Deputy Director of Regional Prisons of the Canton of Bern 100%

Start of position: 1 February 2027 or by arrangement Work location: Bern The Regional Prisons department of the Office for Penitentiary Services is the largest department and consists of the regional prisons Bern, Burgdorf, Thun, Biel, the Detention Management Center, and the Inselspital security station. The four regional prisons of the Canton of Bern primarily serve the execution of remand, security, and administrative detention of adults and juveniles. Due to the retirement of the previous office holder, the position is being re-advertised. Your tasks <br /> • Ensuring rule-of-law-compliant, secure, and efficient execution of all forms of detention. In doing so, you will actively contribute your sound practical experience in penitentiary services and share responsibility for the protection and security of inmates and employees. • Full deputy for the Director of Regional Prisons. In this function, you will assume overall operational leadership in their absence and ensure practical, decisive leadership, particularly in crisis and exceptional situations. • Responsibility for resource, financial, and infrastructure planning as well as contract management for the Regional Prisons department. Initiating, leading, and realizing complex projects and contributing your in-depth penitentiary experience to department-wide endeavors. • Shared responsibility for the results-oriented leadership, steering, and continuous development of the regional prisons. In doing so, you ensure that strategic objectives are implemented taking into account operational penitentiary practice. • Co-steering of occupancy and capacity planning to ensure cantonal admission capacities. • Responsible for training and further education in the Regional Prisons department. • Standardization and further development of processes as well as conception, establishment, and assurance of effective quality management and a CIRS. • Leading cross-departmental committees and working groups. <br /> Your profile <br /> • You are between 30 and 50 years old, possess a successfully completed university or higher education degree or a comparable completed equivalent education, and demonstrate extensive professional and leadership experience in penitentiary services or the police. Your in-depth practical knowledge of the processes, challenges, and legal frameworks in deprivation of liberty distinguishes you particularly. • Your high level of social competence distinguishes you in dealing with our management, employees, and our internal and external partners. • You are an organizational talent, communicative, and enjoy working in a dynamic, demanding, interdisciplinary environment with special challenges; you possess very good analytical and conceptual skills, are flexible, and resilient. • You have a pronounced understanding of political processes and decision-making paths as well as good knowledge of cantonal administrative structures. Ideally, you already bring experience in collaborating with political committees and authorities. You act confidently in dealing with various stakeholders within and outside the administration. • In hectic situations, you set priorities correctly and communicate them based on your negotiation and communication skills. You are an upright, loyal, and trustworthy personality and handle sensitive information responsibly at all times. Compliance with official and professional secrecy is a matter of course for you. You master written correspondence in German without error and have very good oral skills in French and English and master the common IT systems. An impeccable record is required. <br /> We offer you We offer careful induction into the tasks of management support. An exciting, responsible, and varied job awaits you in a well-coordinated team and a modern workplace. After the induction phase and practical experience, we offer you the opportunity to complete part-time further education. Contact Send us your complete application documents (incl. cover letter, CV with photo, diplomas and work certificates as well as a criminal record extract) exclusively online by 06 July 2026. For questions regarding the field of activity, Andreas Leuzinger, Director Regional Prisons & Bewachungsstation Inselspital, +41 31 633 83 35, is at your disposal. The job interviews are expected to take place in week 34. About the Office for Penitentiary Services The Office for Penitentiary Services (AJV) is responsible for the open and closed execution of sentences and measures for adults and juveniles with approximately 1000 employees within the Security Directorate of the Canton of Bern (SID). To fulfill this task, the office has at its disposal four concordat penitentiary institutions, four regional prisons, the security station at the Inselspital, the Detention Management Center, as well as probation and execution services. https://www.ajv.sid.be.ch/de/start.html