Job Details for PROBATION OFFICER ASSISTANT Announcement Number: 18-05
Court: U.S. Probation Office City, State: Chicago, IL Court Website:
http://www.ilnp.uscourts.gov Permanent Position: Permanent Job Grade: CL
24-25 Minimum Salary: $43,864 Maximum Salary: $74,564 Closing Date:
06/04/2018 Position Description DUTY STATION: Chicago, Illinois OPENING
DATE: Tuesday, March 6, 2018 CLOSING DATE: Open until filled** **
Applications received by close of business Monday, March 26, 2018, will
be given priority consideration. JOB GRADE: CL 24/25 (Table - Special
for Law Enforcement Officers) SALARY: CL 24 Range: $43,864 - $69,179 CL
25 Range: $46,571 - $74,564 # OF VACANCIES: More than one vacancy may be
filled with this announcement Starting salary will be dependent upon
qualifications and experience. If selected candidate is hired at the CL
24 then promotion to the CL 25 will occur without further competition,
with satisfactory performance, after one year of employment. Overview:
The Probation Office for the Northern District of Illinois serves 37
U.S. District Judges and 12 Magistrate Judges and covers 18 counties in
northern Illinois. Our office is comprised of 100+ employees. The
Probation Office headquarters is located at 230 S. Dearborn St., #3400,
Chicago, Illinois, 60604. There are two divisional offices (Eastern,
located in Chicago, IL and Western, located in Rockford, IL) and one
satellite office (located in Lisle, Illinois). We are now accepting
applications from qualified candidates for the position of Probation
Officer Assistant. The Probation Officer Assistant (POA) serves in a
judiciary law enforcement position. The incumbent provides technical and
operational support and assistance to probation officers in a variety of
areas, including assisting with compiling information for
investigations, assisting with and monitoring select
offenders/defendants; drafting reports and correspondence; and assisting
with similar operational duties. Representative Duties: * Under the
guidance and direction of a Senior U.S. Probation Officer (Sr. USPO) or
USPO, supervise a caseload comprised of low-risk offenders.
Responsibilities may include placing telephone calls, conducting office
contacts, gathering and reviewing financial documentation, maintaining
case files and entering information into PACTS. * Will interact with
offenders/defendants through office visits and by telephone under the
supervision of USPOs/SUSPOs. At the direction of the USPO, will
investigate employment, other sources of income, life style factors, and
associates to help assess offender risk and monitor compliance with
court ordered conditions. * Assist officers in the performance of select
investigations, including: compiling criminal histories/profiles,
gathering pertinent demographic, employment, and personal information
needed for proper supervision of those on active supervision, conducting
inquiries with collateral agencies, and performing other similar
activities. Visit or contact various local, state, and national law
enforcement and regulatory agencies to collect and record information.
Provide officers with verifiable and supportable documentation to assist
in completion of reports and assist in identifying community resources
to meet the special needs of offenders/defendants. * Process record
checks on active cases through local and national databases, including
those designed to provide arrest, financial and social media
information. Perform periodic record checks on other caseloads,
including inactive supervision and immigration cases. * May assist USPOs
with interviews of individuals being released from custody, in the
probation office, and gather initial information and documents to assist
USPOs with reentry planning. * Under the direction of a USPO, will
communicate with other organizations and persons concerning offenders
behaviors and conditions of supervision. May assist USPOs with
collection of information to be in reports forwarded to the Court. *
Assist Senior USPOs with entry and tracking of offender schedules into
the LM database (BI, Inc.), installing and removing LM devices in the
probation office, as well as the inventorying and management of LM
equipment. * Conduct/observe urinalysis, and potentially breathalyzer,
testing and processing in the probation office setting. Maintain
appropriate records and assist with mailing/transport urinalysis tests
and materials to laboratories for confirmation. Maintain supply
inventories. * Photograph and fingerprint offenders/defendants for entry
into JABS computer database. * Complete DNA testing. * May assist Senior
USPOs with the review/oversight of computer monitoring software. * Under
the supervision of a USPO/SUSPO, may assist with Residential Reentry
Center (RRC) orientation meetings. * May assist officers and non-English
speaking offenders/defendants, family members, and witnesses in
translations. * Participate in ongoing training and development
programs. * Perform other duties as assigned. Qualification MINIMUM
POSITION REQUIREMENTS: * Unquestioned integrity and exemplary character.
