Summary
Description
The Colorado Judicial Department seeks an accomplished, strategic, and forward-thinking Staff Development Administrator to advance its judicial education program toward national leadership and excellence. This high-impact leadership opportunity is ideal for an experienced professional with the vision, judgment, and organizational leadership skills to shape innovative, high-quality educational experiences for more than 400 judicial officers across Colorado.
The successful candidate will translate organizational priorities into strategic initiatives, build strong partnerships with senior leadership, and navigate competing demands in a complex, high-stakes environment. This role requires a leader who can operate effectively at both strategic and operational levels, advise and collaborate with senior leaders, navigate differing perspectives and institutional priorities, and guide a high-performing team through complex initiatives. Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and organizational skills are essential, along with the ability to anticipate emerging needs, foster collaboration, and turn shared vision into measurable results.
The Staff Development Administrator directly supervises four judicial education specialists and one grant-funded position. The Judicial Education team coordinates a broad portfolio of learning and development initiatives, including the annual Judicial Conference, new judge orientation, ongoing professional education, and coaching and mentoring programs for judicial officers. The Administrator provides strategic direction and operational leadership for these efforts, ensuring effective resource allocation, clear priorities, and educational offerings that reflect the highest standards of quality and relevance.
Key qualifications and leadership capabilities include:
- Strategic leadership and vision: Ability to identify opportunities for growth and innovation, establish priorities, and advance a program toward national recognition for excellence in judicial education.
- Executive-level communication and collaboration: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information, present clear recommendations, and build credibility with judicial officers, senior leaders, and diverse stakeholders.
- Managing competing priorities: Demonstrated success leading multiple complex initiatives, balancing urgent operational needs with long-term strategic goals, and making sound decisions in a dynamic environment.
- Adult learning and professional development: Strong understanding of adult learning principles and experience designing, implementing, and evaluating high-quality educational programs for experienced professionals.
- Team leadership and development: Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams while fostering accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Highly desirable additional qualifications include experience working with judicial officers, legal professionals, or other senior-level professionals; knowledge of evidence-informed adult learning practices and contemporary professional education; experience leading or supporting statewide or system-wide initiatives; and success working in complex, highly visible organizations that require coordination across multiple stakeholders and levels of leadership.
This is an opportunity for an experienced leader to make a lasting impact on the development of Colorado’s judiciary. The Staff Development Administrator will help shape a forward-looking judicial education program that supports judicial excellence, strengthens the administration of justice, and positions the Colorado Judicial Department as a national leader in judicial education.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Serves as consultant to court and probation management concerning strategies for coordinating and presenting various programs and effective public information efforts.
Consults and offers recommendations to committees on educational development; evaluates communications program activities; modifies program goals and activities based on successes, failures and available resources.
Provides action oriented coaching to managers and staff that is developmental, offers growth and enhances their skills to create a positive impact on the organization.
Devises efficient and effective procedures for coordinating continuing education for court and probation staff.
Supervises the design and development of training curriculum and course material by subordinates.
May chair committees in charge of educational development.
Remains current with training concepts, trends, and technology.
Communicates effectively with probation and education staff, other governmental agencies, private contractors, and the public.
Supervises and delegates work regarding day-to-day operations to staff members; provide oral and written information to the Division Director, District Administrator’s, CPO’s, and other court and probation staff.
Creates reports, presentations, spreadsheets, and other materials in a timely manner.
Responsible for recruitment and selection of unit employees.
Establishes expectations and provides employee performance feedback on an on-going and annual basis.
Assists subordinates in establishing goals.
Evaluates subordinates' goal achievement through conferences or informal meetings.
Provides recommendations regarding subordinate's employment probationary/trial period.
Provides orientation and on-going training, mentoring and coaching to existing subordinates.
Makes provisions for subordinates to attend outside training.
May provide cross-training and interdepartmental training.
Assigns duties and responsibilities to staff; develops and establishes procedures for operating and maintaining required administrative systems.
Attends meetings and training as required.
Performs other duties as assigned.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS CONT.
Supervisor Responsibilities:
Has supervisory accountability for other employees, volunteers, or interns. Plans, directs and coordinates activities for a unit. Duties may include scheduling and assigning of work, training in all facets of work, quality control, and decisions impacting the pay, status and tenure of others. Conducts performance appraisals, and provides input into and participates in discipline, dismissal, and hiring processes.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Education:
Bachelor's degree (B. A.) in business, public, or court administration; journalism; mass communications; or similar field from a four year college or university and four years of experience in mass communications, public relations, or training, which must have included at least one year of administrative experience. Additional related work experience may be substituted on a year for year basis for the required formal education.
Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit and reach with hands and arms and perform repetitive motions with wrists, hands, and fingers. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment:
This position is subject to many interruptions and may be required to handle multiple calls and inquiries at once. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
