JTDC - Project Director II

JOB TITLE: PROJECT DIRECTOR II DIVISON: PROGRAMS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICESLOCATION: JUVENILE TEMPORARY DETENTION CENTER 11OO S HAMILTON CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60612UNION: NON-UNIONGRADE: 21SALARY: $82,110Company OverviewThe Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) provides safe and temporary housing for youth ages 10 - 18 with pending legal action in the Cook County Courts. The JTDC is dedicated to providing its youth with leadership, structured care, and supervision through a balanced approach of creative programming and services that teach responsibility, accountability, and sensitivity. Each member of the JTDC staff is actively encouraged and supported in pursuit of creative participation, personal well-being, and professional development. As the largest juvenile detention center in the nation, the facility contains five major departments and various offices consisting of 600+ employees who serve an average daily population of 280+ residents.The Project Director II - Programs & Professional Services is responsible for assisting with managing complex projects related to juvenile detention services, resident programing, staff training, policy development, and strategic planning.Typical DutiesActively participates in the development and implementation of resident programming.Coordinates all department activities and meetings and assists in the development of departmental strategies and goals.Acts as liaison between the Division of Programs & Professional Services (PPS) and all other departments within JTDC, as related to, assisting with coordinating departmental resident programs, volunteer services, gender-specific programming, quality assurance, training, policy and procedure, and the Nancy B. Jefferson School.Assists with training development and delivery for new and veteran staff members in the following areas: JTDC curriculum; 2) National Juvenile Detention Association (NJDA) curriculum; 3) Direct and Non-Direct Care; 4) Custodial and Security; 5) Professional Support; 6) Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) curriculum; 7) Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT); and 8) Emergency Procedures; 9) The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).Creates and implements metrics to measure the success of departmental programs (e.g. evaluations and reviews, semi-annual and annual reports).Monitors relationships and communicates with internal staff and external community-based organizations as related to resident programming and activities. (e.g. Center for Conflict Resolution, religious organizations, Juvenile Probation, Public Defender, Court Services, and other re-entry programs).Represents the Division's Deputy Executive Director at various meetings.Responsible for reviewing and approving resident programs that will encourage positive resident behavior. Responsible for interviewing and interacting with residents as related to programs that residents would like to participate in while at JTDC.Responsible for conducting resident surveys related preferred programming.May assist or represent management relative to the screening, evaluation, promotion, or discipline of employees; may handle labor issues, grievances (resident or otherwise), work disputes or provide assistance to supervisor as needed.Assists in the development, implementation, and revision of JTDC policies.Serves as Administrator-on-Duty as requested, which includes pletes a minimum of 40 hours on-the-job training including, but not limited to, PRT and CPR.Serves on the JTDC PREA Committee and assists in monitoring compliance with Federal PREA standards.Assists in the implementation and monitoring of the Resident and Staff Management Information System.Performs other duties as assigned.Assist Deputy Executive Director of PPS as needed.The above statements ore intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned this classification. They ore not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.Minimum QualificationsA Master's Degree from an accredited college or university in Management, Public Administration, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Social Work, or other human services related field AND at least two (2) years employment in youth detention, corrections, andor community residential services, with at least one (1) year of employment that required direct and continuous supervision of juvenile offenders ORA Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in Criminal Justice, Psychology, Social Work, Education or other related Human Services field AND at least three (3) years employment in youth detention, corrections, andor community residential services, with at least two (2) years of employment that required direct and continuous supervision of juvenile offenders.At least 2 years' experience in project or program management in the daily operation of a professional department required.At least 1 year supervisory experience in organizational development and training of new and current employees required. United States citizenship.21 years of age at the time of application submission.The qualifications listed above are intended to represent the minimum skills and experience levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. The qualifications be viewed as expressing absolute employment or promotional standards, but as general guidelines that should be considered along with other job-related selection or promotional criteria.Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other CharacteristicsExperience working in a youth detention, juvenile justice, corrections, andor community residential services setting and familiarity with direct care work strongly preferred. Experience with finance andor budget development strongly preferred.Experience working with youth (directlyindirectly) and youth focused programming, including gender based programming strongly preferred.Experience with policy and procedure development and implementation.Ability to work independently in order to perform departmental needs assessments, analyzes results, and identifies and proposes solutions. Previous experience in process improvement a plus. Highly accountable, flexible, and effective under pressure in a fast-paced environment.Ability to build internal and external relationships and effectively understand and communicate in English (verbally and in writing).Ability to work standard hours in addition to occasional non-standard hours which may include evenings or weekends.Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.Demonstrates skills in database creation and maintenance. Bilingual communication skills preferred.Physical Requirements[This job requires the ability to perform the essential functions contained in this description. These include, but are not limited to, the following requirements.]Ability to sit at a desk for a large portion of the day.Extensive reaching, bending, and moving of objects up to 20 pounds to organize and place in files.May require periods of walking throughout the facility.May require periods of standing.Ability to effectively operate and utilize a computer.Must be able to work longer hours based on departmental needs.Working ConditionsExposure to resident behavior problems that may include physical acting out and require safe physical management skills.Exposure to residents with complex mental health issues andor disorders.Exposure to youth with various states of cleanliness and hygiene.Exposure to various health related conditions or residents of a communicable nature which requires precaution and adhering to medical instruction.Hiring RequirementsIllinois residency obtained within 90 days of date of hire.Pass a pre-employment drug screen and background check including but not limited to LEADS, CANTS, and professional references.A result of negative from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Child AbuseRegistry.Must pass required and nationally recognized written examination(s) for direct care and supervisory positions.Meet additional minimum requirements for eligibility established by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC).Must pass Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) screening requirements.Benefits PackagePension Plan and Deferred Compensation ProgramCompetitive SalariesEmployee Assistance ProgramPaid Holidays, Vacation, and Sick TimeMedical, Dental, Vision CoverageBasic Term Life InsuranceTHE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF JUDGE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERIt is the policy of the Office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County to provide equal opportunity in employment to all employees and applicants for employment. No person is to be discriminated against in employment because of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.

Created: 2025-02-18