Department Head Transitional Department / Short-Term Imprisonment 80 - 100%
Kanton Zürich
Zürich
Key information
- Publication date:24 October 2025
- Workload:80 – 100%
- Place of work:Zürich
Department Head Transitional Department / Short-Term Imprisonment 80 - 100%
Correctional Services and Reintegration (JuWe) is part of the Directorate of Justice and the Interior of the Canton of Zurich and is responsible for penal and measure enforcement as well as the implementation of various types of detention. For our 1,400 employees from around 40 professions, the successful social reintegration of offenders and the prevention of recidivism are of particular importance.
The Pöschwies Correctional Facility (JVA) is one of seven main departments of JuWe. The JVA Pöschwies, with 399 places, is the largest closed correctional facility for men in Switzerland. It fulfills a central state function and, according to legal mandate, takes into account the resocialization of prisoners and the protection of the public.
Due to the retirement of the current department head, we are looking for a committed leader as of May 1, 2026, or by agreement.
This is your field of activity
- You lead the transitional department including a short-term imprisonment group with two directly subordinate group leaders and 12 employees in terms of personnel, expertise, and organization
- You ensure smooth operations. This includes monitoring compliance with safety regulations, organizing shift operations including on-call duties, independently ordering inspections and measures, and applying disciplinary law
- You are organizationally responsible within the same building for implementing the special enforcement form of short sentences, including compliance with the separation requirement
- You coordinate the care tasks oriented to the enforcement plans in a cross-disciplinary and overarching manner, focusing on reintegration
- Together with specialized partners such as the psychiatric service, social service, medical service, etc., you find specific enforcement solutions for challenging inmates
- You act as an on-call officer and take operational responsibility for the service operation within the JVA Pöschwies several times a year, each time for a week during off-hours and at night
This is what you bring
- You must have basic training as a specialist in correctional services and completed training as a certified social pedagogue HF (or equivalent) or as a correctional services leadership expert. Willingness for further training in leadership or social pedagogy is also required
- You bring several years of professional experience in correctional services and some years of leadership experience
- You have proven knowledge of mental health disorders
- You can express yourself very well in written and spoken German and ideally have knowledge of other languages
- You are proficient in using the MS Office suite
- You are both mentally and physically resilient, and changing working hours (on-call and weekend duties) are compatible with your other commitments
- You have an impeccable reputation (no entries in the criminal record or debt enforcement register)
This is special about this position
- A demanding, interesting, and versatile management role in a dynamic and extraordinary working environment
- We offer attractive internal and external training opportunities
- You can expect fair employment conditions according to cantonal guidelines
Your application
Take the next step in your professional career with us and send us your application via our online tool. We look forward to your dossier!
Do you have any questions? Yves Jaunâtre, Head of Care & Security, is happy to assist you at 043 257 16 21.
Questions about the application process can be answered by the Recruitment & Assessment team at 043 258 34 59.
JuWe uses an online assessment as part of the application process. More information about our recruitment process and employment at JuWe can be found at Working at JuWe | Canton of Zurich (zh.ch).
Correctional Services and Reintegration (JuWe) is part of the Directorate of Justice and the Interior of the Canton of Zurich and is responsible for penal and measure enforcement as well as the implementation of various types of detention. For our 1,400 employees from around 40 professions, the successful social reintegration of offenders and the prevention of recidivism are of particular importance.
The Pöschwies Correctional Facility (JVA) is one of seven main departments of JuWe. The JVA Pöschwies, with 399 places, is the largest closed correctional facility for men in Switzerland. It fulfills a central state function and, according to legal mandate, takes into account the resocialization of prisoners and the protection of the public.
Due to the retirement of the current department head, we are looking for a committed leader as of May 1, 2026, or by agreement.
This is your field of activity
- You lead the transitional department including a short-term imprisonment group with two directly subordinate group leaders and 12 employees in terms of personnel, expertise, and organization
- You ensure smooth operations. This includes monitoring compliance with safety regulations, organizing shift operations including on-call duties, independently ordering inspections and measures, and applying disciplinary law
- You are organizationally responsible within the same building for implementing the special enforcement form of short sentences, including compliance with the separation requirement
- You coordinate the care tasks oriented to the enforcement plans in a cross-disciplinary and overarching manner, focusing on reintegration
- Together with specialized partners such as the psychiatric service, social service, medical service, etc., you find specific enforcement solutions for challenging inmates
- You act as an on-call officer and take operational responsibility for the service operation within the JVA Pöschwies several times a year, each time for a week during off-hours and at night
This is what you bring
- You must have basic training as a specialist in correctional services and completed training as a certified social pedagogue HF (or equivalent) or as a correctional services leadership expert. Willingness for further training in leadership or social pedagogy is also required
- You bring several years of professional experience in correctional services and some years of leadership experience
- You have proven knowledge of mental health disorders
- You can express yourself very well in written and spoken German and ideally have knowledge of other languages
- You are proficient in using the MS Office suite
- You are both mentally and physically resilient, and changing working hours (on-call and weekend duties) are compatible with your other commitments
- You have an impeccable reputation (no entries in the criminal record or debt enforcement register)
This is special about this position
- A demanding, interesting, and versatile management role in a dynamic and extraordinary working environment
- We offer attractive internal and external training opportunities
- You can expect fair employment conditions according to cantonal guidelines
Your application
Take the next step in your professional career with us and send us your application via our online tool. We look forward to your dossier!
Do you have any questions? Yves Jaunâtre, Head of Care & Security, is happy to assist you at 043 257 16 21.
Questions about the application process can be answered by the Recruitment & Assessment team at 043 258 34 59.
JuWe uses an online assessment as part of the application process. More information about our recruitment process and employment at JuWe can be found at Working at JuWe | Canton of Zurich (zh.ch).
