Description
Summary Why It's a Great Opportunity: Pierce County Juvenile Court is known across the country for leading the way in youth justice. The policies, practices, and programs we've built are recognized as models for others, and we're proud of the progress we've made. While our reform work has brought positive results, we know more progress is needed. We know the current system doesn't work the same for everyone. Young people and families continue to face challenges that we must address. We are committed to creating a system that supports every young person and family. If you want to help move this work forward, empowering young people, strengthening families, and support change inside the system and in the community, this role offers that opportunity. Your compassion, active listening, support, empowerment, and advocacy for young people and families will be valued. We welcome your perspective and talents. We believe people and systems can grow, and together we can make a strong impact in the community.
Why It’s a Great Department:
We Practice Gratitude: We put relationships first and show appreciation for others. We Value Differences: We respect a wide range of opinions, cultures, and experiences. We Maintain a Growth Mindset: We focus on effort, perseverance, and helpful feedback. We Choose Courage Over Comfort: We face challenges and difficult conversations with care and support one another. We Practice Authenticity: We are genuine, speak truthfully, and seek to understand experiences different from our own. Learn more About Juvenile Court here. How to Be Successful in the Role: Pierce County Juvenile Court is deeply committed to balancing the safety of young people with the potential harm that can come from removing young people from their families. This work centers on protecting young people while strengthening families, minimizing trauma, and recognizing that how the system responds to harm can shape a young person’s life for years to come. Dependency is focused on partnering with extended family, building community support networks, and understanding the complex needs of young people and their families. These approaches help reduce unnecessary family separation and lead to better outcomes for youth and the community. The Dependency Supervisor will play a key leadership role in advancing these values. This position guides staff in using child and family-based approaches, with strong impartiality and ethical conduct, to gather all relevant information and make informed recommendations while ensuring the young people and families’ needs are met and they are centered throughout the legal process. In addition, the supervisors role is to create a supportive space where their team can raise concerns and get help working through challenges. The work is done in close partnership with a dedicated group of judicial officers who operate under case law and statute. As a result, the Probation Supervisor in Dependency must balance legal requirements with innovation, consistency, and practices that keep young people at the center of decision-making. Together, this leader and the court’s judicial and management team will support a system that prioritizes family and community connection, accountability, and opportunities for young people and families to grow. The Dependency Division prioritizes protecting young people by acting with impartiality, integrity, and strong ethical practice. These values help us stay focused on the facts, understand real safety concerns, and avoid decisions influenced by bias or outside pressures. By approaching each situation with honesty, professionalism, and respect for the rights and dignity of every young person, we ensure our recommendations truly support their immediate safety and long-term well-being. Expectations of the Probation Supervisor include the ability to work in a high-conflict environment, think critically, challenging assumptions, reduce bias, and advocate based on the needs and values of young people and families. Equally important is being responsive to community needs by supporting the best plans of action that remove obstacles to participation and address child safety for both short term and long term. This work can be emotionally demanding, so maintaining personal wellbeing is important for sustainable success in this role. You should be adaptable, forward-thinking, attentive to community needs, and compassionate while supporting the safety and wellbeing of young people under Juvenile Court jurisdiction. You will help advance our vision of a safe, connected community where all young people and families are encouraged to build on their strengths and reach their potential. You will help instill hope by setting goals, identifying paths forward, and believing in the possibility of change. Your Future in this Role: As the justice system continues to evolve, we welcome forward-thinking, creative, and compassionate people who thrive in fast-changing, innovative environments. This position offers opportunities for professional development, leadership, and training. You will also build connections with partners in child welfare, education, mental health, community supports, substance-use treatment, economic-stability services, and other areas affecting young people and families.
Core Daily Responsibilities:
- Supervises work of an assigned unit of professional juvenile probation counselors; assigns cases and monitors workflow; assesses performance of the team you supervise; develops job duties and standards of performance; recommends resolution of employee grievances; recommends and executes disciplinary action; develops and provides in-house training as necessary.
- Investigates more complex case assignments and prepares appropriate court reports; conducts meetings with parents, juvenile offenders and probation counselors to resolve disputes or complaints; contacts other social service agencies to arrange treatment plans.
- Coordinates with court and community partners for the success of Positive Youth Development programs, interns, extra hires, volunteers to ensure cohesive service delivery.
- Confers with administrative superiors to interpret laws and regulations, draft policies and procedures, and make staffing decisions; coordinates with other supervisory personnel to achieve optimum workflow.
- Reviews work of the team for conformance with statutory requirements and internal policies and procedures.
- Conducts performance evaluations and develop performance measures and standards.
- A member of the Juvenile Court Leadership team and supports agency wide initiatives and priorities.
- Performs the work of a Juvenile Probation Counselor 2 and other related work as required.
- Must be able to travel to assigned work locations.
A classification description with a more detailed list of essential functions can be found here. Minimum Qualifications
- Graduation from a four-year college or university with major course work in social work or human services field, counseling, criminal justice and juvenile systems, social or behavior sciences or related field AND
- Two years of work experience at a level equivalent to a Juvenile Probation Counselor 2 OR
- Substituting, on a month-for-month basis, graduate level course work in a discipline directly related to the requirements of the position for a maximum of one year of the experience requirement.
- Attach a resume. cover letter, diploma/transcripts or any other materials you believe support your application, such as evaluations, awards, or certificates. Applications without these attachments may not be considered.
