Administrative Specialist

POSITION: Administrative Specialist

VACANCY NUMBER: 2024-03 

LOCATION: East St. Louis, Illinois 

STARTING SALARY: CL 26 to CL 27 ($54,101 to $96,607), depending on qualifications* 

DATE POSTED: May 7, 2024 

CLOSING DATE: June 11, 2024, at 4:00 PM CT ** 

* Salary set based on qualifications, experience, and pay setting rules per The Guide to Judiciary Policy. 

* Position is promotion eligible up to CL 28 without further advertisement or competition. 

** Application packets will be reviewed upon receipt, and interviews may be held prior to the closing date of this announcement.

POSITION SUMMARY The United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois is seeking a full-time permanent Administrative Specialist for the Clerk’s Office in East St. Louis. The Administrative Specialist performs, analyzes, and coordinates administrative, technical, and professional work related to multiple administrative functions (such as human resources and court operations), ensuring compliance with the appropriate guidelines, policies, and approved internal controls. Incumbent provides quality control and operational guidance and analysis to the pro se law clerk team.

SUMMARY OF REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Duties may include, but are not limited to: 

• Administer human resources programs to include payroll and benefits administration, classification and compensation, performance management, and recruitment and selection. 
• Develop and update position descriptions. Assist with grievance and adverse action procedures.
• Create and maintain fair employment policies and practices; may serve as an employment dispute resolution coordinator. 
• Work closely with the pro se law clerk team, case management supervisors, the prisoner work group of case administrators, chambers, and others to identify and solve procedural problems and impediments to the processing of pro se prisoner cases. 
• Maintain data integrity by running and analyzing reports to track case flow and identify specific types and categories of errors. 
• Develop training for clerk’s office, chambers staff, and the pro bono panel regarding pro se/prisoner cases. Develop procedural manuals for pro se/prisoner case administrators. 
• Create and maintain spreadsheets and other data compilations regarding prisoner cases.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Applicant must have two years of specialized experience or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with superior academic achievement. Specialized experience is progressively responsible experience in or closely related to the position’s work that has provided the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the position’s duties successfully, e.g., progressively responsible experience in at least one but preferably two or more functional areas of human resources management and administration that provided knowledge of the rules, regulations, terminology, etc., of the area of human resources administration.

COURT PREFERRED SKILLS Juris Doctorate degree, bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies and/or paralegal certificate. Experience in the federal judicial system and/or with electronic case filing systems. Knowledge of legal terminology, research, and processes. Effective verbal and written communication and clerical skills. Attention to detail; excellent interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills; strong and service-oriented customer service skills; and discretion and diplomacy skills. Ability to work as part of a team.

BENEFITS Judiciary employees serve under excepted appointments (not civil service). Excepted appointments are “at will” and can be terminated with or without notice, and with or without cause (i.e., without providing a reason). Federal benefits include paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, and retirement benefits. Optional benefits include health, life, and long-term care insurance, flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care, dental and vision insurance, and a tax-deferred savings plan. For more detailed information about Federal Judiciary benefits, please visit the United States Courts website at https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits. This position is subject to mandatory electronic fund transfer (direct deposit) participation for payment of net pay. 

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION REQUIREMENTS This position is considered high-sensitive and, as such, the selected candidate will be required to undergo a full background investigation. Retention will depend upon a favorable suitability determination. An updated background investigation is required every five years after an initial background investigation for high-sensitive positions.

PROCEDURES FOR APPLYING Application packets should include the following:

• A letter of interest describing your knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to the duties of this position; • Résumé; 
• AO78 (revised 3/24) Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment (located on the court’s website at www.ilsd.uscourts.gov); and 
• Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three professional references. 

Application packets should be sent via email as one PDF or one Word document to Recruitment3@ilsd.uscourts.gov. The subject line should state “Administrative Specialist Application 2024-03.” Receipt will be acknowledged by the Human Resources Department by return email. If you do not receive email confirmation within three business days, please contact the Human Resources Administrator at (618) 482-9425. Application packets must be received by 4:00 PM CT on the closing date. Incomplete and late application materials will not be considered. Application packets will be reviewed upon receipt, and interviews may be held prior to the closing date of this announcement.

Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Selection will be consistent with the Federal Judiciary’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity and to promote and facilitate diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workforce. Applicants selected for interviews must travel at their own expense, and relocation expenses will not be reimbursed. Applicants may be asked to participate in proficiency tests. 

The court provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis for any part of the application or hiring process. Please contact the Human Resources Administrator at (618) 482-9425 with any reasonable accommodation requests. 

The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement or to withdraw the announcement, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. If a similar position opens within 60 days of the closing date of this announcement, applicants under this announcement will be considered without further advertisement and competition. Employees are required to adhere to a Code of Ethics and Conduct, which is available to applicants for review upon request.