Project Coordinator- Part Time Grant Position - Probation- Willful Flight: Shifting Policy and Culture Project

Title: Project Coordinator- Part Time Grant Position - Probation- Willful Flight: Shifting Policy and Culture Project

Pay Grade: Grade 17

Starting Pay: $40.90 an hour

Departmental Mission Statement:

The Massachusetts Probation Service’s mission is to increase community safety, reduce recidivism, contribute to the fair and equitable administration of justice, support victims and survivors, and assist individuals and families in achieving long term positive change.

Organizational Profile:
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-probation-service

Notes: Notes: This is a grant funded position budgeted for up to 20 hours per work week. This is an unbenefited, hourly position funded by a cooperative agreement from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The position is funded through September 2026, subject to funding by BJA. Sustainability of the position beyond September 2026 is not guaranteed and is dependent on achievement of project goals and objectives and the availability of alternative funding.

This position is designated as a temporary, non-union position.

Position Summary:Working as a member of the Massachusetts Probation Service within the Boston Municipal Court Department (BMCD), the Project Coordinator is responsible for supporting a variety of projects and initiatives. The Project Coordinator is also responsible for monitoring and supporting fidelity to a variety of strategic plan tactics and initiatives, including tracking projects from initiation to completion and ensuring projects are proceeding as designed and on schedule. The Project Coordinator collects data and information on the progress of various MPS projects, producing reports and information regarding progress, service delivery, and efficiencies. The Project Coordinator also performs a variety of administrative support duties of a complex and non-routine nature.

The Massachusetts Trial Court and the Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS) have been selected by the Pretrial Justice Institute (PJI) to serve as a pilot site for its Willful Flight: Shifting Policy and Culture Project. The goal of the project is to develop and test bail criteria based on a willful flight standard; i.e., the likelihood that a person will intentionally flee prosecution vs. simply missing a court date due to systemic or personal barriers, and evaluate its impact on reducing pretrial detention and encouraging the safe return to court. The MPS intends to pilot the Willful Flight Standard in the Boston Municipal Court Department (BMCD). The BMCD has jurisdiction over Suffolk County and includes eight court divisions located in our city community neighborhoods of Brighton, Downtown Boston, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Roxbury, South Boston, and Jamaica Plain

Supervision Received:Receives assignments and supervision from the Deputy Commissioner for Pre-Trial Services or their designee, performing duties that advance organizational priorities, in accordance with established best practices.

Duties: Develop and maintain subject matter expertise on willful flight, failure to appear, bail decision making criteria, and relevant local laws and policies. Educate and engage local partners on these subjects as needed.

Coordinate the activities of the designated Willful Flight policy team.

Maintain relationships with policy team members and other engaged partners, including regular communication, information dissemination, and coordination of meetings and other collaborative activities.

Maintain situational awareness of local criminal justice policy, practice, events, media coverage, etc. that may impact the project, and communicate in a timely way to the project team.

Lead the planning and execution of on-site activities, including meetings and trainings.

Coordinate and participate in activities according to the project workplan, such as system assessments, stakeholder trainings, data collection, policy meetings, and implementation of pilot protocols.

Contribute to the development of project deliverables, including draft policies and protocols, and ensure the completion of deliverables that are the responsibility of the pilot site.

Disseminate information about the project to local partners, the public, and other interested parties as needed.

Coordinate with community partners to facilitate court watching or other agreed-upon accountability activities.

Maintain documentation related to the project, including handling data according to data usage agreements.

Maintain regular communication with the project team at the Pretrial Justice Institute (PJI) and the evaluation team at Strength in Numbers Consulting Group.

Generate any required project reports.

Plans and coordinates projects and event scheduling for BMCD Probation;

Tracks projects for BMCD Probation from initiation to completion and ensure projects are adhering to schedules for completion;

Handles highly confidential materials with discretion;

Responsible for communications to the field regarding operational issues across the BMCD;

Drafts or prepares a variety of documents and coordinates the distribution of correspondence;

Organizes project logistics by tracking dates and other information using spreadsheets;

Performs related duties as required;

Job Competencies:

Ethics and Values Communicates and demonstrates the ethics and values of the MPS and the Trial Court.

Mission Understands, upholds, and communicates the Trial Court and MPS missions.

Applied Knowledge Demonstrates project management skills and the ability to innovate and drive enhancements and efficiencies in organizational initiatives.

Problem Solving Accurately assesses service and programmatic related problems in the MPS and recommends and facilitates appropriate solutions.

Customer Service Conducts oneself in a courteous and professional manner towards both Trial Court employees and the public.

Collaboration Works with others cooperatively, demonstrating a willingness to be a team player, and contributing to a work environment that focuses on shared departmental goals.

Commitment to Diversity Promotes an environment of cross cultural awareness and diversity through understanding, respect, and positive communication with persons of varied racial, ethnic, economic, and cultural backgrounds.

Continuous Learning Demonstrates a commitment to continuously improving himself or herself through professional development.

Minimum Requirements: These are the minimum requirements necessary to apply for the position Project Coordinator:
Qualifications for Position:

Bachelor’s degree and four (4) years of experience in criminal justice, social work, public administration, human services or a related field; or an equivalent combination of applicable education and/or experience.

Experience working with the court and justice-system partners is preferred.

Demonstrated experience in program development, implementation, and evaluation.

Ability to organize, direct, and coordinate administrative and program activities.

Strong degree of flexibility to manage multiple tasks and complex situations.

Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work professionally with persons at all levels, including judges, and to maintain effective working relationships;

Ability to work collaboratively with people and organizations representing diverse interests, experience staffing boards or committees;

Experience with organizational and strategic planning is preferred;

Communications skills and experience is preferred;

Ability to analyze and determine the applicability of court data, to draw conclusions and make appropriate recommendations;

Ability to establish work priorities;

Working knowledge of and ability to use personal computers MS Office business software to develop data bases and systems to record and track benchmark progress;

Demonstrated ability to maintain accurate records and to prepare all necessary reports; and

Ability to travel to courts and program/conference venues across the Commonwealth.

Closing Date/Time: 2024-09-24

Boston, Massachusetts United States View Map