Special Requirements:
- A valid driver’s license may be required when travel is required of the position
- As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check and polygraph exam. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.
Supplemental Information
How to Apply:
- Complete and submit a detailed online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting “APPLY” above or visiting www.piercecountywa.gov/jobs.
- Attach a resume. cover letter, diploma/transcripts or any other materials you believe support your application, such as evaluations, awards, or certificates. Applications without these attachments may not be considered.
- If you have questions about this opportunity, email the Recruitment Team at PCHRRecruit@piercecountywa.gov and include the job number and title.
- Individuals who need accommodation in the application or interview process may contact Human Resources at (253) 798-7480 at least two days prior to the need.
- Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship.
Our Recruitment Practices: This is a competitive and meritorious selection process. Pierce County applications are reviewed by human hiring staff in accordance with the qualifications listed for the position. Pierce County understands applicants may use Al tools when preparing application materials. We recognize these tools can make the process easier; however, we ask that everything you submit genuinely reflects your own experience, skills, knowledge, and writing skills.
During the interview process, you may be asked to demonstrate your skills, including writing and subject knowledge, and to speak to your experience in your own voice. Applicants should be prepared to respond to interview questions without relying on Al-generated responses or reading prepared answers from a screen. Any misrepresentation may result in disqualification or separation.
Applicants whose qualifications most closely align with the County's needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status typically occurs within two to three weeks after the closing date. Some applicants may receive short notice to participate in additional selection steps, which may include assessments, phone screens, or interviews.
Upon offer, compensation is based on a range of job-related factors, including the requirements of the role, your skills and experience, and internal pay equity.
Our Welcoming Workplace Commitment: Pierce County is committed to creating a welcoming environment with broad access to opportunities at every stage of employment. We aim to recruit, develop, and retain a workforce with a wide range of experiences and perspectives, all dedicated to serving our community. County employees make a visible impact across Pierce County. Join us in helping keep Pierce County a place people are proud to call home.
Benefits
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Pierce County offers a competitive benefits package that offers flexibility and peace of mind. We are proud to offer Employee Resource Groups, a focus on professional development in our Leadership Training Program, and a County Book Club.
We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career and that your priority is making sure that you and your family maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.
Our benefits:
Vacation (Annual Leave) Employees begin accruing vacation leave as soon as they start earning it and can use their accrued leave right away. We value your experience and recognize your service by increasing vacation accrual rates the longer you work with us. Full-time employees accrue vacation leave every two weeks at the following rates:
Vacation Accruals:
During years 1-3, 12 Days During years 4-7, 16 Days During years 8-13, 20 Days During years 14-18, 23 Days During years 19, 24 Days During years 20, 25 Days During years 21, 26 Days During years 22, 27 Days During years 23, 28 Days During years 24, 29 Days During years 25 & thereafter, 30 Days
A maximum of 45 days may be carried from one year into the next. Pro-Rated for Part-Time based on % of 1.0 FTE.
Military Leave:
Pierce County has a proud history of supporting the armed forces and provides members of the armed forces with up to 21 days paid military leave per state fiscal year.
Holidays:
Some full-time employees are entitled to eleven paid holidays as follows:
New Year's Day - January 1 Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday - Third Monday in January President's Day - Third Monday in February Memorial Day - Last Monday in May Juneteenth - June 19 Independence Day - July 4 Labor Day - First Monday in September Veteran's Day - November 11 Thanksgiving Day - Fourth Thursday in November & Friday after Christmas Day - December 25
Personal Holidays:
Regular full-time and regular part-time employees, and employees occupying limited duration positions, shall also receive two additional paid personal holidays. Paid personal holidays shall only accrue for those employees on County payroll as of January 1 of each year or the first work day following January 1 and must be taken during the calendar year in which it was accrued.
Furlough:
Some Pierce County employees may be designated to receive 10 "furlough" days per year in lieu of holidays. Furlough days are available for use on January 1 and must be scheduled and taken within the calendar year. Employees who leave employment with Pierce County must reimburse the employer for used furlough days based upon the number of remaining holidays.
Sick Leave:
Sick leave accrues on a bi-weekly basis, at the rate of one day per month.
Insurance Benefits:
Employees and families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with very affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout Pierce County. Employees are eligible to enroll each year in a flexible spending plan, which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care and dependent care expenses. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in supplemental life and long term disability insurance plans. To view premium rates, summary of benefit coverage, and other information, please visit the Pierce County Health Benefits website.
Retirement and Deferred Compensation:
Pierce County employees are members of the State of Washington's Department of Retirement System (DRS) and depending on the position or previous DRS enrollment will be able to enroll in one of many programs DRS offers. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.
Employees also have the ability to participate in the Nationwide Deferred Compensation Plan. This is a supplemental retirement savings program that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.
Social Security:
All Pierce County employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The county and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.
ORCA Passport Program Pierce County employees may participate in the County's ORCA (One Regional Card for All) Passport program.Your Pierce County issued ORCA card is loaded with an annual Passport pass. The pass automatically renews every year. The pass will provide you with free transportation on regularly scheduled service on several public transit systems.
Miscellaneous Benefits:
Please visit Pierce County's Benefits website for more information.
Telework/Remote Options:
Some departments allow for telework or work-from-home options dependent on the body of work. Learn more about our telework policy here. **All employees are required to be WA State residents after 30 days of employment.
We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.