Juvenile Detention Center Administrator

Juvenile Detention Center Administrator

Salary

$99,534.03 - $174,184.61 Annually

Location

JUVENILE DETENTION CTR, 10650 PAGE AVE, FAIRFAX (FJ25), VA

Job Type

FT Salary W BN

Job Number

26-01315

Department

Juv & Domestic Relations Court

Opening Date

08/22/2026

Closing Date

9/4/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Pay Grade

S32

Posting Type

Open to General Public

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Job Announcement

This position plans, organizes and directs the operations of the Fairfax Juvenile Detention Center. Also administers and implements the policies, procedures and directives established for the detention center to ensure that safety and security is maintained for the protection of residents, staff and the community. Assures compliance with the Department of Juvenile Justice Regulation Governing Juvenile Secure Detention Centers as well as other regulatory requirements such as the Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, Fairfax County and Court policy and procedure. This position works under the general supervision of the JDRDC Residential Services Division Director.

Oversees the supervision of up to 112 county employees and directly supervises three assistant superintendents and an administrative supervisor; oversees the selection and hiring of all staff; creates an effective training development program for supervisors and line staff; meets regularly with staff in supervision and completes performance evaluations; assigns work schedules for 24/7operation, reviews work of employees and conducts group meetings; plans for after hours on call for emergency issues and coordinates essential employee services during times when county officials declare an emergency.

Oversees and directs the implementation of educational and mental health services for residents. Coordinates with the Fairfax County Public Schools and the State Department of Education for the operations of an alternative school program to provide appropriate educational services to the residents which includes up to 14 educational professionals. Coordinates with CSB personnel to ensure appropriate mental health assessment and management for all youth and where appropriate, that treatment services are in place to meet the needs of the residents. Ensures that the program provides medical services, food services, volunteer services, recreational and behavior management programming that meets the needs of all residents.

Ensures that expenditures are kept within budget allotments as defined by JDRDC Finance and either directly or through designated subordinates' reviews and approves all purchases. Ensures the maintenance and upkeep of the secure detention facility and coordinates the needs and issues with the Facilities Management Division of county government; arranges for and maintains agreements with other county agencies and oversees contracts for health consultants such as medical doctor, psychiatrist and teen health and sexuality consultant. Informs and educates community groups and other county agencies about the philosophy and operations of the Juvenile Detention Center. Participates as a member of the senior management team for Juvenile Court. Leads and/or participate in Agency and County level workgroups and committees; participates and collaborates within the agency, human services, committees and/or teams for special projects. Represents the Fairfax County JDC at State level meetings, committees and workgroups; attends quarterly statewide Virginia Juvenile Detention Association (VJDA) meetings; and participates in Department of Juvenile Justice workgroups and committees.

This position is considered "essential personnel" and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).

Illustrative Duties

Directs all aspects of the JDC, including staff supervision, security, food services, an alternative school, laundry, medical services, maintenance and facility improvements;

Assigns work schedules and reviews performance of subordinates;

Conducts staff conferences and meetings;

Ensures that program policies and procedures adhere to State standards so that security is maintained for the protection of staff, residents and the community;

Coordinates operation of an alternate school program with the Fairfax County Public Schools;

Maintains statistical data and prepares regular reports, as required, for the state and/or County;

Informs community groups and/or agencies about the philosophy and objectives of the Juvenile Detention Center;

Plans for administrative staff to be on-call for emergency situations at the JDC;

Visits the Center at non-traditional hours to ensure compliance with policies and procedures;

Arranges and maintains agreements for services with other County agencies;

Oversees contracts for health consultants, such as the facilitys physician and the teen health and sexuality consultant;

Prepares budget estimates of operating expenses, and ensures that expenditures are kept within budget allotments;

Requests and purchases supplies and equipment in accordance with County purchasing requirements;

Oversees the maintenance of the facility and equipment inventory.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of the policies and procedures of the juvenile justice system;

Thorough knowledge of related federal, state and local juvenile and domestic relations laws;

Knowledge of the Virginia Department of Youth and Family Services Standards;

Knowledge of the current trends and methods of addressing delinquency and related problems;

Knowledge of, and the ability to train others in the use of, a variety of restraining devices;

Ability to plan, direct and evaluate the work of others;

Ability to recognize problems of both a physical and psychological nature as exhibited by juveniles assigned to the JDC;

Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with juveniles, subordinates, and state and County officials;

Ability to objectively evaluate and improve operating policies and procedures at the JDC;

Ability to speak and write effectively;

Ability to plan and direct administrative/facility maintenance tasks for the JDC.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a masters degree in social/behavioral sciences, law enforcement, or education; plus, four years of professional experience in probation work, including three years in a supervisory capacity.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

Valid drivers license (Required at the time of application)

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• This position is considered Emergency Service Personnel to ensure the continuity of essential operations and will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency situation (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster).
• The appointee to the position will be required to complete the following to the satisfaction of the employer:
• Criminal Background Investigation
• Child Protective Services Registry Check
• Credit Check
• Sanction Screenings
• Driving Record Check
• Pre-employment Medical Evaluation
• Tuberculosis Test

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of two years experience supervising staff to include their performance evaluations, training and mentoring staff.
• At least four years professional experience working with families and adolescents, preferably in a residential or home-based setting.
• An understanding of Juvenile Justice Reform, the child welfare system, adolescent brain development, and the impact of trauma on families.
• Experience interpreting and successful compliance with State and Federal regulations and completing quality assurance checks.
• Experience doing case management, treatment planning, and using evidenced-based practices such as Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Expressive Arts Therapy, and trauma-informed interventions.
• Masters degree in counseling, social work or psychology preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Job is generally sedentary in nature, however the position does require walking and standing, visual and auditory acuity is required to read data on computer monitor, incumbent must be able to operate keyboard driven equipment.
• Must communicate with others.
• Employee may be required to lift up to 15 pounds.
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle.
• All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview and may include a practical exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others.) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov. EEO/AA/TTY.

#LI-AL1

Requisition 26-01315

Merit Positions

Fairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
• Group Term Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• LiveWell Program
• Flexible Spending Programs
• Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
• Paid Holidays
• Contributory Retirement Plan
• Deferred Compensation
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employees Child Care Center
• Continuous Learning Opportunities

Please click here for a summary of our benefits.

NOTE: Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program: Public Service Loan Forgiveness | Federal Student Aid

For additional details please visit the Countys benefits webpage.

Non-Merit Positions

• Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage

• Flexible Spending Program

• Deferred Compensation

• Temporary: scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.

• No benefits

01

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

• Less than 12th grade
• High school diploma or GED
• Some college
• Associates degree
• Bachelors degree
• Masters degree
• Doctorate degree

02

If you answered "Some college" for the highest level of education completed, please indicate the number of quarter or semester hours you have completed towards a degree.

• Less than 45 quarter hours
• 45 to less than 90 quarter hours
• 90 to less than 135 quarter hours
• 135 to less than 180 quarter hours
• 180 or more quarter hours
• Less than 30 semester hours
• 30 to less than 60 semester hours
• 60 to less than 90 semester hours
• 90 to less than 120 semester hours
• 120 or more semester hours
• Not applicable

03

Please indicate your area(s) of study or major(s)/minor(s) towards a degree. Check all that apply.

• Criminal justice
• Social work
• Psychology
• Counseling
• Education
• Sociology
• Other (related field)
• Other (non-related field)
• Not applicable

04

If you answered "Other (related field)" or "Other (non-related field)" for the previous question, please list all of your majors and minors. If this question does not pertain to you, or you do not have a degree, enter "Not applicable".

05

Do you currently possess a valid drivers license?

• Yes
• No

06

How many years of full-time equivalent professional-level experience in social/behavioral sciences, law enforcement, education, or in probation do you possess?

• None
• Less than a year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine or more years

07

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have working in a supervisory capacity?

• None
• Less than a year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine or more years

08

How many years of full-time equivalent professional experience do you have working in probation?

• None
• Less than a year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine or more years

09

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have working in a hardware secure facility ("hardware secure" refers to the physical construction and control features restricting access in and out of the facility) with court detained youth or adults?

• None
• Less than a year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine or more years

10

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have working in a residential program for adolescents?

• None
• Less than a year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine or more years

11

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have working with at-risk youth?

• None
• Less than a year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine or more years

12

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have working in youth residential program management, responsible for the development and performance of a service-related program?

• None
• Less than a year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine or more years

13

Please indicate your level of proficiency with Microsoft Word.

• Beginner (Basic knowledge of creating, editing, formatting, and saving simple documents; inserting simple tables; and proofreading documents for accuracy)
• Intermediate (Knowledge of common commands such as creating a title; using, modifying, and creating styles; setting up the ruler; indenting paragraphs, using tabs and tables; inserting captions, footnotes, endnotes, special characters, or hard page breaks; using page numbering; creating headers and footers; inserting graphics; inserting an equation, adding comments and tracking changes.)
• Advanced (Extensive knowledge of almost all function of program including mail merge, macros, creating a table of contents, creating bookmarks and cross-referencing.)
• No experience

14

Please indicate your level of proficiency with Microsoft Excel.

• Beginner (Basic knowledge of creating a worksheet; performing calculations in a worksheet; modifying and formatting a worksheet; printing workbook contents)
• Intermediate (Knowledge of inserting and modifying graphic objects in a worksheet; customizing and enhancing workbooks; analyzing data using Pivot Tables, Slicers, and Pivot Charts)
• Advanced (Extensive knowledge of increasing productivity and improving efficiency by streamlining workflow; collaborating with others using workbooks; auditing worksheets; analyzing data; working with multiple workbooks; importing and exporting data, using Excel with the web)
• No experience

15

This position is considered essential personnel for purposes of continuity of operations. Essential personnel will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster). Are you willing and able to report to work during these situations?

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer Fairfax County

Address 12000 Government Center Pkwy. Suite 270

Fairfax, Virginia, 22035

Phone 703-324-3311

Website http://agency.governmentjobs.com/fairfaxcounty/default.cfm