Job Listing
Chief Probation Officer
Company:
68102
Industry:
Non-profit, Public Safety
Job title:
Chief Probation Officer
Job level:
Senior
Job description:
UNITED STATES PROBATION AND PRETRIAL SERVICES OFFICE – DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA
Position: Chief Probation Officer
Vacancy: 26-01
Classification: JSP 17
Salary Range: $199,274 – $230,785*
Duty Station: Omaha, NE
Status: Full-time permanent
Open to: All qualified candidates
Number of Positions: One (1)
*Starting salary is set considering human resources policies, qualifications, experience, and applicant’s current salary or federal pay grade.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The chief probation officer is under the administrative direction of the Chief District Judge of the district court or the designee of the court and is directly responsible for the administration of the probation and pretrial services office. Together with the clerks of the bankruptcy and district courts, the chief probation officer also has oversight responsibility for the district’s consolidated administrative services: budget and finance; space and facilities; procurement; information technology; and human resources.
The district has three active Article III judges, two senior judges, and three magistrate judges. The probation and pretrial services office has a total staff of 56 and contributes an additional 5 positions to our shared services units. The district is progressive in the areas of consolidated shared services, coordinating budgets between units, and utilizing evidence-based practices. The district encompasses 77,000 square miles, including three Indian reservations (Omaha, Winnebago, and Santee Sioux). Our headquarters office is in Omaha, with a divisional office in Lincoln.
Representative Duties:
• Organize the probation department to ensure expeditious handling of investigative work for the courts, institutions, and parole authorities, including effective case supervision of defendants, supervised releases, probationers, and parolees.
• Review, analyze, and interpret statutory, Judicial Conference, and Parole Commission requirements for the administration of supervision services; promulgates policies, procedures, and guidelines necessary to meet these requirements.
• Maintain administrative liaison with the court of jurisdiction, including promulgating policies, procedures, and guidelines to meet the unique needs of the court, along with standards to ensure an appropriate level of service delivery.
• Select and recommend candidates for appointment as probation officers to the court and appoint all non-officer personnel; provide specific recommendations to the court in all other personnel matters, including promotions, salary increases, disciplinary actions, and dismissals; assure all personnel are carefully selected and adequately trained; and make certain the work of all employees is systematically evaluated.
• Manage the staff of the office including all clerical, professional, and supervisory employees. Also manage the consolidated administrative services unit together with the clerks of the bankruptcy and district courts.
• Prepare the operating budget and estimate personnel, space allocation, and operating costs; oversee and ensure availability of adequate space, equipment, and supplies for the operation of the office; approve requisitions; certify vouchers for payment; and maintain appropriate fiscal controls in all matters pertaining to travel expenses and purchases of services, equipment, and supplies.
• Responsible for the oversight of the solicitation and implementation of contractual services for substance abuse, sex offender, and mental health treatment of offenders.
• Establish and administer continuing in-service training programs to ensure high-quality service delivery through consistent staff development.
• Maintain a system of communication, enabling awareness of pertinent information at all levels; delegate decision-making responsibility at appropriate levels; provide qualitative and quantitative measures of work performance; and assure accountability with minimal interference to service delivery.
• Maintain liaison with the chief judge and other judges; make specific recommendations regarding court-related criminal justice issues, with particular emphasis on matters relating to sound sentencing and supervision practices.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with other probation and pretrial services offices to assure all requests for assistance from other districts are met promptly and effectively.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with all components of the criminal justice system, including federal, state, and local law enforcement, correctional, and social service agencies.
• Promote and maintain conditions that encourage staff loyalty, enthusiasm, and morale.
• Develop and maintain a public relations program that explains court and other correctional services to the community; assume responsibility for communication with the news media.
• Monitor community events and issues with special attention to alleviating hazardous office and field incidents.
• Occasionally, may perform the duties of probation officers or of supervising probation officers.
• Perform related duties as required by the court.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Three years of progressively specialized experience*
• Three years of substantial management experience
*Three years of specialized experience is mandatory and does not permit any substitutions.
Specialized Experience
Progressively responsible experience in the investigation, supervision, counseling, and guidance of offenders in community correction or probation/pretrial programs is required. Experience as a police officer, FBI agent, customs agent, marshal, or similar position does not meet the requirements of specialized experience. Specialized experience must be earned after the bachelor’s degree has been granted.
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.
Court Preferred Skills
• A master’s degree in a closely related field such as social sciences or management;
• Substantial knowledge of, and experience in, the operations and management of federal probation services;
• Knowledge of Federal Judiciary strategic plans, policies, and procedures; the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, applicable statutes, and case law; and Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Knowledge of evidence-based practices and re-entry initiatives which clearly link to current and future operations and activities;
• An understanding of the Judiciary’s decentralized administrative model;
• Ability to interact and communicate effectively with judges, the legal community, law enforcement, corrections, and service providing agencies;
• Experience leading teams, managing budgets and financial plans, leading large multifaceted projects, evaluating work processes and organizational impact, and planning and implementing organizational change;
• Skill in using vision and innovation to lead; building confidence and inspiring others to perform at a high level; adapting to change and achieving results under challenging conditions;
• Ability to analyze problems and develop solutions; and
• Excellent analytical and writing skills.
Background Investigation, Drug Screening, Medical Examination
This is an Executive High-Sensitive position within the Judiciary. A selected candidate who is not already employed by the Judiciary will be subject to pre-employment drug testing and a medical examination as conditions of employment. The candidate will be considered provisional pending successful completion of a ten-year, full field OPM background investigation. The individual who holds this position will be subject to random drug screening and updated background investigations every five years.
Maximum Entry Age
There is no “maximum entry age” for this position. Federal hazardous duty experience is not required. Candidates who currently hold a federal law enforcement officer (LEO) position and who accept the position of Chief U.S. Probation Officer should note that all LEO provisions, including medical requirements and mandatory retirement age provisions, remain in effect.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applicants must submit a PDF document to [email protected] to include a:
• Cover letter
• Resume
• Application Form AO-78 (all sections must be completed)
• Contact information for three professional references
Application materials that do not adhere to this procedure will not be considered. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Travel reimbursement in connection with the selection process and/or relocation is not authorized.
Final candidates are subject to a preliminary credit, employment, and criminal history record check and satisfactory adjudication by the employing office to be eligible for employment. Candidates completing the AO-78 Application for Judicial Branch Employment must complete questions 18 through 20 regarding their criminal history. Criminal history is not in itself disqualifying. All available information, past and present, favorable, and unfavorable, about the reliability and trustworthiness of a candidate will be considered when making an employment suitability decision. Providing false and/or misleading information may be grounds for removal from the application and selection process, as well as disciplinary action if discovered after the date of hire. Appointment to this position is contingent upon successful completion of a ten-year background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminal record checks (and a re-investigation every five years thereafter). An applicant selected for the position will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of the investigation. Unsatisfactory results may result in termination of employment.
The court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this vacancy announcement at any time or to withdraw it without prior notice.
Positions available:
1
Posted on:
November 18, 2025