VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
Southern District of Iowa
www.iasd.uscourts.gov
Position: Courtroom Deputy
Opening Date: July 23, 2026
Closing Date: August 6, 2026
Location: Des Moines, IA
Classification Level/Salary Range: CPS CL 26/27 ($54,813-$97,886); salary is based on experience and qualifications in accordance with the Court Personnel System. (If hired at a CL 26, promotion potential to a CL 27 exists without further competition, based on performance, and at the discretion of the court unit executive)
Position Overview
The successful candidate will be part of the Clerk’s Office team supporting United States Magistrate Judges. The Courtroom Deputy is responsible for courtroom functions such as managing caseloads, attending court proceedings, preparing and filing a variety of documents and orders, and maintaining the court calendar. The Courtroom Deputy performs docketing and quality assurance work from case opening to final disposition. The Courtroom Deputy may occasionally travel to divisional offices.
Duties and Responsibilities
Attend daily court sessions in all criminal duty matters. Record proceedings utilizing electronic court recording equipment. Take notes of proceedings, rulings and notices and prepare minutes of court proceedings and required documents such as bond and detention papers, appointment of counsel, criminal judgments, etc., as applicable. On occasion, staff court proceedings extending past assigned daily working hours and work to finalize related work.
Manage all criminal duty matters assigned to the magistrate judges.
Prepare daily calendar: Organize, confirm necessity of each hearing, research history of each case, and generate calendar. Issue notices of hearing to counsel and all parties involved of date, location and requirements of the hearing.
Assist the Court and parties in jury trials by preparing materials for the Court, communicate with the parties and other Court staff, maintain records of all trial proceedings, and attend the entirety of the trial.
Assist in the accurate statistical reporting requirements of the Administrative Office. Review the quality of electronically filed documents, ensuring that all orders and automated entries are appropriately and accurately docketed, and make summary entries on the docket of all documents and proceedings.
Answer inquiries on case status and court procedures.
Issue search warrant numbers through the data management system. Docket all search warrants and search warrant related documents.
Prepare initial Central Violations Bureau (CVB) docket, attend court proceedings, prepare notices, warrants, judgments, orders and all other necessary documents. Handle all correspondence, telephone calls and email inquiries related to CVB violations.
Act as a liaison between the Court, Clerk’s office, the Bar, and the United States Marshals Service to ensure that cases proceed smoothly and efficiently.
Perform other case administration duties or Clerk’s Office tasks or projects as required. Provide training and/or assistance to other employees as required.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, the applicant must have:
· An associate’s degree and two years of specialized experience. In lieu of an associate’s degree, applicants may qualify with five years of specialized experience.
· Excellent computer and problem-solving skills.
· Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
· Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and work under deadlines.
· Positive attitude, good communication skills, and service-oriented personality.
· Demonstrated experience providing strong customer service.
· Excellent prioritization skills, an ability to work independently but as part of a larger team, and ability to handle multiple projects and tasks at one time.
Benefits
· 11 Paid Holidays
· 13 days of Annual Leave (4.0 hours accrued every pay period, with increased accrual after three years of federal service)
· 13 days of Sick Leave (4.0 hours accrued every pay period)
· A variety of employer-subsidized health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans
· Required participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) pension plan
· Optional participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (Traditional and Roth) with employer matching
· Participation in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
· Opportunities for local and national training courses for personal and professional growth
· Participation in wellness programs
· Paid parking
Conditions of Employment
Employees must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States.
Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees which is available for review upon request. A background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminal record checks, will be conducted as a condition of employment. Any applicant selected for a position will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of the investigation. Unsatisfactory results may result in termination of employment. Employees of the United States District Court are at will and can be terminated with or without cause at any time.
Miscellaneous
The Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify human resources. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date, any of which may occur without prior notice.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa does not reimburse for expenses associated with interviews or relocation.
For Consideration
Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter and resume.
Email all documents as a single pdf to: [email protected]. Any inquiries regarding the posting, the application process, or follow up calls should be directed to Mindi Shepherd, HR/Training Manager via e-mail or phone (515-284-6392).
The Southern District of Iowa is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
Pay: $54,813.00 - $97,886.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Loan forgiveness
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
