Chief U.S. Probation Officer

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Position Location:Las Vegas, Nevada
Salary Range:JSP 17 ($197,601 to $228,802, Table LV)
Opening Date:August 19, 2024
Closing Date:Open until filled; first application review will occur on September 20, 2024

OVERVIEW

The United States District Court for the District of Nevada is seeking a qualified individual for the position of Chief U.S. Probation Officer. The Chief Probation Officer is responsible for the administration and management of the U.S. Probation Office in the district.  This is an executive-level management position under the administrative direction of the Chief U.S. District Judge.  

Probation and Pretrial Services in Nevada remains bifurcated and judges have reaffirmed their desire to maintain separate offices. The U.S. Probation Office in Nevada has 51 total staff working in two offices; 45 in Las Vegas and 6 in Reno. The duty station for the Chief Probation Officer is currently in Las Vegas, but they also oversee operations in the Reno, Nevada office – a 75-minute flight from Las Vegas.

The district enjoys a warm and collegial culture where all Court Unit Executives (Probation, Pretrial Services, District Court, and Bankruptcy Court) have a history of working together and helping each other whenever possible.     

More than its famous strip, which provides endless entertainment opportunities for locals and visitors from all over the world, Las Vegas offers a family-friendly environment with incredible neighborhoods, affordable living, warm weather, outdoor wonders (hiking, climbing, snow-skiing, boating, sightseeing), professional sports, and world-class restaurants.  Las Vegas is also home to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and is a short drive away from beach destinations in Southern California, the Grand Canyon, and numerous National Parks and ski resorts in Nevada, California, and Utah.

Reno is an outdoor lover’s paradise with year-round recreation. Known as the “The Biggest Little City in the World,” Reno is famous for maintaining its small-town charm while offering big-city amenities.  Lake Tahoe, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, is nearby, and the Tahoe region includes nearly twenty world-class ski resorts. With its beautiful campus, the University of Nevada, Reno has ranked in the top tier of “Best National Universities” for the last decade.

Nevada is among the most tax-friendly states in the U.S. with residents enjoying no income tax, no pension or social security tax, no estate or inheritance tax, and lower property taxes.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

  • Organizes the probation office to ensure expeditious handling of investigative work for the courts, institutions, and parole authorities to include effective case supervision of probationers and paroles.
  • Reviews, analyzes, and interprets statutory, Judicial Conference, and Sentencing Commission advisory sentencing guideline requirements for sentencing hearings and the administration of probation and supervised release services; promulgates policies, procedures, and guidelines necessary to meet these requirements.
  • Maintains administrative liaison with the U.S. District Court and promulgates policies, procedures, and guidelines to meet the unique needs of the Court, along with standards to ensure an appropriate level of service delivery. Establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with other local court executives to ensure appropriate level of service delivery to the Court.
  • Manages the staff of the office; selects and recommends candidates for appointment as probation officers to the court and appoints all non-officer personnel; provides specific recommendations to the court in all other personnel matters including promotions, salary increases, disciplinary actions, and dismissals; determines that all personnel are carefully selected and adequately trained; makes certain the work of all subordinates is systematically evaluated.
  • Makes estimates of personnel, space allocation, and operating allowance needs; approves requisitions; certifies vouchers for payment; and maintains appropriate fiscal controls in all matters pertaining to travel expenses and purchases of services, equipment, and supplies.
  • Establishes and administers continuing in-service training programs to ensure high-quality service delivery through consistent staff development.
  • Maintains a system of communication, enabling awareness of pertinent information at all levels; delegates decision-making responsibility at appropriate levels; provides qualitative and quantitative measures of work performance; and assures accountability with minimal interference to service delivery.
  • Maintains liaison with district judges; makes specific recommendations regarding court-related criminal justice issues with particular emphasis on matters relating to sound sentencing and community supervision practices.
  • Establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with other probation offices to assure all requests for assistance from other districts are met promptly and effectively.
  • Establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with all components of the criminal justice system to include federal, state, and local law enforcement, correctional, and social service agencies.
  • Promotes and maintains conditions that encourage staff loyalty, enthusiasm, and morale.
  • Monitors community events and issues with special attention on alleviating hazardous office and field incidents.
  • Occasionally, may perform the duties of probation officers or of supervising probation officers.
  • Develops and maintains a public relations program that explains probation, parole, and other correctional services to the community; assumes responsibility for communication to the news media.
  • Performs related duties as required by the court.

QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify for the position of Chief U.S. Probation Officer, a person must, have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and possess three years of progressively responsible specialized experience earned after the bachelor’s degree has been issued.

In addition, to the three years of progressively responsible specialized experience; possess three years of substantial management experience earned after the bachelor’s degree has been issued.

Three years of specialized experience is mandatory and does not permit substitutions.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

Specialized experience is defined as progressively responsible experience in the investigation, supervision, counseling and guidance of offenders in community correction or pretrial programs is required.

Experience in police officer, FBI agent, customs agent, marshal or similar positions, other than any criminal investigation experience, does not meet the requirements of specialized experience.

SUBSTANTIAL MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

Substantial management experience is high-level administrative experience that provided a thorough understanding of the organizational, procedural and human aspects of managing an organization. Such experience typically includes financial management, space and facilities management, oversight of the information technology and human resources functions, and long and short-range planning. Possible titles indicative of this experience outside the judiciary would include president or vice president in charge of several departments or offices, director or assistant director in charge of several departments or offices, head manager or owner-operator of a medium to large company. Possible titles within the judiciary would include any of the court unit executive or type II second-in-command titles, assistant deputy chief probation officer or assistant deputy chief pretrial services officer.

PREFERRED SKILLS

Additional qualifications, skills, and experiences preferred, but not required, include:

  • Substantial knowledge of and experience in the operations and management of federal probation services. Knowledge of federal judiciary strategic direction, policies, and procedures. Knowledge of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, applicable statutes and case law, and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
  • Demonstrated commitment to and expertise in evidence-based practices and re-entry initiatives, and in the development of organizational practices stemming from these principles to improve offender outcomes and reduce recidivism.
  • Excellent organizational leadership and management skills, including the ability to coach and develop employees. Experience in leading teams, managing budgets and financial plans, leading large multifaceted projects, evaluating work processes and organizational impact, re-engineering or creating new organizational models, and planning and implementing change.
  • Possess exceptional character, integrity, and leadership skills, and maintain a professional demeanor at all times. Have a record of displaying good judgement and of being a proven problem-solver with excellent analytical skills and innovative solutions.
  • Highly organized; possesses tact, good judgment, poise, initiative, and a professional demeanor; communicates effectively, both orally and in writing.
  • Ability to effectively interact with judges, the legal community, and other law-enforcement, corrections, and service-providing agencies.

To review the approved Judicial Conference qualification standards, experience requirements, and occupational information for a Chief Probation Officer see the Guide to Judiciary Policy, Volume 12, Chapter 5:  Vol12-Ch05-Appx5F.pdf (ao.dcn)

AGE REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT RETIREMENT PROVISIONS

There is no “maximum entry age” for this position. However, to be included under federal law enforcement retirement provisions, an individual would have to meet “maximum entry age” provisions. First-time appointees to positions covered under law enforcement officer retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. For an applicant with previous law enforcement officer (LEO) experience under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and either a subsequent break in service or intervening service in a non-LEO position, the maximum entry age is increased by adding the number of years of previous law enforcement experience to 37. For example, for a candidate with five years of creditable previous law enforcement experience, the maximum entry age would be 42.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION REQUIREMENTS

This position is a highly sensitive executive position within the Judiciary. The appointee will be subject to ongoing random drug screening and updated background investigations every five years and, as deemed necessary by the Chief Judge for reasonable cause, may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations.

The medical requirements for law enforcement officers are available for public review on the

uscourts.gov web site under Officer and Officer Assistant Medical Requirements.

BENEFITS

Full-time employees of the United States Probation Office are eligible for a full range of benefits to include retirement, health and life insurance, flexible benefits, long-term care insurance, paid holidays, and annual and sick leave accrual.

Additional benefit information is available at https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

To be considered for this position, applicants are required to submit one PDF containing all of the following:

•       A cover letter that summarizes your administrative experience as it relates to staffing, budget, human resources, procurement, space and facilities management, information technology, and project management.  Also include a description of your leadership style, your demonstrated ability to achieve mission-centered goals and objectives, and your vision of sustaining a culture of diversity and inclusion.

•       Detailed Resume

•       Copies of your three (3) most recent performance appraisals.

•       AO-78, Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment.

Applicants must travel at their own expense.

All judiciary employees are required to adhere to the Judicial Code of Conduct.  Applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the United States. This position requires mandatory electronic fund transfer for payment of net pay.

The completed application should be submitted as a single .pdf file to: NVD_HR@nvd.uscourts.gov. Subject: Human Resources Announcement #2024-05.