Description

POSITION OVERVIEW:

U.S. Probation Officers report to the Chief U.S. Probation Officer or his/her designee. By statute, U.S. Probation Officers serve in a judiciary law enforcement position and promote community safety, gather information, supervise persons on probation, supervised release, and parole, interact with collateral agencies, prepare reports, conduct investigations, and present recommendations to the Court. The U.S. Probation Officer may guide the work of probation services technicians and other staff. Incumbent performs duties that involve general probation cases, with supervisory guidance.

The successful candidate will be required to attend and satisfactorily complete the six (6) week Initial Probation and Pretrial Training Program(IPPT) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center(FLETC) located in Charleston, South Carolina, as soon as possible after appointment.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Conduct investigations, prepare reports, and make recommendations to the Court. Interview individuals and their families and collect background data from various sources. Interpret and apply policies, procedures, and statutes, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures, and U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Monographs, and relevant case law, as applicable.
  
  
• Monitor court-ordered supervision conditions and implement supervision strategies that align with latest evidence-based practices that best yield positive outcomes. Maintain personal contact with people under supervision. Investigate employment, sources of income, lifestyle, and associates to assess risk and compliance. Address substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, and similar needs and work with appropriate specialists to implement necessary treatment or violation proceedings, through assessment, monitoring, and counseling.
  
  
• Schedule and conduct drug use detection tests and DNA collection of persons under supervision, following established procedures and protocols. Complete paper and electronic 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, as warranted. Serve as a resource to the Court. Maintain detailed 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. Enforce location monitoring conditions ordered by the Court and perform location monitoring reintegration on behalf of the Bureau of Prisons, as applicable.
  
  
• Review and resolve disputed issues involving persons under supervision and present unresolved issues to the Court for a decision. Assess level of risk and develop a blend of risk management strategies for controlling and correcting risk. Become informed on and implement strategies of best practices to address concerns.
  
  
• Provide people under supervision with information on local resources and programs regarding employment, GED certification assistance, ongoing education, vocational training, or other supervision needs. Identify interests, aptitudes, and abilities of people under supervision through interviewing and gathering appropriate information. Work with people under supervision toward integration into the job market through cross-training, mentoring, and the use of up-to-date
  technology.
  
  
• Communicate with other organizations and personnel (such as U.S. Parole Commission, Bureau of Prisons, law enforcement, treatment agencies, and attorneys) concerning the behavior of persons under supervision and conditions of supervision. Identify and investigate violations and implement appropriate alternatives and sanctions. Discuss violations with a 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. Guide the work of staff providing administrative and technical assistance to officers.

BENEFITS:

Employees of the United States Probation Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania are not subject to
regulations of the Civil Service Commission. However, under the Judicial System they are entitled to the
same benefits as other federal government employees. Some of the benefits are:

• During the first three years of full-time employment, employees receive 13 days of paid vacation. Thereafter, between 20-26 days of paid vacation depending upon the length of federal service.
• Employees receive 13 days of paid sick leave (unlimited accumulation) a year as well as paid federal holidays.
• Subsidized medical coverage with pre-tax employee premiums and flexible benefits program for health care, dependent care, and commuter/parking expenses.
• Eligibility for Group Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability, and Long-Term Care coverage.
• Mandatory participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System with employer matching contributions.
• Employees are required to use Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for payroll direct deposit.
• Promotions are at the discretion of the Court based upon job classification, experience, and performance.
• When computing employee leave and retirement benefits, time in service with other federal agencies, as well as time for prior military service is taken into consideration. 

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• All selected candidates for an appointment as a probation officer will be required to undergo a thorough background investigation, pre-employment drug testing, and 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. The incumbent will be subject to ongoing random drug screening, updated background investigations every five (5) years, and, as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause, may be subject to subsequent fitness for-duty evaluations.
• Law enforcement officers of the United States Courts serve under “Excepted Appointments” and may be removed only for cause.
• Duty station assignments are at the sole discretion of the Chief U.S. Probation Officer.
• This position is subject to mandatory participation in electronic funds transfer (EFT) for payment of net pay (i.e., direct deposit).
• 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).
• The following conditions apply to candidates for positions with the United States Probation Office:
• 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.
• Qualified applicants will be subject to preliminary credit, employment, and criminal history background checks.
• An OPM background check is required for all individuals appointed to positions in the U.S. Probation Office. New employees are considered "provisional hires" pending the successful completion of the OPM background check.
• The U.S. Probation Office reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement or to withdraw the announcement entirely, either of which may occur without prior written or other notice.
• All information is subject to verification and background investigation.
• At the discretion of the Chief U.S. Probation Officer, this announcement can be removed without notice. 

HOW TO APPLY:

Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, official transcripts, a completed OF 306 Declaration for Federal Employment form and an AO 78 Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment form; available on the probation website at https://www.paep.uscourts.gov/job-opportunities.

All documents should be submitted as a single PDF document including VAC#26-05 to:
PAEPdb_ProbationMail@paep.uscourts.gov

Official Transcripts should be submitted via e-mail or mailed directly to:
Chief U.S. Probation Officer
ATTN: Human Resources
William J. Green Federal Building
600 Arch Street, Suite 2400
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Application materials that do not adhere to the procedures above may not be considered. Applicant materials submitted in addition to the required documents will not be considered or retained. Due to the volume of applications, the U.S. Probation Office will only communicate with those individuals who are invited for personal interviews and only applicants who are interviewed will receive a written response regarding their application status. Travel reimbursement in connection with interview and/or relocation is
not authorized.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Required Education 
  • Requires 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, which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relation skills involved in the position. Experience may not be substituted for this required education.
    
    
• Required Experience
  
  • In addition to meeting education requirements, applicants must have two years of specialized experience or completion of a master's degree at an accredited university in a field of study closely related to the position, or a Juris Doctor (JD) degree.
  • Classification Level 28 requires two years of specialized experience with at least one-year equivalent to work at the CL 27 level. 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 officer, custodial, or security officer, other than any criminal investigative experience, is not creditable.
  • Fluency in Spanish is highly desirable, but not a requirement.
• Medical Requirements and Maximum Entry Age
  
  • Probation officers must also meet the following medical requirements and maximum age requirements for law enforcement officer (LEO) positions in addition to the experience and education requirements.
  • First time appointees to positions covered under law enforcement officer retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants 37 years of age or over who have previous law enforcement officer experience under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) 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.
  • The medical requirements for law enforcement officer and officer assistant positions are available for public review on the USCourts.gov website under Officer and Officer Assistant Medical Requirements.