Job Details for U.S. Probation Officer

Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or provide documentation proving eligibility to work in the United States.

Required Education & Experience: All probation officer positions require completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with at least one year of specialized experience*.

At least one year of experience at or equivalent to the next level below the level of the position for which the person is being considered. Sufficient keyboarding skills (or alternative skills) to demonstrate proficiency in producing reports/documents/correspondence using electronic word processing and other office system technology is required.

*Specialized Experience is described as progressively responsible experience, gained after completion of a bachelor’s degree, which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the human behavior management skills involved in the position. Experience as a police, parole, custodial, or security officer does not qualify as specialized experience.

Maximum Age Requirement: First time appointees to positions covered under federal law enforcement officer retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants 37 years old and older who have previous law enforcement experience covered under 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 officer experience deducted from their age to determine whether or not they meet the maximum age requirement.

Medical Requirements: Prior to appointment, the applicant considered for this position will undergo a medical examination and drug screen. Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screen, the applicant will be appointed under a provisional status, pending the completion of a favorable background investigation. 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.

Physical Requirements: 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 hearing aid(s), is also required. Any severe health problems, such as physical defects, disease, and deformities that constitute employment hazards to the applicant or others, may disqualify the applicant.

Other qualifications required: (1) Unquestioned integrity and exemplary character. (2) Sound health. (3) a valid driver’s license (4) Fluency in Spanish is helpful but not required.