U.S. Probation Officer

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
UNITED STATES PROBATION OFFICE
Southern District of Iowa
www.iasp.uscourts.gov

Position: U.S. Probation Officer
Posting: 25-04
Date Opened: January 31, 2025
Closing Date: Open until filled
Location: Des Moines, Davenport, and Council Bluffs
Classification Level & Salary Range: CL25-CL28 $49,287 to $117,053 - Depending on qualifications and location

The starting salary range pertains to applicants that are new Federal Judiciary Law Enforcement appointments. The salary placement would then be based on educational background and experience, in accordance with the Court Personnel System and court preferred skills. Reclassification of new appointments from provisional status would take place once the background investigation has been returned favorable. Additional promotional potential is possible within these ranges without further competition based on experience and performance and to CL28 salary level, at the discretion of the Chief U.S. Probation Officer.

Position Overview
The U.S. Probation Office for the Southern District of Iowa reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. More than one position may be hired from this posting.
The U.S. Probation Office for the Southern District of Iowa is currently accepting applications for a U.S. Probation Officer. There are three offices within the Southern District of Iowa (Des Moines, Davenport, and Council Bluffs). Lateral transfers from other Federal Probation Districts are strongly encouraged to apply.
The U.S. Probation Officer, as an investigative, sentencing, and supervision professional, is responsible for providing meaningful assistance to the Court in its deliberations and decisions concerning criminal offenders and defendants while performing a range of duties and responsibilities, including but not limited to the following:
• Conducts investigations and prepares reports with recommendations for sentencing of offenders convicted of federal offenses to the Court. The preparation of these reports requires interviewing offenders and their families, investigating the offense, determining prior record, examining the financial status of offenders, contacting law enforcement agencies, attorneys, victims, etc. Acts as an officer of the Court, reporting violations of supervision for appropriate action. Testifies in Court as to the basis for factual findings and guideline applications. Serves as a resource to the Court to facilitate the proper imposition of the sentence.
• Maintains personal contact with offenders through office contacts, community contacts, and by telephone. Investigates employment, sources of income, lifestyle,
and associates to assess risk and compliance. Responsible for detection of illicit drug use and implements the necessary treatment or violation proceedings. Serves as a referral source for employment agencies, educational resources, mental health treatment facilities, and substance abuse treatment facilities to ensure compliance with conditions of release and for the protection of the community.
• Supervises offenders to maximize adherence to Court-ordered conditions, reduce risk to the community, and to provide correctional treatment.
• Maintains a detailed automated record of case activity. Responsible for case records as required by the Court, the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, and the Chief U.S. Probation Officer.
• Performs other duties as the Court and Chief U.S. Probation Officer may require.

Qualifications:
• Must be a United States citizen.
• First-time appointees to positions covered under law enforcement retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of the appointment. Applicants who are aged 37 or older who have previous law enforcement officer experience under the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees’ Retirement System 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 subtracted from their age to determine whether they meet the maximum age requirement. Appropriate documentation such as a SF50 must be provided with application packet.
• Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field of academic study, such as Criminal Justice, Criminology, Sociology, Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Law, etc. A minimum of a 2.9 grade point average (GPA) is required with an undergraduate degree. An undergraduate degree with a GPA lower than 2.90 is not acceptable unless the applicant has completed one academic year (30 semester or 45 quarter hours) of graduate work in a field of study closely related to the position and has maintained a GPA of 2.9 or higher.
• The successful applicant(s) must be mature, responsible, poised, organized, and meticulous. Must possess a positive attitude, integrity, tact, good judgment, initiative, and the ability to work with a wide variety of people with diverse backgrounds. Must be able to meet all Court deadlines and dates.
• For salary placement at CL27 the successful applicant must have either two years of specialized experience, or completion of a master’s degree in a field of study. Specialized experience is described as progressively responsible experience
gained after completion of the 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 investigation experience, is not creditable. In the event the applicant qualifies based on education only, the applicant must have two years of specialized experience, including at least one year as a CL27 or a Juris Doctor (JD) degree to be eligible for advancement to CL28.

Benefits
Federal employees are entitled to federal benefits such as health, dental, vision, life insurance, long-term care insurance, paid parking, and flexible spending accounts. Participation in a defined benefit plan the Federal Employees Retirement System-Further Revised Annuity Employee (FERS-FRAE), and up to 5% matching contributions on retirement savings through the Thrift Savings Plan (401k equivalent). Generous accrual of paid time vacation and sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year. Commuter subsidies for public transportation to and from work. Extensive online training options and in-person training and professional conferences, funds permitting.

Miscellaneous
• Prior to appointment, the selectee considered for this position will undergo a full medical examination and drug screening. The medical requirements and essential job functions derived from the medical guidelines for probation officers are available for public review at: http://www.uscourts.gov. 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. This process could take several weeks.
• The selectee considered for this position will undergo a full background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) once they have entered onto duty as a provisional hire. If the OPM report reflects any findings of a negative nature, considered not to be acceptable by the Chief District Judge and Chief U.S. Probation Officer, employment as a U.S. Probation Officer would be terminated.
• The Chief U.S. Probation Officer for the Southern District of Iowa requires all new officers to attend and successfully complete the Office of Probation and Pretrial Services’ (PPSO) Initial Probation and Pretrial Services Training program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), located in Charleston, South Carolina. This intensive six-week training program is designed to meet the training requirements for new officers.
• The selectee will be subject to ongoing random drug screening, periodic background reinvestigation, and may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations as deemed necessary by the Chief U.S. Probation Officer for reasonable cause at any time.
• All court employees, including U.S. Probation Officers, are in the excepted service and are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees which
is available for review upon request. Probation Officers may be removed by the Court for unacceptable performance, misconduct, or other cause pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3602(a).
• The Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages.
• The Southern District of Iowa U.S. Probation Office provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify human resources. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.
• The Southern District of Iowa U.S. Probation Office does not reimburse for expenses associated with interviews or relocation.
• If a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time from the original announcement, the Chief U.S. Probation Officer may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to this announcement without posting the position.

For Consideration
Please submit the following to be considered for this position:
1) A cover letter that includes the rank ordered preference of office location when considering Des Moines, Davenport, and Council Bluffs;
2) Completion of the AO 78 federal judicial branch application of employment;
https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/forms/application-judicial-branch-federal-employment
3) Resume;
4) Academic transcripts; and
5) Copy of the most recent performance evaluation from current and/or previous employers.
Email all documents as a single pdf to: applications@iasd.uscourts.gov. Any inquiries regarding the posting, the application process, or follow up calls should be directed to Mindi Shepherd, HR/Training Manager via e-mail or phone (515) 284-6392.
The Southern District of Iowa is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer