Executive Director

Job Description - Executive Director )

Position Title:

Executive Director - (  )

Division Overview:

The Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC) is an independent, statutorily created commission established under Senate Bill 45 (2025) and administratively attached to the Montana Department of Justice for budgetary and administrative purposes. JPEC is composed of an 11-member, non-paid commission appointed by multiple branches of state government and other designated appointing authorities, with members serving staggered two- and four-year terms. The Commission is responsible for administering Montana’s judicial performance evaluation system for District Court Judges and Montana Supreme Court Justices, including the development of evaluation criteria, oversight of data collection and analysis, review of results, and public reporting as required by law.

JPEC operates as a policy-setting and oversight body, relying on a single full-time Executive Director to manage day-to-day operations, coordinate contracted services, ensure statutory compliance, and implement Commission directives in a fair, neutral, and transparent manner.

Job Overview
:

The Executive Director serves as the single full-time staff member responsible for the administration, management, and implementation of the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC), established under SB 45 (2025). The position ensures that Montana’s judicial performance evaluation system for District Court Judges and Montana Supreme Court Justices is fair, transparent, compliant with statute, and operationally sound.

The Executive Director independently administers all operational aspects of the JPEC program, including program development, policy and guideline creation, data systems management, contract/vendor coordination, reporting requirements, and evaluation processes as directed by the Commission. The position functions with significant independence while remaining accountable to the Commission for policy direction, decision-making authority, and public communication.

The position requires strict adherence to principles of non-partisanship, neutrality, and independence in all aspects of program administration, analysis, and public communication.

The Executive Director reports directly to the Commission Chair and works closely with the 11-member Commission, contracted vendors, and relevant stakeholders.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Administer the statewide Judicial Performance Evaluation Program for District Court Judges and Supreme Court Justices in accordance with statute, Commission rules, and procedural guidelines.
• Develop, implement, and refine program procedures, evaluation instruments, rating systems, scoring rubrics, Create and maintain program manuals, operational guidelines, and internal policy documents.
• Conduct needs assessments and develop performance metrics and data measures to evaluate program effectiveness.

• Support the Commission in managing the JPEC’s annual legislative appropriation (~$500,000) in accordance with state fiscal and procurement rules.
• Work collaboratively with the JPEC Finance Chair and/or Commission Chair on budget development, expenditure tracking, forecasting, and fiscal reporting.
• Monitor program expenditures and provide analysis and recommendations to the Commission to support informed budget decisions.
• Coordinate procurement and manage contracts for third-party vendors (e.g., survey administration, analytics, IT support, data hosting, communications/publications of survey results) as authorized by the Commission.
• Monitor vendor performance and compliance with contractual deliverables, timelines, and data integrity standards.
• Ensure contract documentation, reporting, and renewals comply with state requirements.

• Design and maintain data systems used to collect, store, analyze, and report judicial evaluation information.
• Oversee secure handling of sensitive evaluation data and survey results.
• Conduct statistical and qualitative analysis and prepare internal summaries for Commission review.
• Identify data quality issues,…