Investigator

Federal-Public-Defender; Flagstaff (AZ); On-site; USD 75,000 - 164,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Thrift Savings Plan

Job summary

The Federal Public Defender for the District of Arizona is seeking a full-time Investigator to be stationed in Flagstaff. The office handles felony cases in Northern Arizona and may transfer some matters to Phoenix.

Responsibilities include case preparation, reviewing records, interviewing witnesses, drafting reports, testifying in court, and conducting field and digital investigations with appropriate technology.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent, plus three years general and three years specialized experience.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Ability to write clearly and present complex concepts clearly.

Responsibilities

• Case preparation and review of records.
• Interview victims and witnesses; locate and interview potential witnesses.
• Draft investigative reports and assist attorneys with case strategy.
• Testify in court as needed and assist with open source investigations.

Skills

Strong writing ability

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Job description

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT 26-40
Investigator - Trial Unit
Office of the Federal Public Defender
District of Arizona, Flagstaff

The FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA is accepting applications for the position of full-time investigator to be stationed in Flagstaff. The federal defender organization operates under authority of the Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A, to provide defense services in federal criminal cases and related matters by appointment from the court. Staffed offices operate in Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, and Flagstaff.

The Flagstaff office handles initial hearings of felony cases arising in Northern Arizona, including major crimes occurring on Indian Reservations. Generally, these cases are transferred to the Phoenix office after initial hearings, but our Flagstaff attorneys may keep some felonies through district court resolution. Much of the Flagstaff practice involves misdemeanor offenses occurring in national parks/forests and other federal lands and buildings in Northern Arizona. These cases remain in Flagstaff and are presided over by the magistrate judge. The investigator stationed in Flagstaff will work primarily on cases arising in Northern Arizona and primarily on cases handled by the Flagstaff attorneys, including misdemeanor and felony cases. The investigator may also be assigned to cases arising elsewhere in the District of Arizona and to cases being handled by attorneys in Phoenix and other offices, as needed.

Requirements

To qualify a person must be a high school graduate or equivalent and have at least three years of general experience and three years of specialized experience; some higher education may be substituted for specialized experience. Bachelor’s degree preferred. The applicant should possess the ability to write clearly and present complex and interrelated concepts and ideas. U.S. Citizenship and heavy and extended travel is required. Employment is subject to a satisfactory background investigation.

Duties

The duties of an investigator include case preparation, obtaining and reviewing law enforcement and other pertinent records, meeting with clients, locating and interviewing victims and fact witnesses, conducting scene inspections to take photos and measurements and draft diagrams, identifying and meeting with experts, drafting investigative reports, serving subpoenas, and testifying in court as needed. Other duties include social history investigations, locating and interviewing potential penalty phase witnesses, identifying factors in a client’s background that require expert evaluations, consulting with attorneys to develop guilt and penalty phase theories of the case and case strategy, and working with clients and a client’s family while the case is pending. The investigator’s role includes traditional field investigation and open source digital investigation. An investigator is expected to develop proficiency in and utilize technology as appropriate, including specialized software, hardware, digital forensics and artificial intelligence tools acquired by the office for use in investigations.

Salary and Benefits

The starting salary for the investigator position will be fixed commensurate with the experience and qualifications of the applicant within a range from JSP 11, Step 1, to JSP 14, Step 10, and currently yielding $74,678 to $163,514 per annum. The position is in the excepted service and does not carry the tenure rights of the competitive Civil Service. The position does include regular Government employee benefits including health and life insurance, retirement, and the Thrift Savings Plan. Salary is payable only by Electronic Funds Transfer (direct deposit). All positions are at will and are subject to the availability of funds.

The Federal Public Defender is an equal-opportunity employer. All applicants, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or age, are encouraged to apply.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Federal Public Defender for the District of Arizona is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals from groups underrepresented in national projects within the defender community are encouraged to apply.