieved 2026-10-14 · Not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM or USAJOBS.gov
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