Kanton Zürich
Zürich
Yesterday
Deputy Head of Remand Prisons Zurich & Head of Legal Service 80 - 100%
- 13 March 2026
- 80 – 100%
- Zürich
Job summary
Join the Zürich Justice Department as a Deputy Head of Investigation Prisons. This role offers a dynamic work environment and impactful responsibilities.
Tasks
- Support the director in strategic and operational leadership.
- Lead the legal service with a team of around 6 experts.
- Collaborate with partner organizations like law enforcement agencies.
Skills
- Master's degree in law with extensive legal experience required.
- Strong decision-making skills and integrity essential.
- Ability to handle complex situations with resilience.
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About the job
Deputy Head of Remand Prisons Zurich & Head of Legal Service 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.
The remand prisons (UGZ) are one of seven main departments of JuWe. They are responsible for the enforcement of provisional detention, investigative and security custody, as well as early penal and measure enforcement until transfer to a correctional facility, and for custodial sentences for women.
In this dual role as deputy head of the remand prisons Zurich and head of the legal service, you take on a central leadership role within the UGZ. You support the director in the strategic and operational management of the main department and share responsibility for a secure, lawful, and progressive correctional system.
This appeals to you
- As the permanent deputy head of the main department, you work closely with our seven prisons, support them in fulfilling their mandate, and actively shape the further development of a modern, human-centered remand custody
- You lead the UGZ legal service with a team of about 6 specialists and bear professional, personnel, organizational, and financial responsibility
- You and your team form the central interface to partner organizations, including law enforcement and correctional authorities, police corps, and medical institutions
- You draft consultation responses in complaint and appeal procedures, handle supervisory complaints, and conduct disciplinary proceedings including hearings and orders
- You further develop legal decision-making bases, processes, and procedures and ensure their implementation in the institutions
- You design and organize training for UGZ employees, participate in training sessions and conferences, and support legal auditors
- You participate in JuWe-internal and cross-partner working groups and engage in projects to further develop the organization
This defines you
- You have a completed Master of Law (MLaw)
- You bring many years of legal professional experience, including at least five years of leadership experience managing specialists or legal teams
- Your professional focus has been on public law, administrative law, or criminal law, and you have experience in a socially relevant environment
- You are characterized by strategic thinking, decisiveness, and high integrity
- You present yourself confidently and appropriately to authorities, partner organizations, and internal stakeholders
- You bring resilience, assertiveness, and conflict management skills for a demanding environment
- You have an impeccable record (no entries in the criminal and debt enforcement registers)
This awaits you
- A strategically relevant leadership role with social impact
- Collaboration in a committed team
- Scope for design in a versatile and interdisciplinary environment
- Structured onboarding
- Broad range of training and further education opportunities
How to become part of us
- Application via our online tool
- Online assessment
- Initial online interview
- Panel interview
- Trial day in a remand prison
- Half-day assessment center
Your application
Help us shape the further development of correctional services and send us your application via our online tool. We look forward to receiving your dossier.
Do you have professional questions? Nathalie Dorn, Director UGZ, is happy to assist you at +41 43 258 37 09. For questions about the application process, the Recruitment & Assessment team is available at 043 257 61 49.
More information about our recruitment process and employment at JuWe can be found at Working at JuWe | Canton Zurich (zh.ch).
