Chief Judge at the Court in Greenland

THE POSITION IS OPEN FOR APPLICATION The position of Chief Judge at the Court in Greenland is available for appointment as soon as possible.

The court in Greenland, which is headquartered in Nuuk, handles in the first instance all ordinary civil cases, insolvency cases, and complex criminal cases, etc., that are referred from the four district courts. Registration of rights over real estate and court fee issues also fall under the jurisdiction of the Court of Greenland.

In addition, the Court in Greenland has the core task of educating and guiding the district judges and other staff in the district courts.

About the position

The presiding judge, as the highest administrative chief, is responsible for the management, funding, and administrative matters of the Court in Greenland and the district courts. Additionally, the presiding judge has overall responsibility for the allocation of cases among the lawyers at the Court in Greenland and formally also for the allocation of cases among district judges. In practice, however, cases at the district courts are allocated by the presiding district judge at the respective district court.

The administrative and managerial tasks include, among other things, organizing work, personnel management and personnel administration, training, communication, grant management, budgeting and budget follow-up, IT operations, and building administration.

The presiding judge is assisted in daily work with management, personnel administration, and other administrative tasks by the court's other judge, the head of administration, the head of functions, and the chief interpreter.

There are approximately 85 employees at the Court in Greenland, the district courts, and the interpreting department.

As part of the courts' multi-year agreement, funds have been allocated for a number of initiatives aimed at the North Atlantic courts, which are specifically intended to strengthen IT support and ensure more personnel resources and training thereof at the courts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands. In the period 2026–2030, a new large IT development program will be launched as part of this, which will ensure future IT support for the North Atlantic courts. The goal is to elevate the case processing processes and communication with citizens, businesses, and organizations to a level that corresponds to that of the Danish courts. Another central focus area in the coming years is the work to professionalize the actors in the judiciary in Greenland, which includes increasing the legal competencies of both district judges, prosecutors, and defenders.

It is expected that the title of Chief Justice will be changed to President in an upcoming amendment to the Greenlandic Administration of Justice Act.

Read more about the district courts and the Court in Greenland here or at www.domstol.dk/groenland.

Qualifications

The presiding judge must be a judge or qualified to become a judge, according to Section 13 of the Greenlandic Administration of Justice Act.

The presiding judge must have visions for and be able to develop and strengthen the Greenlandic judiciary. The applicant must therefore have strong skills in strategic leadership and be able to translate goals and values into concrete action plans.

As the highest responsible for the Court in Greenland and the district courts, it is important that the presiding judge has good personnel management skills. The applicant must have a flair for creating employee well-being as well as a desire to strengthen the educational efforts and competence development among the staff.

Emphasis will be placed on the applicant's understanding of the specific Greenlandic conditions and their ability to actively apply this in their leadership.

It is important that the presiding judge is collaborative and actively contributes to the internal cooperation at the courts in Greenland, both in daily collaboration and through active participation in, among other things, the Greenland Forum and the Working Group on the Development of the Courts in Greenland, as well as in the ongoing cooperation with the Court Administration and the court's professional partners, including the Greenland Police, Greenland's Prisons, lawyers, the public defender, and the authorized defenders.

There will also be an emphasis on the applicant being a strong communicator who can communicate internally as well as externally with the court's professional partners, users, the press, and other stakeholders.

Salary and employment conditions

Employment in the position is on civil servant terms.

Effective from April 1, 2026, the salary and employment conditions for civil servants in the state employed in Greenland have been equalized with the conditions applicable to civil servants in the state employed in Denmark or the Faroe Islands. This means, among other things, that remuneration is now based on Danish salary frameworks, and that the position is covered by the salary agreement for judges.

The position of chief judge at the Court in Greenland is classified in salary frame 39. The position is associated with a personal allowance and two so-called North Atlantic allowances. The total salary for the position currently amounts to 108,786 DKK per month at the current level (April 1, 2026).

The pension contribution amounts to 17.1% of the personal allowance and one of the two North Atlantic allowances, of which one third is considered as the employee's contribution.

An attractive service apartment is provided, which can also accommodate a potential family.

The presiding judge will be covered by a number of agreements applicable to state officials, including rules on the right to relocation compensation upon appointment and resignation, as well as the right to free travel during service.

Commencement can take place by further agreement.

Application and procedure for filling the position

The position is applied for electronically at www.domstol.dk under the "Job" section in the top menu.

You must attach a curriculum vitae, any relevant court statement, a recent digital photo, and possibly additional statements. Applications must be received in the recruitment system no later than Monday, August 17, 2026.

Job interviews in the Greenland Judicial Appointments Council are expected to be held (possibly via video) on September 17, 2026, and possibly also on October 22, 2026. Invitations to the interviews should be expected to be issued on short notice.

Applicants must be prepared for the possibility that tests may be included in the recruitment process by an external consultant.

The applicants who have been interviewed will receive separate information about the further procedure for the position filling as well as about any testing process after the Greenland Judicial Appointments Council meeting on September 17, 2026.

Any questions about living and working in Greenland and the content of the position can be directed until August 1, 2026, to the current presiding judge at the Court in Greenland, Stig Nørskov-Jensen, at tel. +299 - 36 39 20. Remember that there is a 3-hour time difference.

Questions regarding employment conditions, the service apartment, or the position in general can be directed to Deputy Chief Rikke Ladefoged, the Danish Court Administration's HR center (41 10 06 51) (on vacation in weeks 30-32).

Questions regarding the hiring process can be directed to the secretary of the Judicial Appointments Council, Hannah Nüchel Wildt (51 23 13 22) (on vacation in weeks 29-32).

The Greenland Judicial Appointments Council is expected to make a final decision on who will be recommended for the position at its meeting on October 22, 2026. The council's recommendation will be published on the website on October 23, 2026, at 2:00 PM. The applicants who have been interviewed will be informed by phone about the council's recommendation before it is published on the website.

The Judicial Appointments Council for Greenland submits recommendations to the Minister of Justice regarding the filling of judicial positions in Greenland. Further information about the council can be found at https://domstol.dk/dommerudnaevnelsesraadet/faeroeerne-og-groenland/. You can also read more about the handling of your personal data here.

Further information about the formal requirements for appointment to judicial positions, the procedure for filling positions, etc. can be found at www.domstol.dk under "Jobs".

We encourage anyone who is interested and qualified to apply for the position regardless of personal circumstances such as age, gender, race, ethnic background, etc.

Attention is drawn to the fact that an applicant may, pursuant to Section 5, subsection 4 of the Civil Servants Act, request in writing before the application deadline that information from the applicant list, which can be disclosed to applicants under Section 5, subsection 3 of the Civil Servants Act, not be made public. In such cases, a confidentiality obligation will be noted on the applicant list upon disclosure.