Administrative Officer

OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDERDISTRICT OF MARYLAND  Vacancy Announcement: Administrative OfficerLocation: Baltimore, Md. Application Deadline: June 15, 2026The Federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland is hiring an Administrative Officer, a high-level, one-of-a-kind position that reports directly to the Federal Public Defender and plays a critical role in the office’s mission of providing zealous client-centered advocacy in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. Our office is recognized as a leading public defense law firm that looks for creative and compassionate ways to serve our clients and has a progressive impact on the criminal legal system, both locally and nationally. We are a governmental agency funded by Congress through the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. The Administrative Officer is akin to a Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer rolled into one. The Administrative Officer oversees the administration and operation of our two office locations (Baltimore and Greenbelt), to include finance and procurement, human resources for 60+ staff members, and facilities oversight. The Administrative Officer directly supervises staff members with administrative, financial, and information technology responsibilities, while managing office-wide operations and acts as the principal advisor to the Federal Defender on all aspects of office administration and management. Responsibilities. We are looking for a leader who can act independently yet work collaboratively to manage our finite resources effectively to ensure that we are able to provide top-tier legal representation to our clients. General administration, management, and supervision: · The Administrative Officer ensures compliance with national and local policies and must learn the requirements of the Guide to Judiciary Policy, the Defender Organization Classification System (DOCS), applicable state and federal statutes, General Services Administration (GSA) rules and regulations, and directives from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Defender Services Office, GSA, and other agencies as needed. · Directly assists with day-to-day operations, process improvement, policy development, and short- and long-term strategic planning. · Supervises and directs administrative, financial, human resources, and IT functions. · Works to recognize issues and improve office management, efficiency, and effectiveness. · Develops and maintains internal controls to ensure adequate separation of duties exists for financial, procurement, property management, and human resource functions. Budget and financial management: · Manages financial operations, develops spending plans, and oversees accounting functions, including the disbursement of appropriate funds. · Formulates the annual budget, develops caseload projections, analyzes staffing needs and resource allocation, and prepares hiring plans. · Prepares monthly variance reports, status of funds reports, and workload reports for review and approval by the Federal Defender submitted to the Defender Services Office. Human resources and personnel management: · Advises on hiring, staffing, position classification and compensation, employee performance and evaluation, dispute resolution, benefits administration, and personnel policies. · Develops strategies to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. · Collaborates on a comprehensive onboarding program for all new employees and interns and facilitates offboarding and exit interviews. · Conducts performance evaluations for administrative staff. Procurement of government goods and services: · Determines the need for and directs procurement of supplies, equipment, furnishings, and professional services in compliance with judiciary procurement policy. · Trains and supervises employees responsible for various procurement duties. · As procurement liaison officer, delegates procurement duties to administrative staff and ensures staff complete initial required training and continue to meet the necessary continuing education requirements to maintain active contracting officer certifications status, as required by procurement/contracting guidelines. · Acts as Citibank purchase and travel card coordinator for the office. Property management: · Works with DSO, Fourth Circuit facilities staff and GSA to determine space needs and secures adequate and suitable office space. · Acts as point of contact with lessor for day-to-day building/space issues. · Monitors rent and telecommunication bills. · Arranges for and oversees office renovations and repairs, working with GSA and Fourth Circuit facilities staff. · Acts as computer aided legal research coordinator for the office. The position requires frequent travel between the Baltimore and Greenbelt offices and occasional out-of-district travel for attendance at administrative, case management, and/or financial conferences. Qualifications. The Federal Defender seeks an Administrative Officer who is a trustworthy and reliable individual who understands office confidentiality, can juggle multiple priorities, and exercises good judgment in a mature and diplomatic manner. Candidates should have an appreciation for the importance of building an inclusive workplace and want to serve our client base. The Administrative Officer must be able to work independently and collaboratively and perform their responsibilities with a strong sense of ethics and integrity. Candidates should understand and value well-run administration; budget and financial management; human resources; information technology, space, and facilities management; and procurement, property, and records management. Preferred Qualifications:  Bachelor’s degree in a related field  Budget and financial management experience Supervision experience Knowledge of federal government policies The successful Administrative Officer candidate will be a self-starter and innovative thinker who identifies issues and works to resolve them. If they don’t know the answer to a question, they pursue self-education and seek assistance until they do. They are organized and able to handle multiple tasks. They are dedicated to our office’s mission and are respectful to their colleagues and show appreciation for their roles. Above all, they maintain high standards for treating clients and colleagues with empathy and understanding. Requirements. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or meet the requirements of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. As a condition of employment, candidates must be fingerprinted and complete a high-sensitive background check. Partial telework is available for this position but full-time telework is not. Salary and Benefits. This position has a starting salary range of $121,785 to $143,913 (Grade 13, Step 1 to Grade 14, Step 1) based on the Judicial Salary Plan effective January 12, 2026. Salary will be based on professional experience and the number of positions supervised. Benefits include health and life insurance plus 11 paid federal holidays, 13 days of paid sick leave, and at least 13 days of paid vacation leave annually. (The number of vacation days increases with years of service.) The position is eligible for the Federal Employees Retirement System and the Thrift Savings Plan, which matches up to 5% of employee contributions. Salary is paid biweekly by direct deposit. How to Apply. Please submit a letter of interest, detailed résumé, short writing sample, and two work references (including names, addresses, and phone numbers) to: Katherine Tang Newberger, First Assistant Federal Public Defender. Please submit application materials as a combined PDF via email to and write “AdO Applicant” in the subject line. The position is open until filled. Priority is given to applications received by June 15, 2026.