District Court Manager of Operations

Salary: $112,291.78 - $151,658.73 Annually
Location : Tacoma, WA
Job Type: Regular - Other
Job Number: 26-01080
Department: District Court
Division: District Court
Opening Date: 10/16/2026
Closing Date: 11/1/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description
Summary

The Manager of Operations is a key member of the Court's Administrative Management Team and works directly with the Court Administrator and judicial leadership to shape how court services are delivered. This position combines executive leadership, court operations, strategic planning, program development, and people leadership.
The Manager leads a large and talented team responsible for essential court operations and helps guide programs and services that directly affect thousands of people each year. The position also provides leadership and oversight for the Court's therapeutic court work and other programs designed to improve outcomes for court-involved individuals.
This is an ideal opportunity for a collaborative and forward-thinking leader who enjoys solving complex problems, developing people, improving systems, and helping an organization prepare for the future.

How to be Successful in the Role:

The successful Manager of Operations will be an experienced leader who can move comfortably between strategy and day-to-day operations.
You will need to build strong relationships with judges, managers, supervisors, employees, justice partners, county departments, state agencies, attorneys, and community organizations. You will be expected to understand complex court operations, identify opportunities for improvement, and translate strategic priorities into practical and sustainable systems.
Success in this role requires sound judgment, adaptability, strong communication, and the ability to lead through change. The Manager must be comfortable making decisions in a complex environment where legal requirements, court rules, operational needs, technology, staffing, public access, and partner relationships frequently intersect.
Equally important is the ability to develop people. The Manager sets expectations, supports supervisors and employees, creates opportunities for professional growth, and helps build a workplace culture centered on service, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Your Future in this Role:

The Manager of Operations has significant responsibility and latitude to shape the work of the Operations Division.

Working directly with the Court Administrator, the Manager helps establish priorities, develop operational strategies, implement organizational change, and ensure Court programs and services remain effective, efficient, and responsive to community needs.
The Manager represents the Court with county and state partners and may participate in committees, workgroups, and initiatives that influence court operations beyond Pierce County.
This position also serves as a key organizational leader during major initiatives involving technology, caseflow, program development, policy implementation, and modernization of court services.
The Manager reports directly to the Court Administrator and assumes responsibilities of the Court Administrator when the Administrator is absent.
Core Daily Responsibilities:

• Lead, plan, and manage the daily operations of the Operations Division, including caseflow, calendaring, court procedures, records, exhibits, staffing, and service delivery.
• Provide leadership and oversight for supervisors, employees, therapeutic court operations, and other assigned Court programs and services.
• Partner with the Court Administrator and judicial leadership to establish strategic priorities and improve criminal, civil, and therapeutic court operations.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, customer service, access to justice, and organizational effectiveness.
• Lead implementation of new programs, policies, technology, and organizational change.
• Evaluate legislation, court rules, and policy changes and determine their operational impact on the Court.
• Develop operational goals, performance measures, reports, and data-informed strategies.
• Supervise, coach, and evaluate managers and supervisors and support employee development throughout the division.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with justice partners, county departments, state agencies, community organizations, and other courts.
• Represent the Court Administrator and District Court on county, regional, and statewide committees and workgroups.
• Support the development of Court policies, procedures, budgets, staffing strategies, and long-range operational planning.
• Foster a workplace culture focused on professionalism, collaboration, innovation, accountability, and public service.

This announcement is not intended to reflect all duties to be performed by our next team member, but shall present a descriptive list of the range of duties that may be performed. To view the complete classification, click

Minimum Qualifications

• Additional education or experience may substitute for the recruiting requirements.
• A cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references are required for this position. Applications without a cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references will not be considered.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration or a closely related field WITH
• Four or more years of demonstrated experience as a criminal justice manager or administrator.
• Work experience in Washington courts preferred

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Supplemental Information

• Complete and submit a detailed online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting "APPLY" above or visiting www.piercecountywa.gov/jobs.
• If you have questions about this opportunity, email the Recruitment Team at PCHRRecruit@piercecountywa.gov and include the job number and title.
• Individuals who need accommodation in the application or interview process may contact Human Resources at (253) 798-7480 at least two days prior to the need.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship.

Upon offer, compensation is based on a range of job-related factors, including the requirements of the role, your skills and experience, and internal pay equity.
Our Welcoming Workplace Commitment:

Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Pierce County offers a competitive benefits package that offers flexibility and peace of mind. We are proud to offer Employee Resource Groups, a focus on professional development in our , and a County Book Club.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career and that your priority is making sure that you and your family maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of and , , staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Our benefits:

Vacation (Annual Leave)
After approximately six months, employees receive six days of vacation leave.
Since we value your experience, the amount of vacation you can accrue increases the longer you work with us. Vacation accrues on a bi-weekly basis for full-time employees as follows:

Vacation Accruals:
During years 1-3, 12 Days
During years 4-7, 16 Days
During years 8-13, 20 Days
During years 14-18, 23 Days
During years 19, 24 Days
During years 20, 25 Days
During years 21, 26 Days
During years 22, 27 Days
During years 23, 28 Days
During years 24, 29 Days
During years 25 & thereafter, 30 Days

A maximum of 45 days may be carried from one year into the next.
Pro-Rated for Part-Time based on % of 1.0 FTE.

Military Leave:
Pierce County has a proud history of supporting the armed forces and provides members of the armed forces with up to 21 days paid military leave per state fiscal year.

Holidays:
Some full-time employees are entitled to eleven paid holidays as follows:
New Year's Day - January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday - Third Monday in January
President's Day - Third Monday in February
Memorial Day - Last Monday in May
Juneteenth - June 19
Independence Day - July 4
Labor Day - First Monday in September
Veteran's Day - November 11
Thanksgiving Day - Fourth Thursday in November & Friday after
Christmas Day - December 25

Personal Holidays:
Regular full-time and regular part-time employees, and employees occupying limited duration positions, shall also receive two additional paid personal holidays. Paid personal holidays shall only accrue for those employees on County payroll as of January 1 of each year or the first work day following January 1 and must be taken during the calendar year in which it was accrued.

Furlough:
Some Pierce County employees may be designated to receive 10 "furlough" days per year in lieu of holidays. Furlough days are available for use on January 1 and must be scheduled and taken within the calendar year. Employees who leave employment with Pierce County must reimburse the employer for used furlough days based upon the number of remaining holidays.

Sick Leave:
Sick leave accrues on a bi-weekly basis, at the rate of one day per month.

Insurance Benefits:
Employees and families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with very affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout Pierce County. Employees are eligible to enroll each year in a flexible spending plan, which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care and dependent care expenses. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in supplemental life and long term disability insurance plans. To view premium rates, summary of benefit coverage, and other information, please visit the website.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation:
Pierce County employees are members of the State of Washington's Department of Retirement System (DRS) and depending on the position or previous DRS enrollment will be able to en