Principal Manager I

Overview

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
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

• 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.
• Review design documentation regularly to ensure compliance with standards and thorough analysis of technical and functional impacts.
• Review and approve test plans to ensure adequacy and oversee completion when executed.
• Act as primary liaison between the Judicial Council’s Information Technology (JCIT) office and the COE.
• Review and approve system maintenance activities.
• Conduct Integration meetings with JCIT’s Center of Excellence management.
• Set development standards and review design and delivery documentation to ensure compliance with them.
• Manage vendor relationships to ensure that Trial Court Administrative Services office and JCIT receive the service they require from software and integrator vendors.
• Lead/participate in meetings with SAP software account representatives.
• Lead/participate in meetings with System Integrator services account representatives.
• Review and approve monthly billings from System Integrator services provider.
• Manage functional Subject Matter Expert tasks for procurement of IT services.

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 (published documents, new legislation, Judicial Council agendas and minutes, state budget, etc.) – 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

Supervisor Duties:

• Recommends selection of staff;
• Trains staff and proposes internal and external training courses and workshops;  
• Provides for 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.

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.

OR

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.

How To Apply

This position is Open Until Filled and requires the submission of our official application, a resume, and response to the supplemental questions. To ensure consideration of your application for the earliest round of interviews, please apply by Thursday, September 10, 2026. 

To complete an online application, please click the Apply to Job button.

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.

Pay and 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:

• Health/Dental/Vision benefits program
• 14 paid holidays per calendar year
• Choice of Annual Leave or Sick/Vacation Leave
• 1 personal holiday per year
• Up to $130 per month reimbursement for qualifying commuting costs
• CalPERS Retirement Plan
• 401(k) and 457 deferred compensation plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• FlexElect Program
• Pretax Parking
• Long Term Disability Program (employee paid/optional)
• Group Legal Plan (employee paid/optional)
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Judicial Council of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Supplemental Questions

To better assess the qualifications of each applicant, please provide a response to the following questions:

1. Describe the experience, knowledge, and skills you possess that make you a strong candidate for this position. In your response, identify the aspects of your background that you believe are most relevant to leading a team responsible for complex business operations and enterprise systems.
2. Senior Managers are frequently required to communicate complex or technical information to audiences with varying levels of subject matter knowledge. Describe your approach to preparing a written communication for an executive or other decision maker who may not have technical expertise in the subject. What information would you include, and how would you determine the appropriate level of detail?