U.S. Probation Officer Assistant/U.S. Probation Officer Job in Syracuse, NY

Vacancy No. 25-PO-04 Department U.S. Courts
Salary $46,621.00 to $115,213.00 Grade 23 to 27
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 2/13/2025 Close Date 8/13/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Syracuse, NY


Summary

This is a law enforcement position located in Syracuse, New York. The successful candidate will train and work under the guidance and direction of a Supervisory Officer. The successful candidate will be assigned to the Investigations Unit.

Duties

  1. Investigate defendants and make recommendations to the Court related to matters of bail.
  2. Conduct presentence investigations and prepare reports for the Court with recommendations for sentencing of individuals convicted of federal offenses. The preparation of these reports requires interviewing defendants and their families, investigating the offense, prior record and financial status of the defendant, and contacting law enforcement agencies, attorneys, crime victims, and other collateral organizations. An integral part of the process is the interpretation and application of the U.S. Sentencing Commission Guidelines and relevant case law.
  3. Following disclosure of the presentence report to the parties, analyze any objections and determine appropriate course of action which includes resolving disputed issues and/or presenting unresolved issues to the Court for resolution.
  4. Present presentence report and sentencing recommendations to the Court. Respond to judicial officer's requests. Serve as a resource to the Court to facilitate proper imposition of sentence.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, DRUG SCREENING & MEDICAL STANDARDS: As part of the interview process and due to the sensitivity level of this position, candidates will be asked about their background including criminal history and illegal drug use. In addition, candidates must complete the AO-78, questions 18-20 regarding criminal history. Providing false and/or misleading information may be grounds for removal from the application and selection process.

Prior to appointment, the final candidate considered for this position will undergo a medical examination and drug screening. Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screening, the candidate may then be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable suitability determination by the Court. The final candidate must also successfully complete a ten-year background investigation conducted by the Office of Personnel Management. In addition, as conditions of employment, the incumbent will be subject to ongoing random drug screening, updated background investigations every five years and, as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause, may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations. U.S. Probation Officers are covered under the federal law enforcement retirement provisions that requires mandatory separation at age 57 with at least 20 years of service. Therefore, first-time U.S. Probation Officer appointees must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment.

Qualifications

PREFERRED SKILLS: Strong writing skills are essential to be a successful presentence and pretrial investigator. Candidates chosen for an interview may have to complete a writing sample during the interview process. Candidates must also possess strong verbal communication skills. Must be mature, responsible, organized, inquisitive, and demonstrate sound ethics and judgment. Must possess a positive attitude, integrity, initiative, and the ability to work with a wide variety of people with diverse backgrounds. Must work well under pressure and be able to meet deadlines. Additional preferred skills include fluency in a foreign language and licensure or certification in a behavioral science.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Some experience in a human services field such as probation, pretrial services, parole, criminal investigations, or work in substance/addiction or mental health treatment is preferred but not required. Duties and responsibilities will progressively increase in complexity and volume over time. Experience as a police officer, custodial officer, or security officer, is not creditable.

Education

Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study, such as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, or business or public administration is required. A valid driver's license is required.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applicants will also be evaluated based on their responses during panel interviews as well as their responses to a writing exercise. In addition, reference checks and a background investigation will be completed as part of the candidate vetting process.

Required Documents

Applicants must submit the following:

  1. A letter of interest, including requested location.
  2. A current resume.
  3. A completed AO-78, Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment (submitted via applicant system).
If you fail to provide the required documents, your application package may be considered incomplete and may not be considered. Participation in the interview process will be at the applicant's own expense. The Court will not pay for relocation expenses.

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

APPLICATION PROCESS: View full posting and follow directions on how to apply at: https://www.nynp.uscourts.gov/career-opportunities. Consideration will only be given to those that apply through the court's online applicant tracking system.

Agency contact information

Human Resources
Address
US Probation and Pretrial Services, Northern District of New York
James M. Hanley Federal Building and Courthouse
100 S. Clinton Street
Syracuse, NY 13261
US

Next steps

Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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