Operations Specialist

U.S. Bankruptcy Court - District of CT; New Haven (CT); On-site; USD 52,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut seeks a full-time Operations Specialist. This temporary position offers valuable experience in judicial support and case administration, requiring strong customer service skills and attention to detail. The role involves extensive interaction with the public and requires occasional travel among court locations. Ideal candidates are self-motivated team players with excellent communication abilities.

Benefits

Paid Holidays

Paid Sick Leave

Paid Vacation Days

Retirement Benefits

Health Benefits

Dental and Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Long Term Care Insurance

Flexible Spending Account

Employee Assistance Program

Qualifications

• Minimum 1 year specialized experience for CL 24, 2 years for CL 25.
• Strong computer skills and ability to multi-task.

Responsibilities

• Provide judicial support and case administration.
• Extensive customer service in person and via phone.
• Docketing, data quality control, and mail processing.

Skills

Customer Service

Problem-Solving

Interpersonal Communication

Attention to Detail

Education

High School Graduation

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Job description

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT

DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT 2025-01

POSITION TITLE:	Operations Specialist	GRADE/SALARY RANGE*: CL 24 ($52,158 - $84,769) – CL 25 ($57,615 - $93,620)
DUTY STATION:	New Haven, Connecticut
POSITION TYPE:	Full-time TEMPORARY (not to exceed 1 year and 1 day), Excepted Service	AREA OF CONSIDERATION: All qualified applicants
NUMBER OF POSITIONS:	One (1)
OPENING DATE:	April 25, 2025	CLOSING DATE: Open until filled, with preference given to applications received by May 9, 2025.

*Starting salary commensurate with work experience, education, prior/present pay history and previous federal court experience. Applicants hired at CL 24 may be promoted to CL 25 without further competition if appropriate qualification requirements are met.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time Operations Specialist to join our Clerk’s Office staff providing judicial support and case administration. The position is a temporary appointment not to exceed one year and one day but may be extended without further advertisement for an additional year contingent upon continued funding and operational needs.This opportunity offers valuable experience in a variety of Clerk’s Office functions. The incumbent will report to the Operations Manager.

We offer an excellent opportunity for a team player who is self-motivated, dependable with excellent interpersonal communications skills, problem-solving skills, and a dedicated work ethic. Our fast-paced, prestigious environment consists of challenging and rewarding work and training opportunities for motivated people with initiative, flexibility, and ability to multi-task.

The duty station will be New Haven, Connecticut. However, the position will require occasional travel to provide coverage and for training among the three seats of court (Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford). Initial training period may also require weekly travel to Hartford and Bridgeport to train with court staff in those offices. Therefore, the selected candidate must have a dependable means of transportation.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties include extensive customer service both in person and via telephone, accept payments and process receipts utilizing the Automated Cash Register (ACR) system, docketing and noticing, data quality control, reviewing filed documents to determine conformity and compliance with applicable rules, ensuring orders and automated entries are appropriately and accurately docketed and linked, making summary entries on the docket of all documents and proceedings, and other duties as assigned. Operations Specialists are also responsible for mail processing and records management which includes filing and archiving records, as well as occasionally providing backup coverage for court staff.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must be United States citizens or meet the exceptions to the statutory restrictions on hiring non-citizens to work in the federal government in the continental United States.

For the CL 24 level ($52,158 - $84,769) - Minimum requirement of high school graduation or equivalent and at least 1 year of specialized experience (defined below). Education above the high school level may not be substituted for specialized experience. Promotion potential to CL 25 without further competition if the appropriate qualification requirements are met.

For the CL 25 level ($57,615 - $93,620) - Minimum requirement of high school graduation or equivalent, and at least 2 years of specialized experience (defined below). Education above the high school level may not be substituted for specialized experience.

Specialized experience is defined as progressively responsible clerical or administrative work requiring processing of specialized documents that demonstrate the ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, or laws, such as obtained in a law office, court, financial institution, educational facility, real estate, or insurance office. Such experience should include routine interactions with customers, data entry and report generation involving the use of automated software and equipment and specialized terminology.

• Strong computer skills including experience using Microsoft Office 365 suite of products.
• Proficiency in handling multiple tasks simultaneously while meeting established deadlines.
• Excellent oral and written interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Professional demeanor and positive attitude.
• Adept at collaboration and working harmoniously in a team environment.
• Skilled in proofreading, attentiveness to detail and accuracy.
• Demonstrated sound ethics and mature judgment.
• Ability to lift or move boxes of documents weighing up to 50 pounds.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

In addition to the minimum qualifications stated above, preference may be given to applicants who are able to demonstrate any of the following:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university and/or completion of a paralegal certification.
• Knowledge of Bankruptcy laws, rules, and/or procedures.
• Prior work experience with a federal or state court.
• Familiarity with the Court’s automated systems CM/ECF and/or BCAP.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

As a condition of employment, the selected candidate will be required to submit to a background investigation including an FBI fingerprint check. Employment and retention in the position will depend upon a favorable employment suitability determination.

Judiciary employees are required to follow a code of conduct that may be found at: https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/judiciary-policies/code-conduct/code-conduct-judicial-employees.

Employees are required to use Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for payroll direct deposit.

INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

As part of the Judicial Branch of the United States government, employees of the United States Bankruptcy Court are appointed in the excepted service and considered “at-will” employees not included in the Federal government’s civil service classifications and regulations.

BENEFITS

Employees of the United States Bankruptcy Court are eligible for, but not limited to, the following employment benefits:

11 paid holidays per year Paid sick leave in the amount of 13 days per year Accrual of paid vacation days (13 days per year for the first three years; 20 days after three years; and 26 days after fifteen years) Retirement benefits under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Traditional (pre-tax) and Roth (after-tax) retirement savings and investment plan through the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with employer matching contributions Health benefits under the Federal Employees’ Health Benefits Program (FEHB) Dental and Vision insurance options under the Federal Employees Vision and Dental Insurance Program (FEDVIP) Life insurance benefits under the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI) Long Term Care Insurance option Pre-tax Flexible Spending Account options for health care, dependent care, and commuter expensesEmployee Assistance Program (EAP)/Work Life

ServicesLimited Telework Eligibility.

HOW TO APPLY

Complete and prepare the following documents:

(1)cover letter indicating why you are interested in this position and what best qualifies you for this position,

(2)current resume,

(3)list of three professional references, preferably current and/or prior supervisors (include their contact information), and

(4)completed and signed Application for Federal Judicial Branch Employment (AO-78 version dated 05/24; link available on our Court’s website under employment).

When completing the Application Form AO-78, applicants are not required to complete questions 18-20 regarding their criminal history. Criminal history is not in itself disqualifying. All available information, past and present, favorable, and unfavorable, about the reliability and trustworthiness of an individual will be considered when making an employment suitability determination.

All information provided by applicants is subject to verification and background investigation.

Providing false and/or misleading information may be grounds for removal from the application and selection process, withdrawal of an offer of employment, as well as dismissal or disciplinary action if discovered after date of hire.

Please print or type all information. If your application materials do not provide all information requested, or if your packet is otherwise incomplete, your application submission will not be considered for this position.

Once completed, e-mail the entire package in one PDF file to: [e-mail] with the Subject Line: Job Vacancy #2025-01, Operations Specialist - Temporary.

Applicants selected for interviews must travel at their own expense and relocation expenses will not be reimbursed.

The United States Bankruptcy Court provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and interviewing process, please notify the local human resources representative by email at [e-mail]. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.

The United States Bankruptcy Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement or to withdraw the job announcement or to fill the position earlier than the closing date, if a closing date is shown, any of which actions may occur without any prior written notice.