Probation Officer Assistant

The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the District of Arizona is seeking an accomplished and self-motivated individual with excellent interpersonal skills and strong work-ethic for the position of Probation Officer Assistant. In this role, high importance is placed on an individual who will embrace our mission and commit themselves to and believe in our vision of working together creatively to transform lives, enhancing the safety of our community.

Our fast-paced, prestigious environment will provide opportunities for challenging and rewarding work as a member of the probation team. The successful individual must be able to thrive in an environment that promotes teamwork and professional enrichment where we commit to supporting and defending the U.S. Constitution, the worth and dignity of all people, defending their right to be treated with fairness and respect, believing that all people are capable of positive change through the use of evidence-based practices.

*NOTE: The salary range listed reflects the expected ENTRANCE salary range of the position based on qualifications, experience and location. The FULL salary range potential of this position is $47,033 – $83,524.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office of the U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, is seeking Probation Officer Assistant(s) in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff or Yuma. The officer assistant serves in a judiciary law enforcement position, under the direction and guidance of a Supervisory Probation Officer. The incumbent will provide technical support and assistance to probation officers in a wide range of areas, including assisting with compiling information for investigations; assisting with supervision of persons under supervision; preparing and drafting reports and correspondence; appearing in court for violation proceedings and sentencings; and related duties.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

•  Under the guidance and direction of a supervisor, or senior officer, conduct collateral investigations for districts throughout the country; draft and submit collateral reports, which may include placing telephone calls, making home/office contacts, and community/field contacts, as well as maintaining files and case records.

•  Under the guidance and direction of an officer, supervise select lower-risk caseloads of persons under supervision.

•  Conduct selected investigations (as needed) for pre-release/furlough, presentencing, and violation reports.

•  Draft and submit selected reports and maintain related investigative files and case records. Observe and report to officers/supervisors on the lifestyle, personal problems, and needs of persons under supervision.

•  Assist probation officers in the performance of presentence investigations, including; compiling criminal histories/profiles, running record checks through local and national databases and files, conducting inquiries with collateral agencies, and similar activities.

•  Visit or contact various local, state, and national law enforcement and regulatory agencies to collect and record information. Provide officers with verifiable and supportable documentation to assist in completion of probation reports.

•  Schedule, conduct and monitor urinalysis collection from persons under supervision, following established procedures and protocols. Maintain paper and computerized records of test results. Inform officers regarding test results.

•  Maintain and mail or transport tests and materials to laboratories for confirmation. Maintain chain of custody of urinalysis testing materials. Maintain inventory of supplies. Enter data and information into the office’s computerized database system.

•  Monitor inactive cases to include immigration cases. Prepare violation and related reports on inactive cases when violation behavior is detected and appear in court on the violation matter.

•  Testify, as necessary, before the court or Parole Commission.

•  Participate in ongoing training and development in order to remain abreast of advanced techniques.

•  Run periodic record checks on a caseload of deportation cases.

•  Photograph and fingerprint persons under supervision.

•  Caseload will primarily consist of Spanish speaking persons.

•  Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The successful applicant must possess 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, and one year of specialized experience equivalent to the CL-23 to work at the CL-24 or one year of specialized experience equivalent to the CL-24 to work at the CL-25.

Applicants must be physically capable, have good vision and normal hearing ability. First-time appointees must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants age 37 or over with previous federal hazardous duty experience under the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees’ Retirement System may be eligible for appointment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Preference will be given to those applicants that have the ability to communicate effectively in Spanish.  

Preference will be given to those applicants who possess a master’s degree or have completed course work toward a master’s degree.

Probation reserves the right to amend or withdraw any announcement without written notice to applicants. If a subsequent vacancy of the same position becomes available within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the Chief U.S. Probation Officer or designee may elect to select a candidate from the original qualified applicant pool.

Applicants must submit the following:

• Cover letter that supports your work experience as it relates to the position.
• Resume that includes complete work and salary history, and education.
• Your two most recent performance evaluations (strongly preferred).  Letters of recommendation may be substituted if no evaluation is available.  One letter of recommendation must be from a current or recent supervisor. 

Go to our web site: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/azduscourts to submit an online application, including the items listed above.

Attachments should be submitted only as Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) documents. Other formats are not acceptable.

Applications will be considered complete when the online application and all required attachments (in proper format) are received by the Human Resources Division.

Applications and/or attachments received after the closing date may not be considered.

The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. In the event that a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the court may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the position.

Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Employees of the U.S. District Court serve under “Excepted Appointments” and are considered “at will” employees (except for probation officers who may be removed for cause). Federal Civil Service classifications or regulations do not apply; however, court employees are entitled to substantially the same benefits as other Federal Government employees.

The initial appointment to this position is provisional pending the successful completion of the required background checks and/or investigations. The U.S. District Court is a drug-free workplace and the applicant selected will be required to participate in a drug screening test prior to employment.

All information provided by applicants is subject to verification and background investigation. Applicants are advised that false statements or omission of information on any application materials or the inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment or dismissal after being employed.

Participation in the interview process will be at the applicants own expense and relocation expenses will not be provided.

All promotions are subject to the approval of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

The position is subject to the mandatory electronic fund transfer (EFT) participation for payment of net pay (i.e. Direct Deposit).

Non-citizens may be interviewed and considered for employment, but employment offers will only be made to individuals who qualify under one of the exceptions in 8 U.S.C. §1324b(a)(3)(B). In most cases, this means that an offer of employment cannot be made unless the candidate is a lawful permanent resident who is seeking U.S. citizenship as explained below. Under 8 U.S.C. §1324b(a)(3)(B), a lawful permanent resident seeking citizenship may not apply for citizenship until he or she has been a permanent resident for at least five years (three years if seeking naturalization as a spouse of a citizen), at which point he or she must apply for citizenship within six months of becoming eligible, and must complete the process within two years of applying (unless there is a delay caused by the processors of the application). Non-citizens who have not been permanent residents for five years will be required to execute an affidavit that they intend to apply for citizenship when they become eligible to do so.

Salary : $47,033 - $55,465