Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Applicants must be United States citizens or lawful permanent residents currently seeking citizenship or intending to become a citizen after meeting the eligibility requirement as outlined in 8 U.S.C § 1324b(a)(3)(B).
- All information is subject to verification and background investigation.
- This position is subject to mandatory participation in electronic funds transfer (EFT) for payment of net pay (i.e., Direct Deposit).
- Applicants selected for interviews must travel at their own expense. Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Medical Requirements:
- Because officers must effectively deal with physical attacks and are subject to moderate to arduous physical exertion, applicants must be physically capable.
- Officers must possess, with or without corrective lenses, good distance vision in at least one eye and the ability to read normal size print.
- Normal hearing ability, with or without a hearing aid, is also required.
- The medical requirements and the essential job functions derived from the medical guidelines for probation officers are available for public review at www.uscourts.gov.
Maximum Entry Age:
- First-time appointees to positions covered under the law enforcement officer retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants 37 or over who have previous law enforcement experience under the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees Retirement System and who have either a subsequent break in service or intervening service in a non-law enforcement officer position may have their previous law enforcement experience subtracted from their age to determine whether they meet the maximum age requirement.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
- Two years of specialized experience, including at least one-year equivalent to work at the CL-25 level; or completion of a master's degree in a field of study closely related to the position, or a Juris Doctor (JD) degree. Specialized experience is progressively responsible experience, gained after completion of a bachelor's degree, in such fields as probation, pretrial services, parole, corrections, criminal investigations, or work in substance/addiction treatment. Experience as a police, correctional, or security officer, other than any criminal investigative experience, is not creditable.
Preferred Qualifications:
- In addition to the minimum qualifications, preference will be given to applicants with a master's degree in a related field of study, at least two years of specialized experience, and applicants who can demonstrate the following skills and abilities:
- Ability to work under pressure with short deadlines while maintaining a positive and professional demeanor.
- Ability to exercise discretion and sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and foster high ethical standards.
- Ability to interact and communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people of diverse backgrounds. This includes offenders, law enforcement, and collateral agency personnel at different government levels, and community service providers.
- Ability to think through, analyze, and interpret written communication. o Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Competencies (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities):
- Knowledge of the roles and functions of the federal probation and/or pretrial services offices. Knowledge of the roles, responsibilities, and relationships among the federal courts, U.S. Parole Commission, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Attorney's Office, Federal Public Defender's Office, and other organizations. Knowledge of how other judicial processes and procedures relate to the officer's roles and responsibilities. Knowledge of federal law and the criminal justice system particularly as it relates to federal pretrial services, probation, and parole policies and procedures. Knowledge of surrounding community and available community resources. Knowledge of available Office of Probation and Pretrial Services (PPSO) defendant and offender workforce development resources.
- Knowledge of automated/internet resources and systems available for conducting background checks, criminal histories, and other similar information (i.e. National Crime Information Center). Knowledge of investigative techniques and skill in investigating offenders'/defendants' backgrounds, activities, and finances and determining legitimacy of their income. Knowledge of the Bail Reform Act. General knowledge of negotiation and motivational techniques. General knowledge of sentencing guidelines, statutes, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and applicable case law. Knowledge of techniques in supervising offenders/defendants. Knowledge of legal terminology.
- Skill in supervising offenders/defendants and performing risk assessment. Ability to conduct legal research related to a variety of applicable legal issues. Skill in legal reasoning and critical thinking. Skill in dealing with violent and/or difficult people. Skill in counseling offenders/defendants to maintain compliance with conditions of their release. Skill in evaluating and applying sentencing guidelines with guidance from supervisor. Ability to follow safety procedures. Ability to compile and summarize information such as background checks and criminal histories within established time frames. Ability to discern deception and act accordingly. Ability to organize, prioritize work schedule, work with little supervision, and exercise discretion. Ability to work under pressure of short deadlines.
- Knowledge of and compliance with the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Ability to consistently demonstrate sound ethics and judgment.
- Ability to interact and communicate effectively (orally and in writing) to individuals and groups, including law enforcement and collateral agency personnel at different government levels, community service providers, and offenders/defendants. Ability to interview and establish rapport with contacts at collateral agencies, offenders/defendants and their families/support systems, and others for the purpose of supervision and investigation. Most written communication for presentation to judicial officers is reviewed by a supervisor or senior officer.
- Skill in the use of automated equipment including mobile devices, word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications, and various other types of software. Ability to utilize computer software and automated systems to perform record checks, record urinalysis results, compile criminal history information, and similar activities. Skill in using investigative databases to gather information and data.
Education
Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is required for all probation officer positions. Fields of academic study may include criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, or business or public administration, which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relations skills involved in the position.
Additional information
- Employees of the United States Courts serve under "excepted service appointments" and are considered "at will" employees. As such, employment can be terminated at any time. Furthermore, Federal Civil Service classifications do not apply.
- Duty station assignments are at the sole discretion of the Chief Probation Officer.
- False statements or omissions of information on any application materials or the inability to meet conditions of employment may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.
- The duties of probation officers require the investigation and management of alleged criminal offenders or convicted offenders who present physical danger to officers and to the public. In the supervision, treatment, and control of these offenders, these duties require moderate to arduous physical exercise, including prolonged periods of walking and standing, physical dexterity and coordination necessary to operate a firearm, and use of self-defense tactics. On a daily basis, these officers face unusual mental and physical stress because they are subject to danger and possible harm during frequent, direct contact with individuals who are suspected or convicted of committing Federal offenses.
- Any severe health problems, such as physical defects, disease, and deformities that constitute employment hazards to the applicant or others, may disqualify an applicant. Examples of health problems that may be disqualifying are an untreated hernia, cardiovascular disorders, serious deformities or disabilities in the extremities, mental health disorders, fainting and/or seizure disorders, metabolic disorders, bleeding disorders, pulmonary disorders, and marked speech abnormalities.
The United States District Court 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.
Employees of the Judicial Branch are not included in the Government's Civil Service classification. They are, however, entitled to the same benefits as other federal government employees. Some of these benefits are set forth below:
- Full-time employees accrue 13 days of paid vacation per year for the first 3 years of employment up to a maximum of 26 days per year at the 15-year anniversary.
- Participation in a retirement program with optional participation in the federal government's deferred compensation program, the Thrift Savings Plan.
- Optional participation in a federal health insurance plan of choice.
- Optional participation in supplemental insurance programs, including long-term care, long-term disability insurance program and dental and vision insurance programs.
- Optional participation in the flexible spending account program for unreimbursed medical, dental, and vision expenses; dependent care expenses; and commuter expenses.
- A minimum of 11 paid holidays per year.
- Time-in-service credit for employees of other federal agencies, as well as time for those with prior military service, for determining leave accrual and retirement benefits.
Review our benefits
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We will review your resume and supporting documents to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and evaluate your relevant professional, educational, and work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, identified in the Qualifications section above, required for this position.