U. S. PROBATION & PRETRIAL SERVICES
DISTRICT OF DELAWARE
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT (#17-03)
POSITION: UNITED STATES PROBATION OFFICER
SALARY RANGE: CL-25, Step 1 to 25 ($44,629.00 - $55,361.00) CPS Table PHL (LEO)
(depending upon qualifications & experience)
LOCATION: Wilmington, Delaware
OPENING: June 7, 2017
CLOSING: Complete Application Package must be received by June 27, 2017, 4:30 pm
Position Overview:
This position is located in the U. S. Probation & Pretrial Services Office, District of Delaware. The District serves the three counties of Delaware and has offices in Wilmington and Dover. Assignment to an office duty station is at the discretion of the Chief Probation Officer. The person filling this position must be able to perform a wide range of duties, such as investigation and supervision of pretrial defendants, conducting background investigations on convicted defendants, and supervising sentenced federal offenders. The ability to communicate effectively, in writing and orally, is a requirement. The successful applicant must also be able to work effectively with a wide range of people of varying backgrounds. There is potential promotional opportunity up to a CL 28, without further competition. More than one position may be filled; however, hiring may be constrained by budgetary considerations.
Representative Duties:
As a U. S. Probation and Pretrial Services Officer, the incumbent will perform administrative and operational responsibilities such as the following:
Under the guidance and direction of a Supervisory Officer, conduct investigations and prepare reports for the court with recommendations. Interview offenders/defendants and their families and collect background data from various sources. Interpret and apply policies and procedures, statutes, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures, and U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Monographs, and relevant case law, as applicable.
Under the guidance and direction of a Supervisory Officer, enforce court-ordered supervision components and implement supervision strategies. Maintain personal contact with defendants and offenders, investigate employment, sources of income, lifestyle, and associates to assess risk and compliance. Address substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, and similar problems and refer to appropriate specialist.
Schedule and conduct drug use detection tests and DNA collection of offenders/defendants, following established procedures and protocols. Maintain paper and computerized records of test results. Maintain chain of custody of urinalysis testing materials. Respond to judicial officers’ requests for information and advice. Testify in court as to the basis for factual findings and guideline applications, if warranted. Maintain detailed written records of case activity.
Investigate and analyze financial documents and activities and take appropriate action. Interview victim(s) and provide victim impact statements to the court. Ensure compliance with Mandatory Victims Restitution Act.
Under the guidance and direction of a Supervisory Officer, review and resolve disputed issues involving defendants/offenders and present unresolved issues to the court for resolution. Assess offenders’/defendants’ level of risk and develop a blend of strategies for controlling and correcting risk management.
Provide offenders/defendants with information on local resources and programs regarding employment, GED certification assistance, ongoing education, and vocational training. Identify interests, aptitudes, and abilities of offenders/defendants through interviewing and gathering appropriate information. Assist offenders/defendants toward integration into the job market.
Communicate with other organizations and personnel (such as the U.S. Parole Commission, Bureau of Prisons, law enforcement, treatment agencies, and attorneys) concerning offenders’/defendants’ behavior and conditions of supervision. Identify and investigate violations and implement appropriate alternatives and sanctions. Discuss violations with Supervisory Probation Officer. Report violations of the conditions of supervision to the appropriate authorities. Prepare written reports of violation matters, and make recommendations for disposition. Testify at court or parole hearings. Conduct Parole Commission preliminary interviews.
Qualifications:
To qualify for the U. S. Probation and Pretrial Services Officer position, a candidate must be a United States citizen or otherwise eligible to work for the United States. Must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study, such as counseling, social work, criminal justice, psychology, sociology, law or family services, which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply legal requirements and human relations skills necessary for the position.
Physical Requirements and Maximum Entry Age:
Prior to appointment, the selectee considered for this position will undergo a medical examination and drug screening. Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screening, the selectee may then be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable suitability determination by the court. In addition, as conditions of employment, 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.
The medical requirements and the essential job functions derived from the medical guidelines for probation officers, pretrial services officers and officer assistants are available for public review at http://www.uscourts.gov/fedprob/system/officerqualifications.htm
First-time appointees covered under law enforcement retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants 37 or over, who have previous law enforcement officer service under the Civil Service Retirement System, or the Federal Employment 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 officer experience subtracted from their age to determine if they meet the maximum age requirement.
Preferred Skills:
Superior writing skills and sound analytical judgement. Excellent computer knowledge, with experience in the Windows operations environment. Experience with WordPerfect 12 and Microsoft Word. Fluent in Spanish. Graduate degree.
Benefits:
Judiciary employees serve under excepted appointments and are entitled to standard federal benefits such as paid vacation, paid sick time, health and life insurance and a tax-deferred savings plan. Judicial employees are also eligible for long-term care insurance, disability insurance, and a Flexible Benefits Program which includes medical care reimbursement, dependant care reimbursement, and commuter benefits reimbursement.
Selection Process:
Applicants will be screened for these qualifications and the best qualified applicants will be invited for a personal interview in Wilmington at their own expense. Applicants invited for a personal interview will be subject to a background check including credit and criminal record checks with law enforcement agencies.
Application Process:
Please visit the U.S. Courts website at www.uscourts.gov/forms/AO078.pdf to obtain a judicial application form. Printed application packages are available upon request from the Wilmington office at 302-252-2955.
To be considered for this position, the completed judicial application (AO078), a cover letter, resume, and brief writing sample (not more than two pages) is required. The nature of the writing sample is your choice, as long as it exemplifies your ability to write. It would be preferable if the item selected was something that you have previously submitted in the context of your education or work. The package must be received in the Wilmington, Delaware office by 4:30 P.M. on June 27, 2017. Handwritten or incomplete applications will not be considered, returned, or retained.
Applicants are encouraged to submit their complete application packages via email to: DEHR@dep.uscourts.gov. Application packages may also be submitted to:
United States Probation and Pretrial
Att.: Administrative Officer
Suite 400
824 Market Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
Due to the volume of applications received, the probation office will communicate with only those individuals who will be interviewed. If you are not contacted, another candidate was invited for an interview.
Employees of the U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services are required to adhere to a Code of Ethics and Conduct which is available to applicants for review upon request. This position is a mandatory EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) participation for payment of net pay, i.e., Direct Deposit.
The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services office reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the job announcement, which action may occur without prior written notice or other notice.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
