Deputy Chief U.S. Pretrial Services Officer (Type II)

United States Courts; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Courts in Philadelphia seeks a Deputy Chief Pretrial Services Officer (Type II) to manage daily operations, supervise staff, and support strategic planning. This full-time role requires strong leadership, budget oversight, and collaboration with federal partners.

The incumbent will mentor staff, implement policies, analyze data, and ensure compliance with pretrial regulations while advancing office efficiency and teamwork.

Qualifications

• Seven years of specialized experience in investigation, supervision, and guidance of defendants in pretrial programs.
• Bachelor’s degree required; JD or graduate study can substitute for experience per the substitutions clause.
• Experience with policy development, budgeting, and leading teams is essential.

Responsibilities

• Participate in organizing and managing daily operations to ensure expeditious handling of investigations.
• Assist in strategic planning to define goals and objectives with measurable timelines.
• Supervise staff on travel, leave, and scheduling of work hours.
• Assist the Chief with budget decisions, policy development, and program initiatives.
• Ensure adherence to applicable statutes, regulations, and guidelines in pretrial matters.
• Review reports and analyze data to identify problems and develop solutions; modify policies as needed.
• Foster teamwork and mentor staff; promote office culture and staff morale.
• Coordinate with other offices on budget, procurement, space, and human resources.

Skills

Leadership

Management

Policy development

Budget oversight

Data analysis

Staff supervision

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree

JD or advanced social sciences

Master's degree preferred

Tools

DSS application

PACTS system

DATS/Bills processing

Job description

Job Details for Deputy Chief U.S. Pretrial Services Officer (Type II)

Court Name/Organization Pennsylvania Eastern Pretrial Services

Overview of the Position The U.S. Pretrial Services Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is accepting applications for full-time position of U.S. Deputy Chief Pretrial Services Officer (Type II). This position is open to internal and transfer applicants.

The incumbent performs a full range of duties and responsibilities including but not limited to the following:

• Participate in the organization and management of daily operations of the office to insure expeditious handling of investigative work for the courts and the effective supervision of pretrial defendants.


• Assist in the development of a strategic planning process to define goals and objectives for the organization. Implement short and long-term planning initiatives via policy and programs to achieve agency strategic goals and objectives with measurable outcomes and specific timelines for completion.


• Supervises staff in matters concerning travel, leave, and scheduling of work hours.


• Assist the Chief Pretrial Services Officer with making operating decisions, including review of budget allocations, developing policies and strategies, and initiating new programs.


• Ensure that statutes, regulations, and guidelines pertaining to pretrial matters are applied and adhered to.


• Review and analyze reports to identify problems, trends, and other issues. Analyze data collected to formulate solutions to problems which includes modifications to existing and development of new policies, procedures, and/or administrative practices.


• Manage, develop, and mentor staff including establishing standards, performance management, addressing disciplinary actions, recommending new hires, personnel actions, and terminations.


• Foster teamwork and collaboration among supervisors and staff to achieve common goals. Assist in promoting and maintaining office culture and conditions that encourage staff loyalty, teamwork, enthusiasm, and morale.


• Facilitate, mediate, and negotiate complex and sensitive matters with judges, supervisors, Chief Pretrial Services Officer, and staff.


• Participate with the Chief Pretrial Services Officer and Administrative Department on budget, procurement, space and facilities, finance, and human resources matters.


• Conduct staff meetings and communicate operational status and relevant information to the assistant deputy, supervisors, and staff. Travel to divisional offices regularly to assess and evaluate activities among officers.


• Assists in establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships with other U.S. Pretrial Services and Probation Offices to assure all requests for assistance from other districts are met promptly and effectively.


• Assist in establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships with all components of the criminal justice system to include Federal, State, and local law enforcement, correctional, social service agencies, and the private sector.


• Assists as a backup certifying officer reviewing and certifying monthly travel vouchers, DATS bills, and other financial transactions.


• Deputy Chief Pretrial Services Officer may perform the duties of a pretrial services officer.


• Assists with overseeing quality control of office operations including review of bail reports, officer data entered into the Probation Case Tracking system (PACTS), case plan reviews, and other relevant functions.


• Participates in public relations and community outreach.


• Perform other duties as required by the Chief U.S. Pretrial Services Officer and the Court.

Qualifications

To qualify the incumbent must possess the following years of specialized experience, one of which must have been at the next lower grade level or its equivalent. To qualify for a JSP 15 (equivalent to a CL 31), you must have seven years specialized experience.

Definition of Specialized Experience
a) Progressively responsible experience in the investigation, supervision, counseling, and guidance of defendants/offenders in the community corrections or pretrial programs.

b) Experience in closely allied fields such as education guidance counselor, social worker, case worker, psychologist, substance abuse treatment specialist, and correctional researcher may constitute a portion of the specialized experience.

c) 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. Specialized experience must be earned after the bachelor's degree has been granted.

Education Substitutions
Completion of one academic year (30 semester or 45 quarter hours) of graduate study in one of the social sciences may be substituted for one year of the specialized experience; or completion of a master’s degree or two years of graduate study (60 semester or 90 quarter hours) in an accredited university in one of the social sciences or a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree may be substituted for two years of the specialized experience.

Note: A degree that relies primarily upon credit for life experience rather than academic course work is not considered qualifying for substitution of educational experience for actual work experience under this section.

• Possess exceptional leadership, organization, and management skills and have current or prior managerial experience.


• Be a motivator, a self-starter, and always maintain a professional demeanor.


• Have the ability to make difficult decisions and to communicate those decisions, as required.


• Be adaptable to change and able to lead major change initiatives.


• Have excellent time management skills, be detailed-oriented, and have the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.


• Thorough knowledge of and experience in the operations and management of federal pretrial services. Knowledge of federal judiciary strategic plans, policies, and procedures. Knowledge of the applicable statutes and case law, and Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.


• Thorough knowledge and demonstrated application of Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) in community supervision.


• Thorough understanding of the Decision Support System (DSS) application with ability to utilize DSS reports to problem solve, access trends, and rely upon evidence-based practices (EBP) principles within their discipline.


• Significant experience supervising others with the capacity to coach and develop employees and address, resolve, and manage employee relations/workplace conflict issues effectively.


• Experience in leading teams and large multifaceted projects, evaluating work processes and organizational impact, and planning and implementing major change initiatives to meet organizational goals.


• Proven skills in problem solving, resources management, and staff motivation. Excellent analytical skills. Ability to analyze relevant information and prepare an accurate written summary of technical information in an organized, objective, clear and concise manner.

The position requires a bachelor's degree, preferably in the Social/Behavior Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice) or other field of study appropriate to the position from an accredited college or university. Master's degree preferred.

The Eastern District of Pennsylvania, U.S. Pretrial Services Office, reserves the right to modify or withdraw this vacancy announcement, or to fill the position at any time during the recruitment process, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice.

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.