Principal Manager I

Judicial Council of California

San Francisco (CA)

Hybrid

USD 117,000 - 175,000

Full time

32 hours ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid holidays

Commuting stipend

PSLF eligibility

Retirement plan

Job summary

The Judicial Council of California is seeking a Principal Manager I to lead the Branch Accounting and Procurement COE, directing SAP Finance, Procurement, and HR Payroll initiatives across the enterprise. You will align business needs with technology strategy, guiding complex projects and vendor services.

In this senior role, you will mentor managers and staff, foster governance, and collaborate with executive leadership to ensure reliable, scalable solutions that support California courts and

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree and six (6) years of professional analytical or managerial experience in assigned function, including at least three (3) years of supervisory/management experience.
An additional four (4) years of professional experience as noted above may substitute for the bachelor’s degree.
Or, Master’s degree in a directly related field for the assigned discipline and three (3) years of supervisory/management experience.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic direction for Center of Excellence (COE) staff.
Oversee all aspects of Project Management for the COE, including standards, planning, design, and change management.
Ensure integrated design of Phoenix SAP Finance and HR Payroll systems.
Review Change Requests for requirements, timelines, testing, and communication plans.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Stakeholder management

Change management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Tools

SAP Finance

HR Payroll systems

Phoenix SAP

Job description

The Judicial Council of California is accepting applications for the position of Principal Manager I in the Branch Accounting and Procurement office. This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced manager to lead the Branch Accounting and Procurement Center of Excellence (COE), which supports mission-critical enterprise systems and business processes serving the Judicial Council and California's trial courts.

Working with considerable independence, the Principal Manager I provides strategic and operational leadership for a team of managers and professional staff responsible for enterprise SAP Finance, Procurement, and HR Payroll systems. The position establishes priorities, oversees complex projects and system enhancements, guides business process improvement and organizational change, and provides governance over system design, maintenance, and vendor-delivered services.

The Principal Manager I serves as a key bridge between business operations and technology, working closely with executive leadership, Information Technology Services, court stakeholders, and external vendors. The successful candidate will bring strong leadership and sound judgment, the ability to manage competing priorities and complex stakeholder relationships, and a commitment to developing staff and delivering reliable, sustainable solutions that support the statewide administration of justice.

The Judicial Council of California is the policy setting body for the state court system and has constitutionally conferred statewide rule-making authority. This authority includes developing, advocating for, and allocating the judicial branch budget. A majority of Council members are California state justices and judges; however, the Council also includes lawyers, legislators, and court administrators.

By enhancing its role as a leadership, knowledge, and service resource for the judicial branch, the Judicial Council’s staff organization seeks to continue to evolve as one of California’s most dynamic public service entities, focused on improving access to justice for all Californians by innovating and responding to the changing needs of the courts and the public. As a government body charged with improving the statewide administration of justice, the Judicial Council has multiple offices with diverse responsibilities relating to court policy and operations. As employees of the council, every member of staff should view and approach their work as one Judicial Council with a public service mission that is greater than the sum of its parts.

The Judicial Council strives for work life balance and includes substantial vacation and holiday time. In addition, we offer an excellent benefits package including pension, medical, dental, and vision coverage, flexible spending, up to $130 per month reimbursement for qualifying commuting costs, student loan forgiveness as part of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), and retirement savings plans. In San Francisco, the office is only a 7-minute walk from the Civic Center BART station. In Sacramento, the office is located minutes from downtown, just north of Discovery Park.

The Judicial Council offers hybrid work arrangements for many positions. The successful candidate will be expected to work in person at the Judicial Council’s San Francisco or Sacramento office at least two days per week, based on their office leader’s direction, and reside in the areas surrounding these locations. To be eligible for Judicial Council employment and participation in the Judicial Council’s Hybrid Work Program, a prospective or current employee’s primary residence/remote work location must be in the State of California and within a 150-mile driving radius of their assigned reporting location.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Recommends selection of staff; trains staff and proposes internal and external training courses and workshops; provides career development and planning for staff; approves time off requests; reviews and approves time sheets; evaluates employee performance and conducts performance reviews; and administers discipline as required.
Provide strategic direction for Center of Excellence (COE) staff.
Review industry materials and guidelines to identify and assess fit of new system or business process solutions for trial court and Shared Services Center requirements and resources, as well as supportability for the COE.
Direct and Review Project Management Office updates, including constant review of ongoing maintenance, trouble-ticket, and change request items.
Oversee all aspects of Project Management for the COE, including setting project standards, project planning of time and resources, approving design, configuration and development, and providing organizational change management.
Conduct lessons learned sessions for all significant COE efforts.
Ensure appropriate integrated functional system design of the Phoenix SAP Finance and HR Payroll systems.
Review Change Requests to ensure that requirements have been adequately captured, alternatives and integration points have been analyzed, level of effort estimates and timelines are reasonable, and testing, documentation, and communication plans are complete.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

Participate in leadership of Branch Accounting and Procurement – as needed
Interact with court management on project and/or regular system use issues – as needed
Confer with other Center of Excellence and Shared Services Center leaders on current issues related to the Phoenix Program – as needed
Review resource requirements and make recommendations to BAP leadership – as needed
Approve COE requests for purchases and payments – as needed
Attend user group meetings for court users of the Phoenix system – monthly
Attend training/conference(s) to provide or receive professional development – as required
Recommends selection of staff;
Trains staff and proposes internal and external training courses and workshops;
Provides for career development and planning for staff;
Reviews and approves time sheets;
Evaluates employee performance and conducts performance reviews; and

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree and six (6) years of professional analytical or managerial experience in assigned

function, including, but not limited to, program analysis, development, implementation, research,

and advising, including at least three (3) years of supervisory/management experience. An additional

four (4) years of professional experience as noted above may substitute for the bachelor’s degree.

Or, additional directly related experience and/or education may be substituted on a year-for-year

basis.

Master’s degree in a directly related field for the assigned discipline and three (3) years of

professional-level analytical or managerial experience in assigned function, including, but not

limited to, program analysis, development, implementation, research, and advising, including at least

three (3) years of supervisory/management experience.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

High level of knowledge and experience in support of "live" SAP systems, SAP implementation, and/or SAP deployment projects. This experience should include analysis of complex system or process issues and complete solution delivery.
High level of knowledge and experience in Project Integration Management, preferably in an SAP environment.
High level of knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office tools.
Experience and success with handling sensitive issues in a politically charged environment.
High degree of organizational skills to manage multiple projects and maintenance efforts with limited resources and competing priorities.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to create or review and edit messages for various audiences.

OTHER INFORMATION

Please note, if you are selected for hire, verification of employment eligibility or authorization to work in the United States will be required.

The Judicial Council provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities who request such accommodation. Reasonable accommodation needs should be requested through Human Resources at (415) 865-4260. Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) is available by dialing 711. Once connected, provide the relay operator with the number for Human Resources: 415-865-4260.

PAYMENT & BENEFITS

Salary Range: $10,475 – $15,713 per month

Please note due to statewide fiscal conditions, the posted salary range is subject to a temporary 3% reduction. In exchange for this temporary reduction, judicial branch employees accrue an additional 5 hours of paid personal leave per month through June 30, 2027.

Some highlights of our benefits package include: