Supervisory US Probation Officer Job in Springfield, IL

Vacancy No. DE-13022751-26-AB Department U.S. Courts
Salary $85,141.00 to $163,535.00 Grade 29 to 30
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 7/29/2026 Close Date 8/25/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Springfield, IL


Supervisory US Probation Officer

Judicial Branch
U.S. Courts
U.S. Probation Office, Central District of Illinois

Summary

Progressively responsible administrative, technical, professional, supervisory or managerial experience that provided an opportunity to gain (a) skill in developing the interpersonal work relationships needed to lead a team of employees, (b) the ability to exercise mature judgment, and (c) knowledge of the basic concepts, principles, and theories of management and the ability to understand the managerial policies applicable to the U.S. Probation Office and U.S. District Court.

This job is open to

The public

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

Clarification from the agency

Open to the Public, Current Excepted Service employees

Duties

  • Supervise professional law enforcement staff in performance of their duties, including establishing standards, evaluating performance, handling minor infractions, and recommending disciplinary actions. Confer regularly with staff to provide direction and assistance in case situations. Receive, prioritize, and assign work, ensuring that work is assigned fairly and equitably. Monitor time and attendance and evaluate and approve leave requests. Provide training and orientation for new staff members. Serve as a resource for officers to assist with performing work successfully and efficiently. Develop and implement training programs for officers. Make recommendations regarding new hires, personnel actions, and terminations.
  • Review and edit written work, case plans, correspondence, and various other reports submitted to the court. Ensure that recommendations made by officers to the court adhere to local and national policy and guidelines. Ensure adequate coverage for office activities, court appearances, etc. Conduct audits and reviews of case work. Establish schedules and deadlines for completion of work.
  • Communicate and respond to senior management requests regarding case operations. Answer procedural questions for judges, staff, and the public. Provide customer service and resolve difficulties while complying with regulations, rules, and procedures. Abide by the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Demonstrate sound ethics and good judgment at all times. Handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
  • Perform any or all duties of a probation or pretrial services officer, including investigating and/or supervising offenders/defendants.
  • Support the District mission and vision and effectively serve as a member of the chain of command.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Applicants must be a United States citizen or eligible to work in the United States. As a condition of continued employment, every five years, employees in this position are subject to a re-investigation to determine continued suitability. The incumbent will be subject to ongoing random drug screening, and, as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause, may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations.

Qualifications

A minimum of one-year of experience as a U.S. Probation Officer at CL 28 grade level or above.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Three years' experience as a U.S. Probation Officer at full performance level CL 28 or equivalent.
  • Acceptable performance rating for the past three years.

The official duty station for this position is Springfield, Illinois, and the applicant must be willing to reside within a reasonable commuting distance.

Applicant must be a United States citizen or eligible to work in the United States.

Education

Completion of a bachelor's from an accredited college or university in the field of academic study, such as criminal justice, psychology, sociology, human relations, or business or public administration.

Additional information

Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Travel expenses to attend the interview will not be reimbursed. All information provided by the applicant is subject to verification. Due to the volume of applications the court will only communicate with those individuals invited for an interview. The U.S. Probation Office reserves the right to amend or withdraw this Announcement with or without notice to applicants and more than one vacancy may be filled from this announcement.

The U.S. Probation Office for the Central District of Illinois 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.

Eleven paid federal holidays, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, retirement benefits under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), tax deferred retirement savings and investment plan under the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), health, dental, vision and life insurance, flexible spending account for health and childcare reimbursement, and employee assistance program.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants will be evaluated on education and work experience as it relates to the position.

Required Documents

The Probation Office faces unique challenges. Choose one of the following topics and discuss how you would address it as a supervisor. Make sure you describe the issue, how it affects officers, and how a manager can help officers overcome it:
  1. Secondary trauma.
  2. Burnout from overwhelming deadlines.
  3. Helping officers stay abreast of legal and guideline changes.
  4. How would you help the district continue to move toward Evidence Based Practices and motivate officers to learn new skills.

How to Apply

U.S. Probation Office
Attn: Human Resources
Vacancy 2026-09
210 U.S. Courthouse
600 E. Monroe Street
Springfield, IL 62701

You may also email your application materials in one pdf attachment to keely_sprague@ilcd.uscourts.gov.

Agency contact information

Human Resources
Email
keely_sprague@ilcd.uscourts.gov
Address
US Probation Office, Central District of Illinois
600 E. Monroe Street
Springfield,, IL 62701
US

Next steps

We will review applications as they are received. Once the vacancy closes, we will review all applications and contact those candidates that we are interested in interviewing. If you are not selected for an interview, you will not be contacted.

U.S. Courts

The U.S. Probation Office for the Central District of Illinois is accepting applications from current U.S. Probation Officers for the position of Supervisory United States Probation Officer. We are seeking a highly organized Supervisory U.S. Probation Officer for the Springfield, Illinois divisional office. This skilled professional will lead, motivate, direct, and manage the administration and operations of the office. This position reports to the Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officer.

Agency contact information

Human Resources
Email
keely_sprague@ilcd.uscourts.gov
Address
US Probation Office, Central District of Illinois
600 E. Monroe Street
Springfield,, IL 62701
US

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