U.S. Probation Officer

United-States-District-Court; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 72,000 - 122,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the District of Arizona is seeking a motivated U.S. Probation Officer to assist judges with bail release decisions and supervise individuals under federal supervision.

The position emphasizes teamwork, confidentiality, and evidence-based practices in community corrections, with interviews, reports, and coordination with law enforcement and counsel across multiple Arizona locations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a field of study such as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, or business/public administration.
• Two years of specialized experience in case management/investigative work.
• Progressively responsible experience in probation, pretrial services, parole, corrections, criminal investigations, or substance/addiction treatment.

Responsibilities

• Conduct investigations, assess risk of nonappearance and danger to the community, provide bail release and sentencing recommendations, and supervise defendants.
• Prepare reports, analyze objections to court reports and determine appropriate actions.
• Interview defendants and their families and supervise individuals under supervision.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Work ethic

Detail-oriented

Education

Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice/related field

Master's degree

Job description

ONE PROBATION TEAM ARIZONA

Our mission is to assist the Court in the fair administration of justice, providing unbiased, accurate information, facilitating lasting positive change in the people we assist and supervise, in order to protect and improve our community.

The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the District of Arizona is seeking an accomplished and self-motivated individual with excellent interpersonal skills and strong work-ethic for the position of U.S. Probation Officer. In this role, high importance is placed on an individual who will embrace our mission and committing themselves to and believing in our vision of working together creatively to transform lives, enhancing the safety of our community.

Our fast paced, prestigious environment will provide opportunities for challenging and rewarding work as a member of the probation team. The successful individual must be able to thrive in an environment that promotes teamwork and professional enrichment where we commit to supporting and defending the U.S. Constitution, the worth and dignity of all people, defending their right to be treated with fairness and respect, believing that all people are capable of positive change through the use of evidence-based practices.

*NOTE: Interviews will be held the week of September 7, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona. This recruitment will be utilized to fill vacant positions as they become available throughout the district.

**The salary range listed above reflects the expected ENTRANCE salary of the position based on qualifications, experience, and duty location. The FULL salary range potential of this position is the target grade CL28
($71,583 - $121,753), and depends on duty location.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office of the U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, is seeking a U.S. Probation Officers for multiple locations in Arizona. The U.S. Probation officer provides detailed background information regarding individuals before the Court, to assist judges in making informed bail release and sentencing decisions. Officers also supervise and monitor individuals in the community who are under federal supervision.

The person selected for this position will have contact with confidential material, which is protected under confidentiality regulations. Disclosure of any confidential information to the outside public is prohibited.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

• Conducts investigations, assesses risk of nonappearance and danger to the community, provides bail release and sentencing recommendations to the court, and supervises defendants and persons under supervision.
• Prepares reports, analyzes objections to court reports and determines the appropriate course of action.
• Presents reports with the type of bail and conditions to be met by the defendant if released and sentencing recommendations to the court.
• Interviews defendants and persons under supervision and their families.
• Investigates offenses.
• Checks prior records and financial status of persons under supervision.
• Consults with law enforcement agencies, attorneys, victims, and community resources.
• Responds to the court’s request for information and advice.
• Supervises defendants and persons under supervision in the community.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify for this position, applicants must have a bachelor’s 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. The successful applicant must have at least two years of specialized experience directly associated with case management/investigative work. Progressively responsible experience
is gained after completion of their degree in such fields as probation, pretrial services, parole, corrections, criminal investigations, or work substance/addiction treatment.

Applicants must be physically capable, have good vision and normal hearing ability. First time appointees must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment.

Applicants aged 37 or over with previous federal hazardous duty experience under the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees’ Retirement System may be eligible for appointment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• The ability to speak and communicate in Spanish (all locations) and Native American languages used in Northern Arizona (Flagstaff).
• Master’s degree from an accredited college or University.
• Knowledge of Evidence-Based Practices in community corrections.

Applications will be considered complete when the online application and all required attachments (in proper format) are received by the Human Resources Division no later than 5:00 p.m. on the date of closing. Applications and/or attachments received after the closing date may not be considered.

The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. In the event that a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the court may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the position.

The initial appointment to this position is provisional pending the successful completion of the required background checks and/or investigations.

Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Employees of the U.S. District Court serve under “Excepted Appointments” and are considered “at will” employees (except for probation officers who may be removed for cause). Federal Civil Service classifications or regulations do not apply; however, court employees are entitled to substantially the same benefits as other Federal Government employees.

The U.S. District Court is a drug-free workplace, and the applicant selected will be required to participate in a drug screening test prior to employment.

All information provided by applicants is subject to verification and background investigation. Applicants are advised that false statements or omission of information on any application materials or the inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment or dismissal after being employed.

Participation in the interview process will be at the applicant's own expense and relocation expenses will not be provided.

All promotions are subject to approval of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

The position is subject to the mandatory electronic fund transfer (EFT) participation for payment of net pay (i.e. Direct Deposit).

Non-citizens may be interviewed and considered for employment, but employment offers will only be made to individuals who qualify under one of the exceptions in 8 U.S.C. §1324b(a)(3)(B). In most cases, this means that an offer of employment cannot be made unless the candidate is a lawful permanent resident who is seeking U.S. citizenship as explained below. Under 8 U.S.C. §1324b(a)(3)(B), a lawful permanent resident seeking citizenship may not apply for citizenship until he or she has been a permanent resident for at least five years (three years if seeking naturalization as a spouse of a citizen), at which point he or she must apply for citizenship within six months of becoming eligible, and must complete the process within two years of applying (unless there is a delay caused by the processors of the application). Non-citizens who have not been permanent residents for five years will be required to execute an affidavit that they intend to apply for citizenship when they become eligible to do so.

The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the District of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity Employer