Trial Services Deputy Director - Trial Office Management and Support

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

• Our Mission: Advocating. Fighting. Helping.
• Our Vision:    A Fair Justice System.
• Our Values:   Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community.

We are committed to building a work environment where all team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public in our pursuit of fairness and justice for all people.

Follow OPD on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads  | Visit our Website

The OPD is seeking a passionate, organized, and strategic indigent defense leader to join its executive leadership team as a Trial Services Deputy Director 4 responsible for effective office and personnel operations.  You will lead the directors of four county offices across Ohio (Ross, Trumbull, Athens and Washington counties) to ensure the sustainability and quality of work environments, employee experience, and client service provision.  You will set a clear and strategic vision for the county office teams, ensuring everyone understands the goals and their role in achieving them.  You will implement retention and professional development programs; coordinate strategic trial litigation; advise the director and assistant directors in legal, operational, and administrative matters; and build a culture of client-centered collaboration and communication.    You will also serve in an advisory capacity to the Assistant Director of Trial Services, Assistant Director of Columbus Office, and the State Public Defender, and may carry a small caseload.

This position entails active, independent responsibility for performance development and personnel management. To be successful, you must have prior leadership experience in public defense, and demonstrate the abilities to coach people, to proactively build and reinforce trust among staff, even during times of conflict, to innovatively use resources, and to collaborate with others to identify and implement solutions.

Essential functions of the position include but aren’t limited to:

• Manage Operations:

• Conduct regular one-on-one and team meetings to provide support, discuss challenges, and monitor the performance and development of managers. Provide feedback, recognition, and support. Identify areas for improvement and provide and help develop training opportunities.
• Cultivate a positive and collaborative work environment where open communication is encouraged. Identify tools and information the staff need to meet goals and ensure those are available to and understood by staff. Travel regularly to county offices to provide in-person support and training. 
• Allocate resources based on project requirements, client needs, and external demands. Develop original and innovative solutions for current service delivery and staffing issues.
• Work closely with Human Resources Department to ensure teams stay current with best practices and various responsibilities under rules and policies.
• Work with Office Directors, Social Work Supervisor, and Assistant Director to develop and implement collaborative defense models in offices.

• Recruitment, Retention, And Development:

• Lead pipeline initiatives to connect with candidates (for example: pursue opportunities to host externs and interns; organize outreach and presence at Law School campuses and classrooms).
• Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive onboarding for new staff. Work with directors, supervisors, and training staff to implement new programming and create procedures and policies. Evaluate efforts and outcomes and work to continually improve efforts.
• Implement a variety of innovative methods to coach and develop attorney and non-attorney staff.

• Advisory Capacity:

• Assist in the formulation of policies, procedures and administrative rules; assist with formulating, implementing, and evaluating the agency budget; assist with the evaluation of proposed and recently enacted legislation affecting agency operations.

• Supervision:

• Directly supervise attorneys: approve work schedules; respond to questions and concerns and resolve problems; disseminate and interpret policies and procedures and best practices; provide coaching and training, and complete timely performance reviews; succession planning and position reviews.
• Oversee budgets and financial resources in support of the division/agency strategic initiatives and mission (e.g., approve requests for training, travel, projects, and equipment).

• Special Projects And Other Duties:

• Render legal advice to county public defenders and members of the private bar on all matters of criminal law and the provision of representation to indigent criminal defendants.
• Serve as an attorney-at-law to represent indigent criminal defendants in the courts across the state. May directly handle a reduced caseload; apply a high level of technical and legal skills to formulate innovative legal strategy that effectively and successfully represents indigent criminal defendants.
• Conduct regular one-on-one and team meetings to provide support, discuss challenges, and monitor the performance and development of managers. Provide feedback, recognition, and support. Identify areas for improvement and provide and help develop training opportunities.
• Cultivate a positive and collaborative work environment where open communication is encouraged. Identify tools and information the staff need to meet goals and ensure those are available to and understood by staff. Travel regularly to county offices to provide in-person support and training. 
• Allocate resources based on project requirements, client needs, and external demands. Develop original and innovative solutions for current service delivery and staffing issues.
• Work closely with Human Resources Department to ensure teams stay current with best practices and various responsibilities under rules and policies.
• Work with Office Directors, Social Work Supervisor, and Assistant Director to develop and implement collaborative defense models in offices.
• Lead pipeline initiatives to connect with candidates (for example: pursue opportunities to host externs and interns; organize outreach and presence at Law School campuses and classrooms).
• Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive onboarding for new staff. Work with directors, supervisors, and training staff to implement new programming and create procedures and policies. Evaluate efforts and outcomes and work to continually improve efforts.
• Implement a variety of innovative methods to coach and develop attorney and non-attorney staff.
• Assist in the formulation of policies, procedures and administrative rules; assist with formulating, implementing, and evaluating the agency budget; assist with the evaluation of proposed and recently enacted legislation affecting agency operations.
• Directly supervise attorneys: approve work schedules; respond to questions and concerns and resolve problems; disseminate and interpret policies and procedures and best practices; provide coaching and training, and complete timely performance reviews; succession planning and position reviews.
• Oversee budgets and financial resources in support of the division/agency strategic initiatives and mission (e.g., approve requests for training, travel, projects, and equipment).
• Render legal advice to county public defenders and members of the private bar on all matters of criminal law and the provision of representation to indigent criminal defendants.
• Serve as an attorney-at-law to represent indigent criminal defendants in the courts across the state. May directly handle a reduced caseload; apply a high level of technical and legal skills to formulate innovative legal strategy that effectively and successfully represents indigent criminal defendants.

This position requires in-office time and extensive travel in the State of Ohio as well as occasional travel outside Ohio. You will have an office location in our Columbus office.

When you submit your application, please upload a Resume and a Cover Letter indicating how you are best qualified for this position and why you feel you are the best fit at the Ohio Public Defender’s Office.

The Trial Services Regional Director position is assigned to the State of Ohio’s E-2 Pay Range 44. Target compensation for this position is $137,000 to $145,000.

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact HCM at 614-466-5394 or HCM@opd.ohio.gov.

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

• Admission to Ohio Bar pursuant to Section 4705.01; 18 months exp. as licensed attorney practicing criminal law; 6 mos. exp. or 6 mos. trg in supervisory principles & techniques.
• Job Skills: Executive Leadership; Attorney/Legal; Building Trust; Developing Others; Decision Making; Collaboration; Innovation; Coaching; Strategic Thinking; 

Intentional omission of relevant information, falsification, or misrepresentation of information on the application will disqualify the applicant. In addition, such intentional acts are grounds for immediate termination of an employee.

Final candidates selected for this position will be required to undergo a drug test. An applicant with a positive test result will not be offered employment. Final candidates selected for this position will also be required to undergo a criminal background check and state income tax check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration. 

This position serves at the pleasure and discretion of the State Public Defender. This position serves in a fiduciary relationship to the State Public Defender and will have an unclassified status per Ohio Revised Code 124.11 (A) (9).

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.