- Less than 37 years of age at time of appointment. (Due to Hazardous
Duty/Law Enforcement position classification). * High school graduate or
equivalent and have two years of general experience and at least one
year of specialized experience. Specialized experience is described as:
Progressively responsible clerical or administrative experience
requiring the ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives,
or laws and involve the routine use of specialized terminology and
automated software and equipment. Such experience is commonly
encountered in law firms, legal counsel offices, banking and credit
firms, education institutions, social service organizations, insurance
companies and similar. * Excellent oral and written communication
skills. * Ability to work under pressure of short deadlines. * Ability
to follow detailed instructions accurately. * Ability to follow safety
procedures. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: * Completion of a bachelors 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. * Progressively
responsible experience, gained after completion of a bachelors degree,
in such fields as probation, pretrial services, parole, corrections,
criminal investigations, or work in substance /addition treatment. *
Entry level knowledge of the roles and functions of the federal
probation office, including general knowledge of practices and
procedures used in probation. * Entry level knowledge of the roles,
responsibilities, and relationships among the federal courts, U.S.
Parole Commission, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Public Defenders
Office and other organizations. * Entry level knowledge of
automated/internet resources and systems available for conducting
background checks, criminal histories, and other similar activities. *
Knowledge of legal terminology and of basic investigative techniques. *
Fluency in Spanish is helpful but not required. Benefits CONDITIONS OF
EMPLOYMENT: Prior to appointment, the selectee considered for the
position will undergo a medical examination and drug screening. Upon
successful completion of the medical exam and drug screening, the
selectee may then be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable
suitability determination by the Court. In addition, as conditions to
employment, the 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
essential job functions derived from the medical guidelines for officer
assistants are available at http://www.uscourts.gov BENEFITS: Employees
of the United States Probation Office are not subject to the regulations
of the Civil Service Commission. They are, however, federal employees of
the Judicial Branch and are entitled to most of the same benefits as
other federal government employees. Electronic Fund Transfer for payroll
deposit is required. Some of the benefits are: - Up to 13 days paid
vacation per year for the first 3 years of employment, thereafter, 20 to
26 days per year, dependent upon the length of federal service. -
Optional participation in the federal health insurance program of your
choice. - Optional participation in the flexible spending program for
health and childcare. - Optional participation in the commuter
reimbursement program. - Optional participation in a group life
insurance program. - Optional participation in the Thrift Savings Plan
(similar to a 401(k)). - A minimum of 10 paid holidays per year. When
computing leave accrual and retirement benefits, time in service with
other federal agencies, as well as time for prior military service is
taken into consideration. Application Procedure: For consideration,
qualified applicants must provide the following in PDF format: 1. Resume
- Cover letter 3. Completion of AO78 application form (follow link
below) http://www.ilnp.uscourts.gov Please send entire packet as one
attachment to human_r_ilnp@ilnp.uscourts.gov. Failure to submit any of
the items requested may disqualify you from consideration. Applicants
called for interview will be given a written assessment exercise. Due to
the expected high volume of applications for this position, the U.S.
Probation Office will only make contact with those applicants who are
invited to interview. Miscellaneous: Employees of the U.S. Probation
Office are appointed in the excepted service, and are considered at-will
employees. All employees are required to adhere to a Code of Conduct,
copies of which are available upon request. Applicants must be United
States citizens or eligible to work in the U.S. The U. S. Probation
Office is not authorized to reimburse candidates for interview or
relocation expenses. The U.S. Probation Office has the right to modify
the conditions of this vacancy announcement, withdraw the announcement,
or fill the position at any time before the closing date, any of which
may occur without prior written or other notice. THE UNITED STATES
COURTS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER