Job Description

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF IOWA CAREER OPPORTUNITY

Position Title: Official Court Reporter
Vacancy Number: 26-03
Position Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Location: Sioux City, Iowa
Salary Range: Level 1-4

Salary is commensurate with work experience and certification requirements as governed by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
CR Level 1: $95,454*
CR Level 2: $100,227* (Merit Certification Required);
CR Level 3: $104,999* (Realtime Certification Required);
CR Level 4: $109,772* (Both Realtime Certification and Merit
Certification Required)
*Plus, authorized transcript fees

Posting Period: October 1, 2026 – Open Until Filled. Interviews may be scheduled on a rolling basis.

Start Date: February 8, 2027

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa is seeking qualified applicants for an Official Court Reporter. Official Court Reporters are responsible for the verbatim reporting of proceedings held before United States District Judges and Magistrate Judges and for the transcription of those proceedings upon request. Official Court Reporters are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Court and must comply with the requirements of the Judicial Conference of the United States and the Court Reporter Management Plan of the Court.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES:

• Attend and record verbatim court sessions for both civil and criminal proceedings; read back portions of court record as required.
• Provide transcripts within the time and cost limitations set by the Judicial Conference; electronically file with the Clerk of Court a copy of all transcripts prepared concurrently with delivery to the requesting parties. Fees for transcripts sold to private parties are established by Judicial Conference and are retained by the Official Court Reporter.
• Provide transcripts and/or Realtime feed to the Court upon request, without charge.
• Perform such administrative duties as required, such as billing for transcripts, financial and other record keeping, preparation and filing of required Administrative Office reports, and responding to official correspondence and telephone calls.
• Maintain and safeguard records until they are disposed of according to statutory requirement and Judicial Conference policy.
• Adhere to requirements of The Guide to Judiciary Policy, Volume VI, as well as the Court’s local Court Reporter Management Plan.
• Provide and maintain his or her own court compatible equipment and supplies necessary to produce transcription, including all necessary software, paper, and electronic storage media.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

COURT REPORTER QUALIFICATIONS:
Applicant must possess at least one year of court reporting experience in the freelance field of service or in other courts or a combination thereof and have qualified by testing for listing on the registry of professional reporters of the National Court Reporters Association or passed an equivalent qualifying examination. Realtime certification is highly desirable. Applicant also must possess excellent organizational skills to permit the production of transcripts within strict time limitations, work well under pressure, and be willing to work as part of a team of reporters under the direction of the Clerk of Court in fulfilling the needs of all judicial officers of the Court. Applicant must possess excellent communication skills, tact, judgment, poise, and initiative, and always maintain a professional appearance and demeanor.

BENEFITS:
Benefits include participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and Thrift Savings Plan (similar to 401K plan with employer matching contributions), Federal Employees Health Benefits, Federal Employees Group Life Insurance, Federal Employees Dental and Vision Programs, Flexible Benefits Program, 11 paid holidays, paid vacation, and sick leave.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• The Federal Financial Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages for Court employees.
• Due to the volume of applications, the Court will only communicate with those individuals who will be interviewed.
• The position will be open until filled and may be closed without further notice. The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the job announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date, any of which actions may occur without prior written notice or other notice.
• All Court employees are excepted service appointments and as such are “at will” employees that can be terminated with or without cause by the Court at any time, and they are also subject to continued funding.
• Employees of the Court are required to adhere to a Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees, which is available upon request.
• The Court is an equal opportunity employer which encourages minority applicants.
• The selected candidate will be required to submit fingerprints for an FBI background check as a condition of employment. Hiring of the successful applicant will be contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background check.
• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or eligible to work in the United States.
• The Court provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.
• Applicants are advised that false statements or omission of information on any application materials or the inability to meet the aforementioned conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.

HOW TO APPLY:
To be assured consideration for this position, qualified applicants must submit a complete application packet that includes:

• A letter of interest that refers to the vacancy announcement number and addresses your qualifications and relevant experience;
• A current/detailed resume;
• The names and current contact information for three professional references; and
• Form AO78, Application for Judicial Branch Employment, which may be obtained at Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment | United States Courts (uscourts.gov)  

All application documents should be emailed in one PDF format to: applications@iand.uscourts.gov

Include the announcement number and position title in the email subject line.

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Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Work experience placement, Freelance, Work at office, Local area, Flexible hours

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