United States Probation Officer

U.S. Courts - Western District of Texas; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 62,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Courts - Western District of Texas in Austin, TX, is seeking a United States Probation Officer to support pre- and post-conviction supervision. The role involves investigations, preparing reports, and presenting recommendations to the court with occasional travel.

The incumbent will perform duties across probation investigations, supervision of defendants, and ancillary office support. A bachelor’s degree is required, with possible advancement to higher classification and potential

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, business or public administration.
• Unquestioned integrity and exemplary character.
• Age under 37 at appointment unless prior federal law enforcement experience.
• Valid driver's license required.

Responsibilities

• Investigative Officer Duties: conduct investigations, prepare court reports with sentencing recommendations, interview offenders and families, contact law enforcement, attorneys, victims, schools and community groups.
• Supervision Officer Duties: supervise released offenders, assess risk, document violations and provide testimony and disposition recommendations.
• Officer Assistant Duties: assist investigations, visit local agencies for records, collect urine samples and maintain records.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

Position: United States Probation Officer

Job Number: USPO 26-25

Closing Date: September 30, 2026

Starting Salary: Up to CL 27/13, $69,094 (Salary commensurate with experience.)

Transfers within the Judiciary will be considered for a salary match up to CL 28.

Location: Austin, Texas

Position Overview

United States Probation Officers serve in a judiciary law enforcement position and assist in the fair administration of justice. Incumbents promote community safety, gather information, supervise defendants/persons under supervision, interact with collateral agencies, prepare reports, conduct investigations, and present recommendations to the court. Regular travel is required as a duty function as well as occasional travel outside the district for on-going professional development and training. Officers must be available to routinely work untraditional hours, including evening hours. This position may be in pre-sentence investigation or post-conviction supervision with the caveat that the incumbent could be moved to the other discipline, at the Chief’s discretion, based on district needs. Should there be interest, the candidate may be considered for a Probation Officer Assistant position.

Investigative Officer Duties: The incumbent conducts investigations and prepares reports for the court with recommendations for sentencing of individuals convicted of federal offenses. The preparation of these reports requires interviewing offenders and their families, investigating the offense, prior record and financial status of the offender, and contacting law enforcement agencies, attorneys, victims of the crimes, schools, churches and civic organizations. An integral part of this process is the interpretation and application of the U.S. Sentencing Commission guidelines and relevant case law. The incumbent testifies in court as to guideline applications and serves as a resource to the court to facilitate proper imposition of sentence.

Supervision Officer Duties: The incumbent supervises released offenders to maximize adherence to imposed conditions, reduce risk to the community and provide correctional treatment. This is accomplished through personal contact with offenders in office and community settings. Offenders’ employment, sources of income, lifestyle and associates are investigated to assess risk and measure compliance. Written reports of detected violations are prepared with appropriate court testimony and disposition recommendations.

Officer Assistant Duties: The incumbent develops and maintains an understanding of, and commitment to, the policies, procedures, mission, goals, and values of the probation office; assists officers in performing probation investigations of all types for own office and other districts (i.e. collateral, presentence, post sentence, etc.); visits to various local law enforcement and court agencies to collect record information for both presentence investigation reports and collateral investigations will be required; collects and conducts urine tests to determine if offenders have been using alcohol and/or illicit drugs, and maintains appropriate records thereon.

Applicants must possess 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, business or public administration. Unquestioned integrity and exemplary character. Less than 37 years old at time of appointment, unless previous federal law enforcement officer experience under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Applicants must possess a valid driver’s license. The requirements listed above are not subject to substitutions.

Classification Level Requirements

To qualify for appointment at the CL 27, candidates must have two years of specialized experience or completion of the requirements for a master's degree from an accredited college or university. Promotional potential to CL 28 with no further competition.

Specialized Experience is defined as progressively responsible experience as a probation officer, pretrial services officer, or in such fields as parole, criminal investigations, or work in substance/addiction treatment. Experience as a police, custodial or security officer, other than criminal investigation experience, is not creditable. Also, graduate degrees and/or academic standing based on grade point average (overall 2.9 or better on a 4.0 scale or 3.5 or better in related major field of study), class ranking (upper third), or membership in a National Honor Society may be creditable for portions of the required specialized experience. Applicants without specialized experience may be considered at a lower classification level or for a Probation Officer Assistant position.

Physical requirements and Maximum Entry Age

The duties of probation officers require the investigation and management of convicted criminal offenders who present physical danger to officers and to the public. In the supervision, treatment, and control of these offenders, these duties require moderate to arduous physical exercise, including prolonged periods of walking and standing, physical dexterity and coordination necessary to operate a firearm, and use of self-defense tactics. On a daily basis, these officers face unusual mental and physical stress because they are subject to danger and possible harm during frequent, direct contact with individuals who are convicted of committing federal offenses.

Because officers must effectively deal with physical attacks and are subject to moderate to arduous physical exertion, applicants must be physically capable. Any candidate the court is appointing to an officer or officer assistant position will be subject to a pre-employment medical examination. The applicant must be determined medically qualified prior to commencement of duties. For additional information on the medical guidelines, please visit www.txwd.uscourts.gov - click on Jobs, then Officer and Officer Assistant Medical Guidelines.

First time appointees to positions covered under law enforcement officer retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants 37 or over who have previous law enforcement experience under 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.

Background Investigation, Drug Screening and Medical Standards

Law enforcement officer applicants invited for a second interview may be subject to an initial background check including credit and criminal record checks. Prior to appointment, the incumbent considered for this position will undergo an extensive medical examination and drug screening. Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screening, the incumbent may then be provisionally appointed. At such time, the incumbent will undergo an extensive Office of Personnel Management (OPM) background investigation. Continued employment will be contingent on successful completion of the OPM investigation. In addition, as a condition of employment, the incumbent will be subject to ongoing random drug screening, updated background investigations every five years and, as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause, may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations and drug screening.

Qualified candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, and copy of college transcripts for Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree, if applicable, to www.txwp.uscourts.gov Court Info > Jobs > Current Employment Opportunities & Online Application. No late applications will be considered. Local candidates will receive priority consideration.

To be considered, the following must be included in the cover letter

• Position Title
• Job Number
• Email Address
• Bilingual: English/Spanish or not – Fluency in English and Spanish is desirable but not required.
• Year in which Bachelor’s Degree was received
• Date of Birth, including year born

The United States Courts 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. More than one position may be filled from this posting. In the event that a position becomes vacant within the district in a similar classification, within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the Court Unit Executive may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the position. The Court is not authorized to reimburse travel expenses for interviews or relocation. This position is subject to mandatory electronic direct deposit of salary payments.

All applicants must be a U.S. citizen or must be a lawful permanent resident (i.e., green card holder) and seeking U.S. citizenship.

Applicants are advised that false statements or omission of information on any application materials may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed. Employees of the U.S. Courts serve under "Excepted Appointments" and are considered "at-will" employees (except for probation officers who may be removed for cause). All employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees (available for review upon request). Applicants scheduled to interview should advise the Human Resources staff if any accommodation is needed.

Please visit www.txwp.uscourts.gov for more information

The United States Probation Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer.