Court Operations Manager

Deadline to apply for this recruitment is Friday, January 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST.

This recruitment is open to external candidates, internal OCSC employees, and internal OCSC promotions. The eligible list established from this recruitment will be used to fill current and future vacancies.

Court Operations Manager Annual Range: $148,262.40 - $174,283.20

Anticipated Starting Rate: $148,262.40

Choice of five medical plans

Defined Benefit Retirement Plan (2.50% at 67 formula)

$3500 Optional Benefit Plan (OBP) annually

Optional deferred compensation program (457 plan)

Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)

Dental and Vision Plans

Vacation and sick leave packages

14 paid holidays per year

Tuition reimbursement

The job classification of Court Operations Manager is eligible for a limited combination of telework and on-site work assignments after 6 months of employment for employees who are in good standing. Telework must be completed from a pre-designated home-based location within the State of California, and employees may be required to report on-site to address business needs.

Telework is at the sole discretion of the Court and may be rescinded with 48 hours' notice, based on the needs of the Orange County Superior Court.

The Orange County Superior Court was established in 1893 and maintains jurisdiction over a wide range of matters, with our flagship location being the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana, with additional courthouses located in Orange (Lamoreaux), Newport Beach (Harbor), Fullerton (North), and Westminster (West), as the fifth-largest trial court in the United States and the third-largest court of general jurisdiction in California. We have more than 140 judicial officers and over 1,500 staff with an operating budget of nearly $280 million.

Our court is recognized for innovation, resource advancements, and community focus while managing over half a million case filings annually and serving a population exceeding three million. The Court's Judges, Commissioners, and employees are recognized for their high standards of achievement, integrity, modernization, and diversity. The Court is committed to ensuring equal access to court services and enhancing public confidence in the court system.

To learn more about the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, visit our homepage at www.occourts.org.

The Court Operations Manager has direct oversight over a major diversified division that may include ancillary units and/or the daily oversight of an outlying branch court. Incumbents work closely with the Court’s judicial and executive leadership, as well as with State and local justice partners. Management at this level is accomplished through the Deputy Court Operations Manager(s) and/or supervisory staff. Work requires advanced operations analysis capabilities, project management, negotiation skills, critical thinking, communication skills, as well as the ability to integrate ideas and efforts to achieve expected results.

The Court Operations Manager reports to a Deputy Chief Operations Officer. Incumbents are expected to exercise good judgment and influence positive change. The Court Operations Manager exhibits professional maturity and expertise to formulate and administer plans, policies, and programs in support of organizational goals and objectives. Incumbents implement, direct, and evaluate department needs to assure essential services are provided effectively and efficiently. Incumbents develop, recommend, and implement program policy as well as perform other related duties as necessary. The Court Operations Manager is expected to demonstrate strong leadership skills in leading their unit and demonstrate strong collaboration with other managers in operations, as well as other units of the Court.

High school diploma or GED equivalent.

Three (3) years of full-time (or equivalent) court management experience -OR-

Four (4) years of full-time (or equivalent) court senior operations analyst experience while supervising staff, -OR-

Five (5) years of full-time (or equivalent) non-court management experience in a closely related legal environment, such as City Attorney, County Counsel, District Attorney, Public Defender, Probation Department, or large law firm with 20 or more attorneys.

Experience working for a California Court.

One (1) year of budget management experience with direct oversight of a specific cost center budget (e.g., served in a Cost Center Manager capacity) is highly desirable.

Master’s or bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the fields of business, public administration, criminal justice, finance, economics, organizational leadership, or a closely related field; certification from the Institute for Court Management's Court Management Program (CMP), Judicial Administration Program, or completion of the Court Executive Development Program (CEDP).

APPLICATION PROCESS
All applicants are required to submit an online application and a supplemental questionnaire. .

Human Resources will review applications to identify candidates who meet the minimum qualifications; therefore, it is to your benefit to include all current and previous related work experience. When listing experience, please include dates and classification of each position held, if more than one.

SELECTION PROCESS

Step 1: Applications will be reviewed to identify candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and/or desirables; those candidates will be referred to step 2 in the selection process.

Step 2: Candidates' supplemental question responses may be evaluated and ranked. Depending on the number of applications, additional assessments and/or screening interviews may be conducted.

Step 3: Those candidates who are successful in the assessment/review may be placed on the eligible list. Placement on the eligible list is not a guarantee of interview or employment.

All candidates will be notified via email of their status at each step of the process. Additional steps for the selection process will include a local background and reference check to evaluate compatibility with court employment.

Superior Court of Orange County provides reasonable accommodations upon request for applicants with disabilities. Please contact the Human Resources Department at HRStaffing@occourts.org if you feel you will need an accommodation for any aspect of the selection process.

A thorough background check will be conducted, including but not limited to work experience, education, certifications, driving record, criminal record, litigation judgment or verdict, and financial/credit information. Fingerprints of candidates are also taken as part of our background check process.

Orange County Superior Court provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, upon request. Please contact the Human Resources Department at HRStaffing@occourts.org if you feel that you will need a reasonable accommodation for any aspect of the selection process.

ELIGIBLE LIST
This recruitment may be used to establish an eligible list for current and future needs. If an eligible list is established, it will remain active until the list is exhausted or a new recruitment opens.

STATUS NOTIFICATIONS
You will be notified by email during the process of this recruitment through governmentjobs.com. Please check your email spam/junk folders and accept emails ending with governmentjobs.com and occourts.org. If your contact information changes, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com.

E-VERIFY
Superior Court of California, County of Orange, participates in the e-Verify program.

QUESTIONS?
For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Ernest Montoya at emontoya@occourts.org. .

TRAVEL ASSISTANCE AND IDENTITY THEFT SERVICES: Employees covered under group life insurance policies from The Hartford are also eligible for a range of additional benefits at no cost. These include travel assistance services, such as emergency medical transport (including medical evacuation and repatriation, with coverage of up to $1 million per person), medical and dental referrals, and replacement of medical devices and corrective lenses in the event of loss, theft, or breakage. Additionally, employees and their families can benefit from identity theft support services, which offer assistance with credit bureau notifications, card replacement, and guidance on completing identity theft affidavits.

ONLINE PRIVACY BENEFIT: Employees may elect to enroll in a voluntary online privacy protection plan provided by IronWall360. This benefit helps protect employee’s online privacy by searching the Internet and locating any personal information and making sure it is removed.