Youth Detention Superintendent #JR-00799

City of Virginia Beach; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Virginia Beach seeks an experienced Youth Detention Superintendent to lead the Juvenile Detention Center, guiding a team focused on rehabilitation, safety, accountability and positive youth development.

You will oversee operations, programs, compliance with DJJ/licensing standards, budgeting, staffing and community partnerships, reporting to the Deputy Director of Community Justice. Candidates with strong leadership in juvenile services are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in psychology, sociology, criminal justice, public administration, human behavior, or closely related field.
• Twelve years of education/experience with at least four years in a supervisory role in relevant fields.
• Must have a current and valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for all Juvenile Detention Center operations.
• Ensure safety, security, and a therapeutic environment for youth.
• Oversee development, implementation, and evaluation of programs and services.
• Monitor compliance with DJJ licensing standards and applicable laws.
• Manage facility operations, budgeting, staffing, scheduling, and training.
• Develop, review, and enforce policies and procedures.
• Build partnerships with courts, law enforcement, schools, and behavioral health providers.
• Champion data-driven improvement and innovative practices.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Program development

Cross-agency collaboration

Regulatory compliance

Education

Master's degree in psychology, sociology, criminal justice, public administration, human behavior, or closely related field

Job description

Lead with Purpose. Shape Futures. Build a Safer Community. Every day presents an opportunity to change the trajectory of a young person's life.

The City of Virginia Beach is seeking an experienced, compassionate, and visionary leader to serve as our Youth Detention Superintendent, overseeing the City's Juvenile Detention Center and leading a dedicated team committed to rehabilitation, safety, accountability, and positive youth development.

The Virginia Beach Juvenile Detention Center is a secure facility that operates 24 hours a day and provides housing, meals, education, recreation and medical and mental health services to youth up to age 21. The facility is staffed by 72 full-time and 15 part-time employees who work in direct care, medical, food service, program management, mental health and administrative roles. The detention center houses residents in pre-dispositional and post-depositional status, as well as in the State’s Community Placement Program.

This position reports directly to the Deputy Director of Community Justice and plays a critical role in advancing innovative programming while ensuring the highest standards of care, security, and regulatory compliance.

If you're passionate about leading people, improving systems, and making a lasting impact on the lives of youth and families, we'd love to hear from you.

Duties:

As the Youth Detention Superintendent, you will provide strategic leadership for all operations of the Juvenile Detention Center, including:

• Ensuring property security and fostering a safe, therapeutic, and supportive environment for children and youth.
• Overseeing the development, implementation and evaluation of programs and services that improve outcomes for youth in care.
• Monitoring programs for effectiveness, quality, and compliance with all applicable Department of Juvenile Justice and Interdepartmental Licensure standards of regulations; maintaining program services in compliance with all federal and state laws and local government administrative regulations, policies, and ordinances.
• Managing facility operations, budgeting, purchasing, staffing, scheduling, overtime, employee training, and organizational performance.
• Developing, reviewing, updating, implementing and enforcing policies and procedures.
• Building and maintaining partnerships with courts, law enforcement, community organizations, schools, and behavioral health providers.
• Championing continuous improvement, data-driven decision making, and innovative practices that strengthen services for youth and families.
• Creating a workplace culture focused on accountability, collaboration, leadership development, and exceptional public service.

As a City Manager appointee, this position serves at the pleasure of the City Manager and is not considered part of the merit service as defined in City Code, section 2-75.

This position is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed and interviews conducted ongoingly. The requisition will close once a sufficient applicant pool is established.

Preferences:

• Master's degree in psychology, sociology, criminal justice, public administration, human behavior, or a closely related field.
• Significant leadership experience within juvenile justice, corrections, law enforcement, secure residential treatment, or a similar human services environment.
• Experience supervising managers and leading multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience with juvenile justice laws, detention standards, licensing requirements, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing large operational budgets and strategic planning initiatives.
• Experience using data to improve organizational performance and outcomes.
• Experience developing and implementing policy and procedures.

Additional requirements:

• Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse: No

Minimum Qualifications: Requires any combination of education and/or experience equivalent to twelve (12) years, four (4) of which must have been in a supervisory capacity, in fields related to psychology, sociology, criminal justice, or public administration which provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. Must have a current and valid driver’s license.

Special Requirements: All employees may be expected to work hours in excess of their normally scheduled hours in response to short-term department needs and/or City-wide emergencies. Alpha I Status: Positions within this class have been designated as Alpha I positions requiring employees to work during inclement weather, regardless of the City’s operational status. Requires a current tuberculin screening.

The City of Virginia Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer.