Northern Hearing Officer

Position Overview

The Illinois Prisoner Review Board is seeking to hire a motivated, self-starting Public Service Administrator (8L) as the Northern Hearing Officer working directly under Deputy General Counsel in the Legal Unit. The Public Service Administrator (8L), Northern Hearing Officer, will serves as the preliminary hearing officer in the northern district conducting preliminary and complex hearings related to a multitude of statutes, case law and federal court decisions the Board is mandated to enforce.  The position will provide assistance to the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel, serves as resource to government officials, attorneys and the public providing interpretation and advice with respect to the Prisoner Review Board, answer inquiries and provides information regarding the Preliminary Hearing Program and related consent decrees.   The ideal candidate will be able to work well with the public, staff and Senior Management. We invite those interested in public safety to apply. 

Essential Functions

• Plans, organizes, directs and evaluate the operations of Preliminary Hearings Program Unit Northern Division pursuant to settlement agreements including but not limited to the M.H. Consent Decree, Morales Consent Decree and the Kin Consent Decree. 
• Serves as Supervising Hearing Officer of the Northern Division of the Preliminary Hearing Program Unit.
• Serves as full line supervisor.
• Provides technical assistance to the General Counsel.
• Serves as a resource to government officials, attorneys and the public.
• Performs other duties as assigned or required which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires graduation from an accredited law school.
• Requires prior experience equivalent to three (3) years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a public or private legal organization, preferably in the areas of criminal justice or administrative law.
• Requires the possession of a license to practice law in Illinois.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prefers the ability to successfully apply learned knowledge and techniques to working environment.
• Prefers working knowledge of the agency's program operations and policies.
• Prefers five (5) years experience in criminal, judicial and quasi-judicial procedures and rules of evidence.
• Prefers three (3) years experience in working knowledge principles of administration and management, including organization controls and techniques used in dealing with management and procedural problems.
• Prefers the ability to maintain satisfactory public contacts and working relationships with others; to exercise sound judgement in appraising and evaluating problems and procedures natures.
• Prefers the ability to use expediently all primary and secondary legal source materials, to analyze all legal documents and instruments and to prepare, conduct and report formal and informal hearings.
• Prefers three (3) years experience in analyzing, appraising and organizing facts, evidence and precedents and in presenting such material, involving a moderately complex problem, in clear and logical form in written media as briefs, memoranda, summarizations, research reports, or regulations.
• Prefers the ability to direct and supervise the work of a professional and nonprofessional staff.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires the ability to successfully pass Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police and county jail background checks and necessary to enter required correctional facilities throughout Illinois.

• Requires to be in and maintain good standing with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

• Requires the ability to travel statewide to conduct screenings and hearing which could include overnight stays.

• Requires the possession of a valid appropriate driver's license.

• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.

• The conditions of employment listed are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency

The Illinois Prisoner Review Board's mission is to function under statutory authority as a quasi-judicial body with a primary focus on public safety. It further acts as a checks and balances on other state and local institutions. The Board imposes release conditions for incarcerated individuals who are exiting penal facilities, revokes and restores good conduct credits from inmates and conducts hearings to determine whether parolees have violated conditions of parole. The Board also notifies victims and their families when an inmate is about to be released from custody. Finally, the Board makes confidential recommendations to the Governor relative to clemency petitions. To learn more about our agency Click Here.