Hamilton County, Ohio · 1 day ago
Director - Conviction Integrity Unit
Cincinnati, OH
Contract
Onsite
Director/Executive
$120K/yr - $120K/yr
10+ years expHamilton County, Ohio is seeking a Director for the Conviction Integrity Unit, a specialized unit that investigates claims of wrongful convictions and sentencing inequities. The Director will oversee the unit's operations, manage reinvestigations, and serve as a liaison with various stakeholders to ensure justice and accountability.
GovernmentNon ProfitOffice Administration
Responsibilities
Oversee screening, acceptance, and prioritization of applications alleging actual innocence, wrongful conviction, or unjust sentencing
Direct and supervise reinvestigations, including evidence review, new forensic testing, and interviews, and make recommendations on exonerations or sentence relief
Work and communicate sensitively with victims, survivors, and affected defendants while protecting confidentiality and maintaining public trust in the process
Supervise the CIU attorney, investigator, and paralegal. Assign caseloads and ensure the unit operates with appropriate independence within the office
Serve as the primary liaison to the elected prosecutor, innocence organizations, defense counsel, courts, and forensic agencies on CIU matters
Coordinate with other divisions regarding evidence retention, mass notifications when systemic errors are found, and any follow-up prosecutions of newly identified perpetrators
Analyze CIU cases for patterns of error and propose policy and practice changes to prevent future wrongful convictions or excessive sentences
Design and deliver internal training for prosecutors, investigators, and staff on disclosure, eyewitness identification, forensics, and other risk areas
Prepare regular reports on CIU activities, including outcomes, and systemic findings, for office leadership and, as appropriate, the public
Qualification
Required
Juris Doctorate
Licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio or eligible to become admitted to practice law in Ohio
10 or more years of criminal litigation experience in felony trial and/or appellate or post-conviction, particularly with violent crime
A deep commitment to accuracy, fairness, and correcting injustice, with a record of integrity-focused work rather than conviction-rate-driven performance
Advanced case-analysis skills, including comfort and experience with document-driven cases that can take months or years to build, including reviewing large records, identifying legal and factual errors, and reassessing credibility and reliability of evidence
Familiarity with forensic science issues, eyewitness identification, confessions, and common cause of wrongful convictions
Prior supervisory or program-leadership experience, including managing attorneys, investigators, or complex projects
Outstanding written and oral advocacy skills for drafting reports, recommendations, and post-conviction pleadings, and for presenting complex findings clearly
A proven ability to work effectively with prosecutors, defense lawyers, innocence organizations, courts, law enforcement, experts, and impacted individuals and families
Emotional resilience, humility, and professionalism when handling sensitive, high-profile, or politically charged cases involving past errors by the office
Knowledge of relevant federal, state, and local laws, regulations and rules especially as they relate to criminal matters
Knowledge of principles and practices of employee supervision, including selection, work planning, performance review, evaluation, training, and discipline
Knowledge of office protocols with respect to negotiation and litigation practice
Knowledge of legal research methods, databases, and other research tools or sources
Knowledge of rules of professional conduct and standards for ethical behavior
Ability to provide leadership and direction to staff
Ability to carefully consider the appropriate role for the State in each case or scenario brought to the CIU's attention
Ability to plan, coordinate, train, and supervise the work of staff
Ability to assess the needs of the CIU and develop short and long-range goals and objectives
Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with a client and other professionals
Ability to utilize initiative and independent judgement within established procedural guidelines
Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in written form
Ability to exercise judgement and tact
Ability to understand, interpret, and apply relevant federal, state, and local laws, policies, and procedures
Ability to maintain confidentiality of information and records and work independently of the trial team prosecutors
Ability to administer the policies of the Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney
Ability to design and implement protocols, manage caseloads, set priorities, and build a collaborative, learning-oriented unit culture
Ability to take initiative and be self-directed on non-deadline-oriented investigations
Ability to network in such a way to build a roster of contacts where referrals to other agencies or institutions may be the appropriate public service
Benefits
Full-time role; paid bi-weekly; paid vacation, sick time, two annual personal days.
Comprehensive Benefits Package: Medical, HRA, Dental, Vision, Employer-Paid Life Insurance, Public Service Loan Forgiveness Eligibility, Wellness Incentives, Employee Assistance Plan.
Ohio Public Employee’s Retirement System which includes a 10% employee contribution and a 14% employer contribution.
Company
Hamilton County, Ohio
Hamilton County, Ohio is a dynamic local government dedicated to delivering the best and most responsive county services in America.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageRecent News
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