[Hiring] Principal Court Management Consultant @National Center for State Courts

Role Description

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) is seeking an experienced Principal Court Management Consultant to join our Technology, Data, and Knowledge Management team. The Principal Consultant brings deep product and process expertise to NCSC’s work helping state and local courts manage, evaluate, and improve their case management and related technology. The role is distinguished by direct experience operating between a software developer and an institutional end user—courts, or any comparable government or corporate user—and understanding how product decisions, procurement, and day-to-day operations interact.

The consultant’s core work is a portfolio of committed, billable court engagements:

• Leading large-scale statewide business process mapping.
• Guiding the next phase of a major technology initiative.
• Advancing case management system (CMS) standards and functionality.
• Driving vendor product management and accountability on behalf of courts.
• Leading multi-court user groups to keep vendors accountable.

The role directly advances the organization’s strategic priorities by promoting fair and impartial courts, strengthening partnerships across courts and solution providers, and leveraging technology to drive innovation—all with a focus on meeting the needs of courts and the public they serve. It reports to the Director of the Technology, Data & Knowledge Management team.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Court engagements (about 75%):
  • Provide virtual and on-site intensive technical assistance to local and state teams and other stakeholders.
  • Lead large-scale, statewide business process mapping engagements, from current-state documentation through recommendations.
  • Guide the next phase of a major court technology initiative, including scope, sequencing, and stakeholder alignment.
  • Act as the court's advocate in vendor relationships: evaluate product roadmaps, track delivery against commitments, and escalate when vendors fall short.
  • Advise courts on technology procurement, including requirements, solicitations, vendor evaluation, and contract accountability.
  • Lead the rewrite of NCSC's CMS functional requirements, so courts can specify what they need independent of any single vendor's product.
  • Direct team members on your projects.
  • Draft final reports and deliverables.
  • Run working sessions with judges, court administrators, IT staff, and vendors to reach decisions on politically sensitive issues.
• Business development & Administration (about 25%):
  • Write and lead proposals for federal and state solicitations, grants, and direct court engagements.
  • Represent NCSC at national and state conferences and build relationships with court leaders, solution providers, and funders.
  • Support team supervisors and director meet team-level goals.

Qualifications

• An Advanced degree in business, computer science, public policy, judicial administration, law, or a related field, or equivalent experience required.
• 7+ years of experience in court technology, civic technology, enterprise software, or technology consulting.
• Direct experience on the product or vendor side of enterprise software sold to institutional customers (courts, government, or comparable organizations), in a role such as product manager, product owner, or implementation lead.
• Hands-on experience with software procurement, requirements definition, or vendor management.
• A track record of winning proposals for federal or state solicitations or comparable business opportunities.
• Experience leading business process mapping or redesign in a complex, multi-stakeholder organization.
• Strong writing, demonstrated through client reports, requirements documents, or publications.

Additional Skills and Abilities

• Experience with court case management systems preferred.
• Experience facilitating consensus among stakeholders with competing interests, such as judges, administrators, IT, and vendors.
• Represent NCSC in a professional manner; including an ability to establish credibility and to interact productively with staff across the organization and with external stakeholders.
• Familiarity with the technical and policy issues impacting local and state judicial systems as well as local and state governments, relevant to specialized areas of this position.
• Solid writing, communication, interpersonal, and time management skills.

Travel

This role requires travel to client sites and conferences across the United States.

Benefits

• Medical Insurance: PPO, HDHP options (HMO option for VA residents)
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Employer Paid Life Insurance for Employee + Family
• Employer Paid Accidental Death Insurance
• Employer Paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• 125 Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Retirement: Money Purchase Plan Pension account (9% of salary)
• Retirement Option: 403B
• All Purpose Leave (APL)
• Paid Holidays (10)
• Annual Performance Review
• Education Assistance
• Paid Training and Development
• Qualifying Employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness under 501(c)(3)

Salary Information

The annual starting salary for this role is between $120,000 and $149,000. Factors that affect starting pay within the range include education, experience, and other qualifications as it relates to the position.

Join our Team!

This position closes on October 30, 2026. Please submit your resume and cover letter in addition to your completed NCSC application. For reference, include professional references only with at least one previous or current supervisor.

NCSC is an equal opportunity/disability/veteran employer.