Title: Senior Program Manager - Probate & Family Court

Pay Grade: Senior Management 1

Starting Pay: $109,034.12

Departmental Mission Statement: The Probate and Family Court Department's mission is to deliver timely justice to the public by providing equal access to a fair, equitable and efficient forum to resolve family and probate legal matters and to assist and protect all individuals, families and children in an impartial and respectful manner.

Organizational Profile:

Notes: 

THIS POSTING IS FOR CURRENT EMPLOYEES OF THE PROBATE & FAMILY COURT DEPARTMENT ONLY

This position is designated as a management position and is covered by the Trial Court Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

Position Summary: Working within the Administrative Office of the Probate and Family Court and under the direction of the Chief Justice and Deputy Court Administrator, the Senior Program Manager is responsible for leading court programs, initiatives, and project teams in support of court operations. This position will monitor, support and report on the progress of existing programs and will particularly focus on identifying and implementing best practices in matters of customer service, court access, strategic plan implementation and case management.

Supervision Received: Receives direction from and works closely with the Chief Justice and Deputy Court Administrator. Performs duties requiring considerable judgment, analysis, initiative and professionalism in order to make decisions, obtain information and solve problems.

Duties: Independently manages and prioritizes multiple concurrent projects, completing work timely under pressure to meet established deadlines;

Assists in the implementation of new practices and procedures and provides support and training to court users throughout the state, which may include records management and analysis;

Maintains on-going communication on administrative matters with justices, registers, and other court personnel, along with managers of the Probation Department;

Identifies and Implements best practices in matters of customer service and case management in the Probate and Family Court between all court staff and the public;

Undertake efforts related to court staff training that foster communication, cooperation, and continuous improvement among Trial Court staff;

Effectively conducts small-to-medium cross-functional meetings;

Collaborates and builds consensus with others of different skill sets, backgrounds, and levels, including managers and staff;

Monitors, evaluates, and reports on the progress of projects and/or work product;

Prepares presentations for leadership meetings as needed;

Reviews project deliverables for completeness, quality, and compliance with established standards;

Identifies and coordinates with strategic planning contacts across the organization to develop and execute a holistic strategic planning process;

Establishes and maintains strong relationships with supported groups and project teams;

Directs the implementation of training programs to improve service to self-represented litigants and improve case management in courthouses throughout the Probate and Family Court;

Conducts surveys, focus groups and other forms of inquiry to assess the experience of court users and to identify areas for intervention and initiatives to improve the experience of using the Probate and Family Court;

Monitors and manages Probate and Family Court compliance with new statutory and administrative requirements;

Prepares performance measurement, metric, and statistical reports as required on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis or as requested by judges, registers, and other government or legislative entities;

Facilitates communications and information transmittal between the Probate and Family Court, the Office of Court Management, and Register’s offices; and

Performs other related duties as required including projects and tasks as directed by the Deputy Court Administrator and/or the Chief Justice, or their designee in collaboration with other trial court staff.

Job Competencies: 

Ethics and Values Communicates and demonstrates the ethics and values of the Massachusetts Trial Court.  

Mission Understands, upholds, and communicates the Trial Court and Probate and Family Court missions.

Applied Knowledge Ability to assist in the creation of management reporting tools for purpose of evaluating case management activities and initiatives utilizing an electronic database.

Problem Solving Accurately can assess operational and administrative problems in the Probate and Family Court and recommend feasible solutions.    

Customer Service Conducts oneself in a courteous and professional manner towards both Trial Court employees and the public. Responsive to court operational needs.

Collaboration Works with others cooperatively, accepts feedback, demonstrates a willingness to be a team player, and contributes to a work environment that focuses on shared departmental goals. 

Communications Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to use software to enhance presentations. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with court officials, judges, employees and other government officials.

Commitment to Diversity Promotes an environment of diversity through understanding, respect, and positive communication with persons of varied racial, ethnic, economic, and cultural backgrounds.

Continuous Learning Demonstrates a commitment to continuously improving himself or herself through professional development.

Minimum Requirements: These are the minimum requirements necessary to apply for the position of Senior Program Manager in the Probate and Family Court:

Minimum requirement of a B.A. or B.S. from a college or university (a graduate degree in law, administration, or public policy is preferred) and (6) Six years of Trial Court or related work experience advancing some combination of operations, strategic plans, customer service, workplace engagement, and process improvement for a large organization; or an equivalent combination of education and experience;

Demonstrated project management and organizational skills with the demonstrated ability to drive multiple concurrent projects to completion in a deadline-driven environment;

Superior communication and customer-service skills, able to work effectively with all levels of the organization;

Demonstrated proficiency with MassCourts and/or similar case management systems;

Experience using Zoom and/or comparable video-conferencing platforms in a business environment;

Strong analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills to evaluate all aspects of a situation and make appropriate recommendations to the Deputy Court Administrator and Chief Justice;

Experience in program evaluation and development of performance measures;
Familiarity with the functions of the Probate and Family Court and court staff is preferred;

Proven ability to build consensus and work effectively with cross-divisional teams;

Proven ability to prioritize multiple tasks and manage changing priorities;

Ability to gather information by examining electronic and paper records and documents, interviewing individuals, and conducting Internet research;

Ability to draft reports and correspondence concisely, clearly, and logically;

Knowledge of business systems analysis and the application of modern business techniques in the Court;

Knowledge of the Massachusetts Judicial System and applicable laws, rules and procedures relating to the Probate and Family Court is preferred;

Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, and Access;

Ability to communicate effectively and be confident speaking or presenting to an audience;

Exercises good judgement in decision-making and completing job responsibilities;

Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to work professionally with justices, Trial Court officials, and other individuals at all levels of the court system and the ability to maintain effective working relationships;

Ability to analyze problems and develop practical solutions; to work independently, establish reasonable and practical parameters to the scope of assignments and take appropriate initiatives in order to produce complete work; and

Ability and willingness to travel to Probate and Family Court courthouses throughout the Commonwealth.