About This Position

THE CITY

Over 1.6 million people call Phoenix home, where sunshine and opportunities are endless! Commonly known as the ¿Valley of the Sun¿, Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the United States and provides a rich culture and an abundance of attractions for both residents and visitors from museums, nature parks, and restaurants to a vast network of arts, entertainment, sports, recreational and educational amenities.

Phoenix and the surrounding areas are home to several major professional sports teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), Phoenix Suns (NBA), Phoenix Rising and Phoenix Mercury (WNBA), Arizona Cardinals (NFL), and the site for the Spring Training MLB Cactus League. Phoenix also has one of the fastest growing job markets and is emerging in the new economy with strength in advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, bioscience & healthcare, computer sciences and entrepreneurial activity. Education continues to be a primary focus as well with high-quality public schools, community colleges and universities.

With its strategic location within hours of multiple leisure destinations, Phoenix offers outstanding weather and a vibrant lifestyle, making it a great place to do business, but an even better place to live.

THE ORGANIZATION

The City of Phoenix is a full-service city with the largest council-manager form of government in the United States, with over 14,000 city employees, including seven employee unions and associations, and a $7.8 billion annual budget. The Phoenix City Council is comprised of a Mayor and eight Council members. Each council member is elected by the people from a represented council district for a four-year term. The Mayor is elected at-large. The City Manager is appointed by the Mayor and City Council and is responsible for the city¿s day-to-day management and operations including overseeing more than 30 departments and managing the finances and budget of the City of Phoenix.

The vision for the City is to improve the quality of life through efficient delivery of outstanding public services. The vision statement, ¿We will make Phoenix a great place to live, work, and visit, by fostering a dynamic and sustainable environment with exceptional public services,¿ continues to define and stimulate the City¿s growth and development. The City places a high value on being employee-friendly by striving to be the local market leader for employee compensation and benefits, honoring all cultures and lifestyles, leading the way to be innovative and progressive, and creating a workplace that focuses on customer service excellence both internally and externally to become an ¿employer of choice¿.

It is an exciting time to work for the City of Phoenix! For the first time since 2006, a General Obligation (GO) Bond program of $500 million was approved by Mayor and Council. During a Special Election in November 2023, the voters approved to adopt the GO Bond Program, which will be essential in funding the critical infrastructure and rehabilitation needs of City facilities such as parks, libraries, fire and police stations, affordable housing, streets, and storm drains. To learn more about the proposed GO Bond Program visit: https://www.phoenix.gov/bond

Position Overview

The City of Phoenix is looking for a knowledgeable and collaborative leader to fill the position of Chief Presiding Judge. This executive-level position will lead the judicial branch and perform

professional legal and administrative work while serving as the administrative head of the Municipal Court. Responsibilities include complying with the Constitution and laws of the State, rules and directives of the Supreme Court, and charter provisions and ordinances of the City. The Court has original jurisdiction of all proceedings for the violation of any ordinance of the City and concurrent jurisdiction over all misdemeanor violations of the law of the State, committed within the City. The Municipal Court tries both jury and nonjury cases. The Court is not a court of record. The Court¿s decisions are subject to review by a higher court by way of an appeal of special action. Supervision is exercised over City Judges and management staff. This individual reports to the Mayor and City Council.

Responsibilities

Supervises the work of other City Judges and the management staff, counsels them regarding all matter of policy, procedures and effective sentencing and offers suggestions and corrections;
Supervises the work of other employees concerned with Court operations;
Presides at arraignments, pre-trial conferences, trials and other special hearings in court and hears and disposes of cases;
Performs extensive public relations activities;
Reviews and supervises the maintenance of the trial docket;
Approves bonds and signs criminal warrants and other legal documents;
Assigns City Court Judges to serve in the divisions of the City Court;
Records actions of the City Court;
Appoints and removes, subject to the civil service of the City of Phoenix, for cause, all Court officers and personnel except City Court Judges;
Prepares and supervises all arraignment, trial and sentencing schedules and other Court schedules as deems necessary;
Collects, safekeeps and transfers to the City Treasurer, all fines, penalties and fees collected in City Court except as otherwise provided by law;
Files all reports required by the Constitution and Statutes of the State, and Charter and Ordinances of the City;
Adopts regulations for the internal administration of the Court such as: records management, access and safekeeping; information dissemination; public relations; Court security; personnel conduct and intra-departmental contact;
Prepares and administers the annual budget;
Maintains regular and reliable attendance.
Demonstrates superior seamless customer service, integrity, and commitment to innovation, efficiency, and fiscally responsible activity;
Works more than forty hours in a workweek without additional compensation to perform assigned job duties, including weekends, evenings, early morning hours, and holidays as required;

SALARY

Pay Range Explanation

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.

The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, and training.

Benefits

A comprehensive Executive benefits package is offered which includes:

Traditional pension with employer and employee contributions, click here for more details: Pension Information
401(a) and 457 plans with employer contributions
Choice of generous medical HMO, PPO, or HSA/HDHP plans
Medical enrollment includes a monthly $150 City contribution to a Post-Employment Health Plan
Wellness incentive of up to $720 annually
Dental, vision, and life insurance options
Employer paid long-term disability
Free Bus/light rail pass
Tuition reimbursement program up to $6,500 per year
Paid time off includes 13.5 paid holidays, 12 vacation days, and 15 sick days and personal leave days
Paid Parental Leave for eligible employees up to 480 hours (12 weeks) of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child during a 12-month period
Federal Student Loan Forgiveness offered through Savi

For more details, visit: Executive Benefits.

Minimum Qualifications

Five years of experience in work involving considerable public contact, with responsible experience in community or civic organizations.
Including at least three years of judicial experience to that of City Judge or higher.
Law degree from an accredited college or university.
Other combinations of education and experience which meet the minimum requirements may be substituted
All finalists for positions are subject to a criminal background check applicable to the department or position.
Some positions require the use of personal or City vehicles on City business. Individuals must be physically capable of operating the vehicles safely, possess a valid driver's license and have an acceptable driving record. Use of a personal vehicle for City business will be prohibited if the employee is not authorized to drive a City vehicle or if the employee does not have personal insurance coverage.
For information regarding pre-screening and driving positions, click here.
The City job description can be found here.

RECRUITMENT DATES

Recruitment closes March 16, 2026. All materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. on this date.

This is a position-based recruitment and will not result in any ongoing eligibility list. This recruitment and any selection processes resulting from this recruitment may be used to fill other related vacancies within the organization now or in the near future.

How To Apply

Apply online by completing the required information and attaching, as one document, your cover letter and resume. Please include your experience as it relates to the qualifications stated above. Only the highest qualified may be posted to the eligible to hire list. The results of the resume screening process will be sent to your primary email address.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP

Job interviews may be held by video or audio conference.
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If you require assistance at any stage of the application process due to an accessibility issue, please contact the Human Resources Department by phone at (602) 495-5700 or by text at (800) 367-8939. You may also fill out and submit a Reasonable Accommodation Request Form.

REFERENCE

Chief Presiding Judge (NC), JC:10590, ID# 60750, 02/11/2026, USM, MA, Benefits: Executive

Building the Phoenix of tomorrow.

#DoWorkThatMakesPhoenixWork

City of Phoenix is an equal opportunity employer. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni who meet the required qualifications are encouraged to apply.

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