Specific Instructions on How to Apply : The complete vacancy announcement and information on how to apply for this position is available at www.tneb.uscourts.gov/employment.
To apply for this position, submit the following items in a single pdf document to [email protected]:
(1) cover letter which addresses the applicant’s qualifications, skills, and experience;
(2) resume, including a list of professional references; and
(3) Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment (AO78) which can be found on the court’s website (https://www.tneb.uscourts.gov/employment) or the U.S. Court’s website (https://www.uscourts.gov/careers).
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Clerk of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee is accepting applications for the position of Director of Technology & Telecommunications. There are three staffed offices within the Eastern District of Tennessee: Greeneville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. The Clerk’s office has approximately 30 employees and supports three (soon to be four) bankruptcy judges and their staff. The Director of Technology & Telecommunications is responsible for all IT-related functions of the bankruptcy court. The Director serves under the direction of the Clerk of Court and reports directly to the Chief Deputy Clerk. This role involves supervisory oversight of the bankruptcy court’s IT department, which includes managing four other staff members. The incumbent will provide both managerial and technical oversight of local hardware and software, case management applications, IT security, courtroom automation, video conferencing, telecommunications, local networks, and IT procurement. Strong leadership, planning, documentation, communication, and managerial skills are essential for success in this position.
MAJOR DUTIES
The representative duties are intended to provide generalized examples of major duties and responsibilities that are performed by this position and do not reflect all duties assigned.
Leadership & Team Management
- Manage and mentor IT staff and technical specialists: setting performance standards, establishing timelines, assigning workloads, and overseeing professional development and personnel actions.
- Oversee day-to-day operations of court technology systems—including networks, cybersecurity, help desk support, telecommunications, courtroom technology, and remote infrastructure—delegating operational execution to technical staff.
Strategic Planning, Architecture & Budget
- Develop and execute long-term technology strategy and improvement plans to align court capabilities with organizational needs, including maintaining the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP).
- Plan and manage the IT budget, expenditures, property, and equipment procurements in consultation with senior court executives.
- Analyze, acquire, and adapt technology solutions to meet court unit requirements, conducting cost-benefit analyses for major IT projects and adapting national court software systems where applicable. Research, evaluate, and implement emerging technologies, specifically focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation.
Cybersecurity, Compliance & Operations
- Establish and enforce IT security policies and procedures to safeguard court networks, data, and hardware in compliance with federal court standards.
- Oversee endpoint security, patch management, and threat protection systems, ensuring staff properly monitor, test, and maintain network perimeter defenses and infrastructure integrity.
- Coordinate annual IT security awareness training and technical briefings for court staff and leadership.
Executive Stakeholder Relations & Technical Support
- Serve as primary IT liaison to judges, court unit executives, outside court units, and vendors to assess technology needs and recommend viable, modern solutions.
- Provide high-level escalations, oversight, and architecture planning for complex systems, virtualization, server infrastructure, and courtroom automation.
Work Conditions & Other Responsibilities
- Work Availability: Occasional evening and weekend work may be required to support scheduled maintenance windows, emergency outages, or courtroom trial needs (eligible for flex-time/comp-time according to court policy).
- Perform special projects and additional leadership duties as assigned by court management.
Travel within the district is required. Additionally, some travel throughout the United States to attend training sessions and conferences may be required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college in information technology, computer science, management, or a related field;
- At least six years of progressively responsible IT experience, including two years of specialized experience that included progressively responsible administrative, technical, professional, supervisory, or managerial experience that provided an opportunity to gain skill in developing interpersonal work relationships needed to lead a team of employees; the ability to exercise mature judgment; and knowledge of the basic concepts, principles, and theories of management; and the ability to understand the managerial policies applicable to the court;
- Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple deadlines;
- Excellent customer service orientation; and
- A strong commitment to public service.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Three years of experience in a supervisory or management role;
- Operational experience in a federal court, including working knowledge of or experience with the Bankruptcy CM/ECF case management system and courtroom technology;
- Knowledge of budgeting principles and internal controls, particularly for procurement, inventory, and property management; and
- Strong technical expertise in most of the following: Microsoft Office, Windows, Patch management and inventory tools (e.g., Qualys, Quest KACE) and Adobe Acrobat preferred.
STARTING SALARY
This is a full-time Court Personnel System position with salary commensurate with experience and qualifications within the range of CL 30 (Step 1 $100,604 to Step 61 $163,535). First-time hires to the federal government typically start at the Step 1 beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level. The Court Personnel System is divided into a developmental range (Steps 1-24) and a full performance range (Steps 25-61). Salary and promotion eligibility guidelines established by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts govern progression and accompanying salary increases within each range for the duration of one’s judiciary employment. This position has promotion potential to a CL 31, without further competition, at the discretion of the Clerk of Court, based on performance and subject to budgetary considerations.
BENEFITS
- Eleven paid holidays a year;
- Paid annual leave in the amount of 13 days annually (increases after 3 years of federal service);
- Paid sick leave in the amount of 13 days annually;
- Retirement benefits (employee contributes 4.4%; government contributes 11.9%);
- Thrift Savings Plan including investment options and matching benefits;
- Optional participation in a choice of subsidized Federal Employee Health Benefit Plans (including additional vision and dental coverage plans) with pretax deductions;
- Optional participation in Federal Employees Group Life Insurance; and
- Optional participation in a flexible spending pretax program for dependent care and medical care.
- See https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits for details.
INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
This position is full-time, permanent appointment. Employees of the United States Bankruptcy Court are excepted appointments and serve at the pleasure of the Court; they are not included in the government competitive service classification system. The United States Bankruptcy Court is part of the Judicial Branch of the United States Government. Court employees are considered at-will and can be terminated with or without cause by the court. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Direct deposit of pay is mandatory as well as participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. As a condition of employment, a full background investigation consisting of fingerprint check and FBI background investigation is required. The Judiciary requires employees to adhere to a Code of Ethics and Conduct which is available to applicants for review upon request.
To apply for this position, submit the following items in a single pdf document to [email protected]:
(1) cover letter which addresses the applicant’s qualifications, skills, and experience;
(2) resume, including a list of professional references; and
(3) Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment (AO78) which can be found on the court’s website (https://www.tneb.uscourts.gov/employment) or the U.S. Court’s website (https://www.uscourts.gov/careers).
Applicants selected for interviews must travel at their own expense or be interviewed via telephone and/or Microsoft Teams. Relocation expenses are not available. The United States Bankruptcy Court reserves the right to amend the conditions of this vacancy announcement or to withdraw the announcement at any time without prior written or other notice. The Court will only communicate with those qualified applicants selected for an interview.
Pay: $100,604.00 - $163,535.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
