Job Details for U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services Officer

Personal Characteristic Requirements

• Exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, adhere to high ethical standards, and demonstrate integrity in fulfilling the district’s vision, mission, values, and strategic plan.
• Prioritize competing demands while maintaining a positive and professional demeanor.
• Exercise impartiality and discretion with defendants, persons under supervision, courts, justice partners, and communities.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule if needed, including nights, weekends, or holidays.
• Promote and maintain a positive work environment which encourages integrity, respect, individual and organizational growth, and a fulfilling work life.

Knowledge, Skills, and Education Requirements

Minimum Education Requirement

Applicants must possess a completed bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. The degree must be from a field of academic study related to human relations and where knowledge was gained in understanding the legal requirements necessary to succeed as a probation officer.

In addition to the minimum required education, classification levels are determined based upon additional education or specialized experience* as indicated below:

Level CL 25

Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and one of the following academic achievement requirements:

• An overall “B” grade point average equaling 2.90 or better of a possible 4.0;
• Standing in the upper third of the class;
• “3.5” average or better in the major field of study, such as business or public administration, human resource management, industrial relations, or psychology; or
• Election to membership in one of the National Honorary Scholastic Societies meeting the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies, other than Freshman Honor Societies or
• Completion of one academic year (30 semester credits of 45 quarter hours) of graduate work in a field of study closely related to the position.

Level CL 27

Two years of specialized experience* or completion of a master's degree in a field of study closely related to the position, or a Juris Doctor (JD) degree.

Level CL 28

Two years of specialized experience.

*Specialized experience is defined as progressively responsible experience in fields such as probation, pretrial services, mental health, substance abuse, social work, criminal law, parole, corrections, criminal investigations, public administration, or human relations. Experience as a police, custodial, or security officer, other than criminal investigative experience, does not qualify.

Conditions of Employment

• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or eligible to work in the United States.
• Judiciary employees must adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees at all times.
• Employees of the U.S. District Court are hired under excepted appointments, are not covered by the Civil Service System, and are considered “at will” employees.
• The candidate hired for this position will be subject to a full background record check.
• This position is subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer participation for payment of net pay (direct deposit).
• The U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota reserves the right to amend or withdraw any vacancy announcement with or without written notice to applicants. If a subsequent vacancy of the same position becomes available within a reasonable amount of time after the original announcement has closed, the Court Unit Executive reserves the right to select a candidate from the original applicant pool of the previous vacancy announcement.

Maximum Entry Age Limit

First time appointees to positions covered under federal law enforcement officer retirement provisions . Applicants 37 years old and older who have previous law enforcement experience covered under the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS) who have either a subsequent break in service or intervening service in a non-law enforcement officer position may be able to have previous federal experience deducted from current age to determine eligibility.

LEO Training Requirement

A six-week training program at the Probation and Pretrial Training Academy in Charleston, South Carolina is required within the first year of employment for all law enforcement officer positions.

Medical Requirements and Background Checks

Prior to appointment and after an accepted offer, candidates must undergo a medical examination and drug screen. Upon successful completion, the candidate will be appointed under a provisional status, pending the outcome of a favorable background investigation. As a condition of employment, officers will be subject to ongoing random drug screens, updated background investigations every 5-7 years or as deemed necessary and may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations Officers must possess, with or without corrective lenses, good distance vision in at least one eye with the ability to read normal size print. Normal hearing ability, with or without hearing aid(s), is also required. Any severe health problems, such as physical defects, disease, or deformities that constitute employment hazards to the candidate or others, may disqualify an individual from eligibility. See www.uscourts.gov for additional medical requirement information.