Trial Services Deputy Director - Trial Office Management and Support

Trial Services Deputy Director—Trial Office Management and Support (250007QH) Organization

Public Defender Commission

Feb 2, 2026, 4:59:00 AM

United States of America—OHIO—Franklin County—Columbus

$45,198 - $157,560

Full-time

Exempt from Union

Attorney/Legal

Attorney/Legal, Executive Leadership

Building Trust, Coaching, Collaboration, Decision Making, Developing Others, Innovation, Strategic Thinking

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

Our Mission:
Advocating. Fighting. Helping.

Our Vision: A Fair Justice System.

Our Values:
Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community.

We are committed to building a work environment where all team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public in our pursuit of fairness and justice for all people.

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The OPD is seeking a passionate, organized, and strategic indigent defense leader to join its executive leadership team as a Trial Services Deputy Director 4 responsible for effective office and personnel operations. You will lead the directors of four county offices across Ohio (Ross, Trumbull, Athens, and Washington counties) to ensure the sustainability and quality of work environments, employee experience, and client service provision.

You will set a clear and strategic vision for the county office teams, ensuring everyone understands the goals and their role in achieving them.

You will implement retention and professional development programs; coordinate strategic trial litigation; advise the director and assistant directors in legal, operational, and administrative matters; and build a culture of client-centered collaboration and communication. You will also serve in an advisory capacity to the Assistant Director of Trial Services, Assistant Director of Columbus Office, and the State Public Defender, and may carry a small caseload.

This position entails active, independent responsibility for performance development and personnel management. To be successful, you must have prior leadership experience in public defense, and demonstrate the abilities to coach people, to proactively build and reinforce trust among staff, even during times of conflict, to innovatively use resources, and to collaborate with others to identify and implement solutions.

• Manage operations:
  • Conduct regular one‑on‑one and team meetings to provide support, discuss challenges, and monitor the performance and development of managers. Provide feedback, recognition, and support. Identify areas for improvement and help develop training opportunities.
  • Cultivate a positive and collaborative work environment where open communication is encouraged. Identify tools and information the staff need to meet goals and ensure those are available to and understood by staff. Travel regularly to county offices to provide in‑person support and training.
  • Allocate resources based on project requirements, client needs, and external demands. Develop original and innovative solutions for current service delivery and staffing issues.
  • Work closely with Human Resources Department to ensure teams stay current with best practices and various responsibilities under rules and policies.
  • Work with Office Directors, Social Work Supervisor, and Assistant Director to develop and implement collaborative defense models in offices.
• Recruitment, Retention, and Development:
  • Lead pipeline initiatives to connect with candidates (for example: pursue opportunities to host externs and interns; organize outreach and presence at Law School campuses and classrooms).
  • Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive onboarding for new staff. Work with directors, supervisors, and training staff to implement new programming and create procedures and policies. Evaluate efforts and outcomes and…