Summary

The Probation and Pretrial Services Technician provides technical, administrative, and clerical support to probation officers and officer assistants in a wide range of areas, including assisting with conducting investigations, compiling criminal histories, coordinating with collateral agencies, and performing other similar duties, as assigned. This position makes recommendations and some decisions regarding the investigation and supervision of a select lower-risk caseload of offenders.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

Conduct case file reviews and advise officers and officers assistants of matters needing their attention. Make chronological entries in supervision case records. Conduct records research and retrieval via telephone or mail to obtain required documentation. Set up new supervision case records and perform various file management tasks. Assist officers in responding to collateral requests for information. Assemble and process information to the Sentencing Commission. Keep various logs and records up to date.
Format, type, edit, and finalize reports and correspondence from rough drafts using word processing equipment.
Conduct urinalysis and maintain chain of custody of urinalysis testing materials. Maintain paper and computerized records of test results and inform probation officers of test results.
Complete various standard forms for submission to the court and legal counsel using information provided by officers, including petitions, orders to the court, and similar documents.
Operate the local/state law enforcement information retrieval system and Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) terminals to obtain criminal history information and route the information to appropriate recipients. Obtain fingerprint and credit checks, verifications of employment and education, and send FBI flash notices.
Open, close, and update information into computerized records, including the Probation Automated Case Tracking Systems (PACTS). Research information from case records and enter into system as appropriate. Screen forms completed by officers and officer assistants and request corrections as needed. Retrieve information from databases and generate periodic reports.
Participate in problem solving at staff meetings with other support staff, officers, and officer assistants. Make constructive suggestions for improvement in work processes to better achieve goals and objectives. Periodically act as administrative and clerical facilitator to distribute/redistribute work and optimize office support operations, as required.
Provide general clerical office support by performing any or all the following tasks: Answer telephones and take messages; copy and distribute documents; send and receive faxes and electronic mail messages; process travel and expense reimbursement documents; receive and distribute mail; attend meetings and take minutes; provide reception assistance; order and store office supplies; assist officers and officer assistants with word processing or other computer matters.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Employees must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States.
Employees will be hired provisionally pending the results of a background investigation.
Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.
Employees are required to use Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit.
Positions with the United States Probation and Pretrial Office are Excepted Service appointments. Excepted service appointments are at will and can be terminated with or without cause by the Court.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications (Must be met at the time of application):

Requirements:
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in such fields as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, business, or public administration. Relevant experience - paid or unpaid- in the legal, justice, law enforcement, or court sectors. This background may include working directly with legal professionals, assisting in judicial proceedings, engaging in law enforcement operations, or supporting court administration.

General Experience:
Progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates the possession of, or the ability to acquire, the knowledge and skills needed to perform the position's duties.

For placement at CL24, Step 1: One year of specialized experience. Consideration for placement at Step 2 - 25: Two years of specialized experience.

Specialized Experience:
Progressively responsible clerical or administrative experience requiring the regular and recurring application of clerical procedures that demonstrate the ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, or laws and involve the routine use of specialized terminology and automated software and equipment for word processing, data entry or report generation. Such experience is commonly encountered in law firms, legal counsel offices, banking and credit firms, educational institutions, social service organizations, insurance companies, real estate and title offices, and corporate headquarters or human resources/payroll operations.

Education

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in such fields as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, business, or public administration. Relevant experience - paid or unpaid- in the legal, justice, law enforcement, or court sectors. This background may include working directly with legal professionals, assisting in judicial proceedings, engaging in law enforcement operations, or supporting court administration.

Additional information

To view the full job announcement please visit our website at https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/current-job-openings/134323.

Applicants selected for interviews must travel at their own expense and relocation expenses will not be reimbursed.

Due to the volume of applications received, only applicants who are tested and/or interviewed will receive a written response regarding their application status.

This is a temporary position with the possibility of extension, conversion to a permanent role, or promotion to Probation Officer Assistant or Probation Officer without further competition. The salary at time of appointment will be set in accordance with the Court Personnel System. Lateral transfers will be considered for Federal Judiciary employees currently employed in other districts. The agency is unable to match locality pay.

The United States Probation and Pretrial Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your resume and support documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If your complete application meets the basic qualifications, it will be forwarded to the hiring official for further consideration and scored on your level of experience and competencies needed to perform the duties of the position.

Required Documents

Cover letter*
Current detailed resume (including training that you have completed, and certifications obtained)
AO-78, Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment, www.vaep.uscourts.gov or https://www.uscourts.gov).

*The cover letter should include the following information; however, not exceed two pages:

the vacancy announcement number 25-P007N
why you are interested in the position
overall qualities and strengths that you will bring to the position
describe your core values

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Interested applicants must submit all required documents in a single .pdf to vaep_jobs@vaep.uscourts.gov by August 22, 2025. Applications received before August 22, 2025, will be given priority consideration.

To apply for the Probation and Pretrial Services Technician position, qualified candidates are required to submit the following in one .pdf document in the following order:

Cover letter*
Current detailed resume (including training that you have completed, and certifications obtained)
AO-78, Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment, www.vaep.uscourts.gov or https://www.uscourts.gov).
Title the .pdf document as follows: Last Name- First Name-25-P007N; please email the .pdf document to: vaep_jobs@vaep.uscourts.gov.
Applications received before August 22, 2025, will be given priority consideration.