Job: ASSISTANT FAMILY COURT MANAGER

The Assistant Family Court Manager reports to the Family Court Manager, and assists in the planning, management, implementation, and the coordination of the Court’s operations and services to ensure the achievement of the objectives and goals of the Family and Children Division. Acts for the Family Court Manager in his/her absence.

The Assistant Family Court Manager may be assigned to any Court location.

1. Day-to-day management

• Develops and implements appropriate strategies and procedures for leading, managing supervising, allocating work, and monitoring performance of supervisors and other staff reporting to him or her.
• Co-ordinates and manages (through supervisors) the key operational units of the court, including: Judges’ and Magistrates’ support, intake, counselling and probation, mediation, child and youth services, the receipt, storage and transmission of all documents submitted to the court, the preparation of court orders and other documents, service of court process, judgement enforcement, and administrative functions related to scheduling of cases and case and caseflow management, and communications regarding court matters with litigants, attorneys and others.
• Co-ordinates and manages (through supervisors) the key operational support units of the court, including: Communication and Information, Security, Human Resources, Building Plant and Equipment, Finance and Budgeting, Information Technology, and Administrative Services.
• Ensures that all operations and operational support activities are undertaken within set budgets.
• Forecasts possible variances of expenditures from budgets and prepares requests for changes to budgets or recommends alternative strategies.
• Ensures that all staff are aware of the performance standards and objectives pertinent to the court, to their unit, and to them individually.
• Ensures that complete, accurate and timely information is collected regarding performance related of standards.
• Ensure that all operations and operational support procedures and policies are properly defined, documented and communicated
• Ensures the implementation and applies—within the operations and operational support units—the court’s human resource management procedures and programs that are developed by the Human Resource Specialist. The Assistant Family Court Manager has responsibility for selection of employees and assigning personnel—and assists the Human Resource Specialist in monitoring, mentoring, identifying training needs, discipline, and performance evaluation of personnel.
• Develops a positive work environment for staff.
• Maintains an awareness and knowledge of contemporary court management theory and practices
• Works with the Human Resources unit to ensure that subordinate supervisors have required management and supervisory skills.
• Interprets and ensures compliance with all relevant legislation policies, rules, regulations, and court procedures.
• Confers with judges, attorneys, public and private agencies and justice system participants to ensure adequate communication, and administrative services and to provide for changing or unusual demands.
• Monitors, measures and reports on operational issues, opportunities and development plans using agreed formats and timescales.
• On an ongoing basis, confers with other senior managers to ensure that they are fully informed of any challenges facing any units within the court and any opportunities for all groups to assist in addressing those challenges.
• Ensures the operational readiness of contingency plans to deal with catastrophes and ensure business continuity;

2. Planning and co-ordinating all activities of the Family Court

• Actively Participates in regular meetings and special projects of the core management group.
• Works directly with the Family Court Manager dealing with special issues
• Keeps the Family Court Manager—and other members of the core management group when appropriate—fully apprised of emerging challenges and issues that have arisen and of the solutions implemented to deal with them.
• Keeps the Family Court Manager—and other members of the core management group when appropriate—fully apprised of emerging challenges and issues that require their assistance to develop solutions.

3. Strategic Planning and Development

• Actively provides support to the Planning and Research Specialist in all tasks assigned to him or her, including:
• Identify performance standards, indicators and measures
• Ensure the court is aware of best practices in similar courts and other comparable organizations
• Identification of the types of data that must be collected to monitor: the levels and natures of caseloads, workloads, activities and decisions, resource requirements, and performance.
• Evaluate performance of the court and of different parts of the court
• Identify more efficient organizational structures, accountabilities and partnerships
• Identify the types of reports and information required by managers and staff to effectively perform their functions
• In consultation, develop more efficient strategies, tools and tasks to improve court operations.
• Documenting current procedures and processes.

4. Implementing new improvements

• Work with other groups within the court to implement improved procedures and strategies related to areas such as: performance and evaluation, organizational structure, strategies and tactics, personnel resources and other equipment, and manual and automated information and other types of support systems.

• Strong leadership and team development capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a challenging environment
• Experienced in managing and implementing change in a medium or large sized automated and networked work environment.
• Comfortable and effective working as part of a management team.
• Knowledge of modern Human resource management practices.

• Ability to deal effectively with all employees and external business contacts while conveying a positive, service oriented attitude.
• Ability to maintain complete confidentiality.
• Superior communications, creative problem solving and project management skills.
• Excellent problem solving skills.
• Exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Must have excellent analytical and reasoning skills.
• Must be self-starter, able to work independently, with attention to detail and the ability to meet strict deadlines.
• Strong proficiency in utilizing automated word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software for personal work. A particular familiarity with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint would be an asset.
• Strong proficiency in using the Internet for communications and working at a distance.

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Management Studies (with emphasis on Operations management).
• Post graduate diploma in any of the above mentioned or any closely related field would be an asset.
• At least 5 experience managing within a medium to large size organization. Specialist training or experience in an area such as: human resource management, financial management, operations management, and information systems technology, or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Added assets include: Completion of Specialized Courses in Court management and/or administration an asset, progressively responsible staff experience in a court Environment and work experience dealing with the types of issues that come before the Family court.